Welcome to "MLB Corner," our periodical look at the current season, complete with knee-jerk reactions, and usually a list or two.
We are at the quarter pole in what has been an entertaining season thus far. Stay tuned throughout for more coverage.
This week’s MLB Corner looks at the top 5 left handed starters over the first month and a half of the season.
This group hasn’t been dominating like years past due to injuries and inconsistency. In fact the drop off after Kershaw is becoming steeper due to age and other factors.
- C.J Wilson LAA- Wilson has looked dominant at times this year holding the Yankees lineup under wraps twice already. With a 5-3 record and 61 K’s in 62 innings he has stepped up as the ace of that rotation.
- Madison Baumgarner SFG- Solid #2 in the Giants rotation has been part of the reason they are leading the division. He has been streaky this year winning two losing three and winning three games. Pitching 53 innings but fanning 59 is a good start to being more consistent with his command.
- Cliff Lee Phi- Lee hasn’t been as dominating as years past but still owns a respectable 4-4 record with 68 K’s in 61 innings.
- Clayton Kershaw LAD- He has made two starts this year and been dominant in both. DL stint could be a blessing in disguise to keep innings total down after a long postseason run and an early start in Australia. He has a 2-1 record with his last outing being a clunker but has 28 K’s in 22 innings.
- Scott Kazmir Oak- Can Billy Bean find ‘em or what? Kazmir has been a diamond so far staying healthy and going 5-1 with 43 K’s in 53 innings pitched with a 2.64 ERA and a WHIP of 1.04, the numbers match the record. After imploding when he didn’t get a strike call in the 2nd inning of his latest start and being ejected, Kazmir is still found money for the first place A’s.
Just Missed:
David Price TB- Inconsistency has been Price’s bugaboo thus far. He’s 4-4 with 77 K’s in 69 innings, but hasn’t looked like the Cy Young Price of only two years ago. The team overall is in last place in the AL East and is showing no signs of pulling out wins for their ace, and he has thus pitched two complete games for wins and not left his fortunes up to a shaky bullpen. Confident he will be back in the top three by the next review of top lefties- which could mean he is adding to his trade value.
Dallas Keuchel Hou- Who? Yes Kuechel has risen from the depths of Houston’s rotation to quietly sport a 5-2 record with 55 K’s in 61 innings. The 26 year old broke into the Astro’s rotation in 2012 with a 3-8 record and an ERA over 5. 2013 wasn’t any better for him sporting similar ERA and WHIP numbers. Since he broke on the scene he has improved his K/BB rate which is a result of improved control. His WHIP of 1.04 and ERA of 2.92 are top of the rotation numbers; he even has a complete game on the books and just missed another this week against the Angels going 8 2/3 shutout innings before allowing two runs and being removed.
Gio Gonzalez Wash- Here’s another guy who with a bit more consistency would be higher on this list. He sports an ERA under 3 and a WHIP slightly above 1 with more strikeouts than innings 45/44. We find out after his last start that his shoulder is hurting, which answers some of the consistency questions and landed him on the DL. With no structural damage he will be treated with rest and hope that he can pick up again in June.
Speaking Of Pitching:
The degree to which pictures are dropping to arm injuries this year has been alarming. Tommy John is becoming a household name, and it’s a blow to Major League Baseball and fans. What I find interesting is that the Dodgers tandem of Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu have both found themselves on the DL for extended periods after pitching a regular season game in late March in Australia. What that means is that they ramped up their programs earlier than normal and now the Dodgers are being cautious with them as they will be needed come October. The DL stints are thus getting them the extra rest they didn’t get in spring training during the season. Dodger fans will be happy come playoff time.
Andrew Cashner and the Padres front office are holding their breath about his elbow as he has landed on the DL and is scheduled for an MRI Monday. Tyson Ross has been the Padres best starter this year but Cashner is no slouch and his loss would be a big blow to the rotation for anything more than 15 days.
Chris Sale is another story. He has also been on the DL for longer than 15 days and does not have a solid timetable for his return. The White Sox are in no such playoff hunt this year and appear to be nervous about Sale’s funky delivery wrecking his elbow. Once again extra rest for a pitcher with major talent and expectations is not the worst thing a front office can do when looking toward the future.
Chuck Nice:
Rockies manager Walt Weiss finally admitted he can’t sit Charlie Blackmon anymore, even against left handed starters. Blackmon isn’t flirting with .400 anymore but he is at .340 and with a .319 average against lefties is more than justifying his place atop the most potent lineup in baseball. Blackmon is 3rd in the league in total hits and is also chipping in stolen bases with 9 thus far.
Retro Is In:
Former AL MVP Miguel Tejada signed with Miami this week on a minor league deal. This is interesting because he tested positive for amphetamines last year while with the Royals and was given a 105 game suspension, which still has games on it so his impact might not be felt in South Florida at all. He is 39 years old but did hit .288 last year before the suspension.
