Tommy John Dies as 52-Year-Old Surgery Legacy Reshaped Baseball Careers

3 articles · Updated · FOX Sports · Aug 17

Tommy John died Sunday, reviving focus on the pitcher whose 1974 UCL reconstruction by Dr. Frank Jobe became baseball’s most influential medical procedure.
More than 50 years later, Tommy John surgery has turned what was once a career-ending injury into a routine path back, preserving countless pitching careers.
Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander rank among its biggest success stories—deGrom won back-to-back Cy Youngs in 2018 and 2019, while Verlander returned from 2020 surgery to win another in 2022.
Tarik Skubal, Stephen Strasburg and Eric Gagné further showed the procedure’s reach, from Skubal’s 2024-25 Cy Young run to Strasburg’s 2019 World Series surge and Gagné’s 55-save 2003 season.
John’s legacy now extends far beyond his own career, with the surgery bearing his name still shaping how baseball treats and survives elbow injuries.