Tommy John surgery tracker
Every known Tommy John (UCL reconstruction) surgery since 1974 - by year, home state, level of play, and surgeon. Updated Sep 16, 2026.
- All-time Tommy John surgeries
- 2,725
- Average age at surgery
- 23
- Average recovery time
- 18 months
- Surgeries in 2026 so far
- 43
All statistics are provided by Jon Roegele @mlbplayeranalys. Official Tommy John Surgery List
Tommy John surgeries by year
Surgeries climbed from a handful a year in the 1980s to a peak of 172 in 2021. 2025 recorded 76; 2026 has 43 so far.
View data table
| Year | Surgeries |
|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | 43 |
| 2025 | 76 |
| 2024 | 113 |
| 2023 | 131 |
| 2022 | 131 |
| 2021 | 172 |
| 2020 | 90 |
| 2019 | 140 |
| 2018 | 146 |
| 2017 | 161 |
| 2016 | 159 |
| 2015 | 171 |
| 2014 | 156 |
| 2013 | 112 |
| 2012 | 116 |
| 2011 | 80 |
| 2010 | 80 |
| 2009 | 77 |
| 2008 | 51 |
| 2007 | 72 |
| 2006 | 54 |
| 2005 | 55 |
| 2004 | 47 |
| 2003 | 48 |
| 2002 | 35 |
| 2001 | 33 |
| 2000 | 29 |
| 1999 | 19 |
| 1998 | 15 |
| 1997 | 11 |
| 1996 | 11 |
| 1995 | 12 |
| 1994 | 9 |
| 1993 | 7 |
| 1992 | 8 |
| 1991 | 10 |
| 1990 | 8 |
| 1989 | 7 |
| 1988 | 6 |
| 1987 | 2 |
| 1986 | 5 |
| 1985 | 3 |
| 1984 | 2 |
| 1983 | 3 |
| 1982 | 4 |
| 1981 | 3 |
| 1980 | 0 |
| 1979 | 0 |
| 1978 | 1 |
| 1977 | 0 |
| 1976 | 0 |
| 1975 | 0 |
| 1974 | 1 |
Tommy John surgeries by home state
Where players went to high school, for the 2,153 US players with a known home state. California leads with 372, followed by Texas and Florida.
Tommy John surgery in the US by state
Top 15 states
All 50 states
- California372
- Texas239
- Florida218
- Georgia99
- New York83
- Illinois75
- North Carolina70
- Ohio69
- Washington54
- Oklahoma53
- Virginia52
- Pennsylvania50
- New Jersey46
- Tennessee46
- Arizona44
- Alabama39
- Indiana36
- Massachusetts35
- Louisiana34
- Missouri32
- Kentucky31
- Connecticut31
- Michigan29
- Colorado27
- Mississippi26
- Minnesota26
- Kansas26
- Maryland23
- Nevada22
- Iowa20
- South Carolina17
- Oregon16
- Nebraska16
- Wisconsin16
- Arkansas15
- Hawaii13
- New Mexico8
- Utah7
- Delaware6
- Rhode Island6
- West Virginia5
- Idaho4
- New Hampshire4
- North Dakota3
- Montana3
- Maine3
- Vermont1
- Alaska1
- Wyoming1
- South Dakota1
Count and % of Tommy John surgeries by level of play
The level the player was at when the surgery happened.
25.6% of Tommy John surgeries happen to high school and college players.
That’s 219 high school and 478 college players in this list - and the youngest was just 13. Overuse is the risk factor you can control: following pitch count limits and rest days for every outing is one of the best ways to protect a young arm.
- High school
- 219
- 8.0% of all
- College
- 478
- 17.5% of all
- Youngest
- 13
- years old
Top 10 Tommy John surgeons by number of procedures
Counted by the surgeon of record listed for each surgery.
Search every Tommy John surgery
Find a player, or filter by year, level, team, or surgeon.
Showing the 25 most recent of 2,725 surgeries
| Player | Surgery date | Team | Level | Home state | Age | Recovery (mo.) | Surgeon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Whisenhunt | Sep 16, 2026 | SF | MLB | North Carolina | 25 | - | Dr. Neal ElAttrache |
| Hunter Dobbins | Sep 2, 2026 | STL | MLB | Texas | 26 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Hurston Waldrep | Sep 1, 2026 | ATL | MLB | Georgia | 24 | - | - |
| Jordan Leasure | Aug 17, 2026 | CHW | MLB | Florida | 27 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Hunter Greene | Aug 12, 2026 | CIN | MLB | California | 26 | - | - |
| Luinder Avila | Aug 5, 2026 | KC | MLB | - | 24 | - | - |
| Stephen Kolek | Aug 5, 2026 | KC | Triple-A | Texas | 29 | - | - |
| Trevor McDonald | Aug 1, 2026 | SF | MLB | Mississippi | 25 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Brad Keller | Jul 29, 2026 | PHI | MLB | Georgia | 30 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Max Rajcic | Jul 22, 2026 | STL | MLB | California | 24 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Bailey Horn | Jul 15, 2026 | DET | Single-A | Texas | 28 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Keegan Akin | Jul 15, 2026 | BAL | MLB | Michigan | 31 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Brian Fitzpatrick | Jul 1, 2026 | MIL | MLB | New York | 26 | - | - |
| Wei-En Lin | Jul 1, 2026 | OAK | Triple-A | - | 20 | - | - |
| Welinton Herrera | Jul 1, 2026 | COL | MLB | - | 22 | - | - |
| Yordin Chalas | Jul 1, 2026 | ARI | Double-A | - | 22 | - | - |
| Jack Kochanowicz | Jun 1, 2026 | LAA | MLB | Pennsylvania | 25 | - | - |
| Jose Berrios | May 20, 2026 | TOR | Triple-A | - | 32 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Alexander Garcia | May 13, 2026 | CLE | Rookie | - | 19 | - | Dr. Keith Meister |
| Jordan Westburg | May 13, 2026 | BAL | MLB | Texas | 27 | - | Dr. Neal ElAttrache |
| Angel Zerpa | May 11, 2026 | MIL | MLB | - | 26 | - | - |
| Juan Valera | May 5, 2026 | BOS | High-A | - | 20 | - | - |
| Will Schomberg | May 1, 2026 | MIA | Double-A | North Carolina | 25 | - | - |
| Ryan Bergert | Apr 29, 2026 | KC | Triple-A | Ohio | 26 | - | - |
| Ken Waldichuk | Apr 20, 2026 | WAS | MLB | California | 26 | - | - |
Tommy John surgery questions
What is Tommy John surgery?
Tommy John surgery is ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction: the torn ligament on the inside of the elbow is replaced with a tendon graft. It is named for pitcher Tommy John, whose 1974 operation by Dr. Frank Jobe was the first.
How long is Tommy John surgery recovery?
Across 1,374 players in the list who returned to the same level, the average recovery time was 18 months from surgery to return.
How many Tommy John surgeries happen each year?
The list records 2,725 surgeries since 1974. The busiest year was 2021 with 172; 2025 had 76, and 43 have been recorded so far in 2026.
At what age do players have Tommy John surgery?
The average age at surgery is 23. The list includes 219 high school players (8.0%) and 478 college players (17.5%); the youngest was 13.
Which surgeon has performed the most Tommy John surgeries?
In this list, Dr. James Andrews has the most recorded procedures (249), followed by Dr. Keith Meister (188) and Dr. Neal ElAttrache (104).
How can youth pitchers lower their risk?
Overuse is the risk factor families and coaches can control. Follow pitch count limits and required rest days for the pitcher’s age, avoid pitching on multiple teams at once, and take time off from throwing each year. Track-A-Pitch applies PitchSmart guidelines automatically while you track.
All statistics are provided by Jon Roegele @mlbplayeranalys. Last surgery recorded Sep 16, 2026. Official Tommy John Surgery List · Support his work
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