I already took a look at the team batting numbers, and now we'll look at the bright spot in the Cubs roster: starting pitching. Here's how the seven pitchers who have started games thus far have performed.
| Player | GS | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | GB% | BABIP | ERA | FIP | xFIP |
| Ryan Dempster | 4 | 28.1 | 9.21 | 2.86 | 0.32 | 41.2% | .191 | 0.95 | 2.32 | 2.94 |
| Matt Garza | 5 | 33.2 | 9.62 | 2.67 | 0.80 | 44.9% | .221 | 2.67 | 2.96 | 3.01 |
| Jeff Samardzija | 6 | 38.2 | 9.08 | 2.79 | 0.47 | 49.5% | .305 | 3.03 | 2.62 | 2.94 |
| Chris Volstad | 6 | 33.0 | 5.73 | 2.73 | 0.55 | 46.3% | .296 | 6.55 | 3.38 | 4.12 |
| Paul Maholm | 5 | 26.1 | 4.78 | 2.05 | 1.71 | 54.7% | .226 | 5.13 | 5.61 | 4.55 |
| Randy Wells | 2 | 8.2 | 5.19 | 9.35 | 0.00 | 34.6% | .310 | 6.23 | 5.26 | 6.68 |
| Travis Wood | 1 | 6.0 | 6.00 | 4.50 | 1.50 | 58.5% | .125 | 4.50 | 5.29 | 4.26 |
| League Average | 7.10 | 2.86 | 0.89 | 46.5% | .283 | 3.73 | 3.70 | 3.75 |
The top three of the Cubs rotation has been dominant, the rest, eh. There's not much to say about Dempster and Garza, because we knew they would be pretty good. We've certainly spilled plenty of words on Jeff Samardzija as well, so Iet's take a closer look at the rest of the rotation.
The advanced stats like what Chris Volstad has done but he's had big problems with the Big Inning. He's looked pretty good with some bad luck in several starts but he just straight didn't have it in his last one. Some (can't remember who) have suggested that maybe he's having trouble throwing out of the stretch. He has a 46.3% LOB%, which is insanely low (league avg for starters is 72.7%).
Paul Maholm's had a rough start to the season but has returned to doing Paul Maholm things in his last outing or two. He's had some bad HR luck and some good balls in play luck. But there's not much to say about Maholm, which has pretty much been the story of his career.
It was only two MLB starts for Randy Wells but just as I'm getting used to the idea of Transformed Jeff Samardzija, I'm also finally moving toward the general consensus that think that Wells isn't going to bounce back from that injury last year. He posted back to back 3 WAR seasons his first two years, but he's looked like shit since being rushed back from his shoulder injury. The two major ingredients that made him a quality starting pitcher were his sub-3 walk rate and his ability to get ground balls. Since returning his walk rate has risen (3.13 last year, 3.72 in AAA this year) and his ground ball rate has dropped (don't have the minor league numbers on this one). He's also had much bigger problems with HRs, though some of that could be fluky (IIRC he gave up a lot early last year while he was still bouncing back). Still, the scoutng department looks pretty smart for pushing Samardzija ahead of him however much of a headscratcher it looked at the time. If we're lucky he'll figure it out back in Iowa, so long as he doesn't catch Jay Jackson disease.
Travis Wood seemed to have a decent shot at a rotation spot after the Cubs picked him up for Sean Marshall, but he had an awful spring and Jeff Samardzija grabbed his spot instead. After a great rookie year with the reds he had a merely good one in 2011. For a guy who is such an extreme flyball pitcher, he had surprisingly low HR rates especially considering that he pitched half his games in the Great American Launching Pad. He's had superficially lousy numbers in AAA so far this year (5.08 ERA), but it looks like a big part of that is BABIP-related (.388). His minor league FIP sits at 3.87 and he's striking out more than a batter per inning. He won't be sitting in AAA forever, but he'll have a slot ready for him next year if someone doesn't get traded sooner than that.
Comments
Aisle424 wrote:
Unless you’re Darrin Erstad. I might have heard that he was a punter, a position well known for badassery.
BerseliusQuote Reply
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/08/mariano-rivera-runs-into-complications/
Can’t even think of what vague “complications” they could run into, except for very bad things. Hope Mo’s okay.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Maurice Sendak ———-> Where the Wild Things Are
🙁
BerseliusQuote Reply
I’ve always said that starting pitching is the best part of the rotation.
MuckerQuote Reply
Heyward is 6 5 240.. Would be a great fight
bubblesdachimpQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
You think F7 could’ve Farnsworth’d the guy?
Also I think Wells had a forearm or elbow strain. Cashner had the shoulder issue but so far he’s been uncorking 100+ mph heat without his arm flying into the backstop.
Mobile RiceQuote Reply
@ Mobile Rice:
You’re probably right about Wells. My memory stinks.
BerseliusQuote Reply
Mobile Rice wrote:
I think he would have tried.
BerseliusQuote Reply
The numbers are making Sveum look like a genius.
joshQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Erstad was a pretty small dude. F7 is huge. Heyward isn’t small himself, but I’m going to put my money on the guy who played college football at Notre Dame.
mb21Quote Reply
@ mb21:
It depends on what Heyward does. If he’s holding a bat I’d put my money on the guy with the bat (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
I assumed he wouldn’t be holding the bat since he’d probably like to avoid jail time. Then again, these guys are idiots so who knows. So I agree with you.
Heyward + bat >>>>>>> F7
Heyward < F7
Heyward <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< F7 + bat
F7 could strip the bat out of Heyward's hands.
mb21Quote Reply
minor league thread is saved for when you guys need it.
dylanjQuote Reply
@ mb21:
(F7 + Ball) + (Heyward + Bat) = HR
WaLiQuote Reply
Also, Reed Johnson trying to avoid getting HBP in the face reminded me of George Michael from Arrested Development dodging items that are thrown at him.
WaLiQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
Is that Algebra?
MuckerQuote Reply
@ WaLi:
I only saw one replay and my lying eyes suggest Reedz got hit on the top of the helmet. Glad he didn’t take too much damage there. Gritty.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
He turned and shrunk his head in like a turtle. It was aiming right for his face but hit him in the shoulder.
WaLiQuote Reply
I noticed in the new Pepsi commercials that Lou Piniella is no longer wearing his Cubs uniform but has gone back to being a Mariner.
/cool story bro
Rice CubeQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
I was told there would be no math.
Aisle424Quote Reply
WaLi wrote:
He had plenty of time to get out of the way. It was an 83 mph curve or change that got away. Reed let it hit him because that is what he does.
Aisle424Quote Reply
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/starlin-castro-is-good-at-baseball/
MishQuote Reply
minor league shit: http://obstructedview.net/minor-leagues/the-children-are-the-future-cubs-minor-league-update-sponsored-by-big-red-chewing-gum-pubic-wigs.html
mb21Quote Reply
Aisle424 wrote:
“alright, here are your exams, 50 questions true or false.”
“true.”
“homer, i was just describing the test.”
“true.”
“look homer, just take the test and you’ll do fine.”
“false.”
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply