August just came to an end. In August, several players had a great month. Before heading to September, let’s take a look at those players who had been dominant on the mound last month.
Firstly, let’s look at the strikeout to walk rate. George Kirby made 4 starts in August, posting a 2.60 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP. Among those 4 starts, he punched out 23 batters. And, very importantly, he didn’t allow any walks in 27.2 innings.
In July, Zach Eflin had an ERA of 4.85 through 26 innings. However, in August, he posted a great 2.62 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP over 34.1 innings. In particular, he only gave up 3 free passes this month.
Meanwhile, Logan Webb made 6 starts for the Giants in August. He owned a 3.49 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP through 38.2 innings. He faced 100+ batters in August and only gave up 3 walks. At the same time, he struck out 29 batters.
Moreover, Luis Castillo took 4 wins in August and his K/BB rate was over 6. At the same time, Yusei Kikuchi and Jordan Montgomery each had a K/BB rate of 6 in August. Well, Kyle Gibson’s K/BB rate was over 7, but, his ERA was over 7 in August.
In addition, let’s look at those pitchers who didn’t let opponents hit well. Charlie Morton and Freddy Peralta each made 5 starts in August. It’s really hard to face these 2 pitchers. Against Morton or Peralta, opponents' batting average was only .162. Very importantly, Morton didn’t allow any home runs in August. Moreover, Spencer Strider made 6 starts in August and had a .165 BAA.
Furthermore, the Rangers acquired Max Scherzer before the trade deadline. The 3-time Cy Young award winner didn’t let the team down. He made 5 starts in August, posting a 2.64 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP through 30.2 innings. Opponents only batted .167 against Scherzer in August.
In the meantime, don’t forget Blake Snell, who is also a Cy Young award winner. He finished August with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP over 30 innings. Opponents only batted .168 against Snell last month.
Finally, Johan Oviedo pitched well last month. Ovideo had an ERA over 6 in July. Nonetheless, in August, he made 6 starts, posting a 2.92 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over 37 innings. Opponents only hit .186 against him. It will be worthwhile to see whether he will replicate his performance in September.
Looking at these pitchers’ performances in August, it will be very interesting to see whether they can keep dominating on the mound. In particular, in the AL West, the Rangers, the Astros and the Mariners are fighting intensely for the division title. For the Rangers, adding Max Scherzer in the rotation looks like a great decision and he was outstanding in August. At the same time, George Kirby didn’t allow any free passes last month. The Mariners will surely need him to dominate on the mound. Additionally, the Braves must be extremely satisfied with Morton and Strider in the rotation.
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