It’s been two weeks since the 2020 season started. COVID-19 causes some chaos on MLB schedules. The Miami Marlins are officially back on the field after the coronavirus outbreak. However, the St. Louis Cardinals are still on pause and only played 5 games so far. For most teams, they have played around 15 games. The first 15 games in baseball usually mean nothing too important. But, this year, 15 games means 25% of the season is gone.
After 25% of the season, we have seen some great pitching performances. Which teams’ pitchers are extremely solid on the mound? How good are they?
Indians pitchers lead in almost everything so far this season. They have a lowest WHIP and lead in the K/BB ratio. Meanwhile, it’s extremely hard to hit against them, batters only hit .188 against Indians pitchers. In 17 games, Indians pitchers struck out 184 batters. Cincinnati Reds pitchers threw 185 strikeouts in 16 games. Two Ohio teams’ pitching staff already threw 369 strikeouts in total.
It could be a surprise to see the Rockies on the top 5. They already won 5 series this season. However, they only played 2 series at home. In 7 games at Coors Field, Rox pitchers had a 4.00 ERA. In 8 away games, their ERA was only 1.80, leading the league. How to sustain this pitching success will be a key factor for the Rockies to clinch a playoff berth.
The best rotations are in Ohio. Hitters truly had problems at hitting against Indians starters or Reds starters. Indians starters lead in ERA, WHIP, Strikeouts and K/BB ratio. Meanwhile, batters hit below .200 against these 2 rotations.
Rockies starters and Cubs starters don't throw as many strikeouts as Reds or Indians. However, their rotations are also very solid so far, each had an ERA below 3.00.
The St. Louis Cardinals only played 5 games because of COVID-19 outbreak. With many games being postponed, Cardinals’ bullpen usage will definitely be a tough challenge. Indians’ relievers are leading in K/BB ratio. At the same time, the bullpen had an only 1.51 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. The other 2 teams that had an ERA below 2.00 and a WHIP below 1.00 are the Dodgers and Athletics. Batters against these 3 great bullpens hit below .200.
25% of the season has gone. Yes, 25%. It’s hard to believe, but it’s 2020. We are probably not surprised that Indians and Reds have good rotations. Nevertheless, it will be worth watching the Rockies’ pitching staff. Rox starters look pretty good so far, but the Rockies only played 2 series at home. There are still some tasks ahead. The Cardinals' bullpen will definitely be tested after they are back on the field. Also, durability of the bullpen will be a concern for each MLB team. Even though it’s a 60-game season, each team’s front office and coaching staff still have to be very careful about the bullpen. In particular, the schedule of this season is truly intense and there are going to be several doubleheaders for some teams. But, it could be helpful that the 28-man rosters will remain in place through the World Series.
No comments:
Post a Comment