MLRanked - Every MLR Pitching Staff #15-11 (2018-19 Edition)
#15 - Philadelphia Phillies
2017-18 Ranking: #5
Where the defending champions have found offensive success, they have tripped some in the pitching department. Leading this charge is Hudson Hildebrandt, who went from a fantastic arm to having an awful season, one of the worst in the league thus far. Hildebrandt, who pitched 4 one-hit innings against the Rockies, stumbled and blew a 5-run lead against Chicago in his next start. Oliver Yu, the rotation's senior, has had a mediocre season himself, sitting a hair below negative in pWAR.
What salvages this rotation is the performance of Joel Embiid, who has quickly become one of the best pitchers in the league.
Charlie Yeagar / Hudson Hildebrandt / Joel Embiid / Oliver Yu
Innings Pitched: 3.0 / 16.0 / 23.0 / 23.0
Earned Runs Allowed: 1 / 20 / 7 / 13
ERA: 2.00 / 7.50 / 1.83 / 3.39
WHIP: 0.67 / 2.00 / 1.22 / 1.43
Strikeouts: 3 / 27 / 6 / 12
D/BF: 283.50 / 220.63 / 268.60 / 252.24
pWAR: 0.151 / -0.978 / 1.355 / -0.054
#14 - Detroit Tigers
2017-18 Ranking: #19
The Tigers have made huge strides in their pitching this season. With the help of former Brewers GM Master Cashier and the wonderful sophomore year of Dick Woolridge, the team's pitching has not been too bad of an aspect for them. Along for the ride is Pete Goldinger, however, with a 6.19 ERA in 10.2 IP, good for -0.330 pWAR. The rest of the staff is very solid, however, and there's little to complain about.
Dick Woolridge / Master Cashier / Pete Goldinger
Innings Pitched: 19.2 / 38.0 / 10.2
Earned Runs Allowed: 9 / 21 / 11
ERA: 2.75 / 3.32 / 6.19
WHIP: 1.27 / 1.50 / 1.97
Strikeouts: 19 / 31 / 10
D/BF: 253.99 / 226.41 / 241.19
pWAR: 0.853 / 0.365 / -0.330
#13 - New York Yankees
2017-18 Ranking: N/A (or #20 if you count them as the Mariners)
16-4.
In all seriousness, the Yankees staff has been pretty good. Tommy Foxconn has glowed in his sophomore season with the new team, sporting a pWAR over 1 with only 16.1 innings pitched. That's pretty insane. Meanwhile, Dactyl and Golden have been serviceable as starters apart from some shaky starts.
But yeah, the shaky starts have been bad. Golden sits with a negative pWAR, Dactyl with a rather high ERA. With the trade deadline looming, I could see the Yankees surfing for a new pitcher. Or just crossing their fingers in such a tumultuous AL East.
Seik Golden / Tara Dactyl / Tommy Foxconn
Innings Pitched: 29.0 / 19.0 / 16.1
Earned Runs Allowed: 17 / 13 / 2
ERA: 3.52 / 4.11 / 0.73
WHIP: 1.48 / 1.37 / 0.86
Strikeouts: 17 / 14 / 15
D/BF: 238.18 / 223.08 / 257.11
pWAR: -0.315 / 0.755 / 1.240
#12 - Arizona Diamondbacks
2017-18 Rankings: #14
The Diamondbacks rotation has been quietly solid. No one talks about Rub A. Chikin, who was acquired from Cleveland before he pitched a single inning in last season's deadline. They really should. Chikin boasts a 0.981 pWAR and exactly 22 strikeouts in as many innings. Syd Kidd, the veteran on the staff, has had a rather small amount of innings pitched at 14.0 IP, but has surely made the most of them. Only Y.E. Wally is struggling in this four-man staff, but even he has a positive WAR.
We need to analyze the development of pitcher Tim Spooneybarger and see if Kidd can keep up the same performance with two times the innings if we want to pronounce this rotation top 10. It's still pretty good as it is, however.
Rub A. Chikin / Syd Kidd / Tim Spooneybarger / Y.E. Wally
Innings Pitched: 22.0 / 14.1 / 4.1 / 22.2
Earned Runs Allowed: 13 / 3 / 2 / 17
ERA: 3.55 / 1.26 / 2.77 / 4.50
WHIP: 1.32 / 1.19 / 1.85 / 1.59
Strikeouts: 22 / 8 / 2 / 11
D/BF: 267.57 / 256.61 / 221.30 / 250.10
pWAR: 0.981 / 0.543 / -0.094 / 0.339
#11 - Oakland Athletics
2017-18 Rankings: #16
I have a bias against smaller rotations. Runzer is easily one of the best in the business, if not the best pitcher in the American League. This is a rotation ranking, however, and Steelflex just isn't very premier. With 0.339 pWAR and a rather poor 230.21 D/BF, he's just kind of all right. And in a 2-man rotation, that doesn't cut it, no matter how sexy Runzer's stats are.
Jefferson Steelflex / Joe Runzer
Innings Pitched: 22.2 / 38.1
Earned Runs Allowed: 15 / 11
ERA: 3.97 / 1.72
WHIP: 1.54 / 1.46
Strikeouts: 32 / 24
D/BF: 230.21 / 251.04
pWAR: 0.339 / 1.728
