Fun with pitching stats

[Lefty]

I remember doing this after the heartbreaking 1984 season. I thought the Cubs could be even better by having a healthy Dick Ruthven in 1985. I figure Ruthven was probably a Joe Blanton-type pitcher. Ah the spirit of youth.

 

In 2018 Lester, Hendricks and Quintana made all their starts. Hamels-Chatwood did too. Montgomery-Darvish made 27 starts. Seven starts were made by "replacement" level pitchers. I'll say.

 

IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA

 

23 24 21 21 5 13 26 8.22

 

 

Hamels-Chatwood

 

172 145 79 75 15 111 156 3.92

 

Monty-Darvish

 

138 140 67 62 15 49 119 4.05

 

Without looking at other contenders I would guess that getting 59 starts, 310 innings with a sub 4.00 ERA out of one's 4th and 5th starters is pretty good. And only having 7 starts made by your AAA staff is probably low as well. But the young adult of 1984 still wonders how much better the Cubs will be if Darvish can beat that last line and Hamels can pitch 200 innings.

 

By the way in doing this I saw that righties only hit .150 against Chatwood. .359 OBP.

[Bull]

 

By the way in doing this I saw that righties only hit .150 against Chatwood. .359 OBP.

 

Oooof. If only he could throw strikes..

[champaignchris]

 

By the way in doing this I saw that righties only hit .150 against Chatwood. .359 OBP.

 

Oooof. If only he could throw strikes..

 

Through his first 650-ish innings as a MLBer, Chatwood threw 4.2 BB/9. Higher than you might want, but something you could live with, with his GB rate. He threw 8.2 BB/9 in his 100 innings as a Cub. Absurd and something a team can’t live with.

 

Is he permantly broke? Is there any reason he can’t go back to what he did over the first 650 innings of his career? I guess the bigger question would be assuming the general health of the five starters and Montgomery, when would Chatwood get a chance to prove any ability to limit walks? The best case scenario would probably be that he looks more like his old self in Spring Training and gets dealt to some team that Needs a back end starter.