Perfectly Marvelous - 2006 Rookie Pitchers

[McKain]

Major League Baseball has just crossed the one-third mark in the season. Hot starters are beginning to cool off (unless your last name contains the syllables "poo" and "hole"). Those big stars who would have paid millions just to see a homerun are finding their swings. The injury bugs are driving teams to the cellars, and returning players are fixing that which ails the rest. Something is odd, though - some thing has yet to change. The rookie pitchers have yet to get bombed (except for Justin Verlander. ****er, hurting my point by letting the Yankees ***** him around). The hitters still can not figure out just what it is these pitchers do. Their control is still great, and in some cases, absurd. It takes effort to be a bad first-year pitcher in 2006. Oh, what I would give to be a rookie pitcher in the majors right now. I certainly have no effort to give, and I can throw a fastball. The Royals would sign me, I know it.

* denotes starter
Jonathan Papelbon - 28 IP, 1 ER, 20 saves, 8.6:1 K:BB ratio, 16 baserunners allowed

Jonathan Broxton - 18 IP, 2 ER, 3.8:1 K:BB ratio, seventeen baserunners allowed

Ramon Ramirez - 22 IP, 3 ER, 5.75:1 K:BB ratio, 6 holds, fifteen baserunners allowed

*Jered Weaver - 13.1 IP, 2 ER, 4.3:1 K:BB ratio, ten baserunners allowed

Kenny Ray - 26 IP, 4 ER, 4 holds, 26 baserunners allowed,

*John Rheinecker - 12.1 IP, 2 ER, 9:1 K:BB ratio, 12 baserunners allowed

Adam Wainwright - 27 IP, 6 ER, 6:1 K:BB ratio, 5 holds, 20 baserunners allowed

*Francisco Liriano - 38.1 IP, 9 ER, 3.9:1 K:BB ratio

*Anthony Reyes - 12 IP, 3 ER, 11 baserunners allowed

*Josh Johnson - 48.1 IP, 13 ER

Joel Zumaya - 26.2 IP, 8 ER, 13 holds (!!!)

I could go on and on and on and on. Michael O'Connor, Justin Verlander, Cole Hamels, Sandy Rleal, Casey Janssen, Chris Ray, Bobby Jenks, Clay Hensley, Ricky Nolasco.

Small sample size? Of course. Very small sample size for some (notably Reyes, Weaver, Rheinecker)? Of course! Incredible pitching? Of course! This is perhaps the best rookie pitching class of the past few decades; there has not been this much widespread pitching success in my lifetime. I am seeing something that many may never see, a league where being a rookie means you destroy hitters (even if only for a short while).

This might not last. We were all there in 1994, staring at Tony Gwynn and his .394 batting average, watching the Montreal Expos lead the divsion by six and threatening the Atlanta Braves. The fact is, as fans, we long for something ridiculous in the game, and we want those things to be widespread and long-term. We want to see five batters this year challenge a .400 batting average, we want to see another five guys have fifty game hitting streaks entering the last ten games of the season, we want to see Albert Pujols enter the last day of 2006 with 72 homeruns. Why? Because we have seen it all before, and these events are incredible sights to behold. Something tells me a few years from now, we will be craving for rookie domination - we will want to see pitchers just destroying hitters. And it will be because of the 2006 rookie class.

Or they'll all fizzle out and suck and people will call me a moron. It's coo'.

[missionhockey21]

Good stuff McKain. I am not one big for putting this kind of stuff into historical context but it will be interesting to see:

a.) Will this trend continue (obviously not to the same level it's been at, but remaning strong)?
b.) How will 2006's rookie pitching class in the end rank against past years on the whole.?

The surprising thing to me though, as you pointed out, is the extremely solid control we are seeing on the whole. Since usually that is the one common fear most have with rookie pitchers not hitting their spots (be it nerves or lack of refinement that comes with experience.) Also, it's kind of funny how to start the season we saw some of the game's greats dominating yet again in their twillight, and now we have a lot of kids who will be taking their spots in the spotlight stepping up and performing. Oh and 'The Lizard' should be included in this class, not because he has particulary noteworthy stats (not at all), but because his nickname rocks. Just sayin'.

+rep

[Witlon]

No love for Paul Maholm and his 3.5 career ERA(4.36 this year, around the league average, I'm sure). I agree, the 1.69 WHIP is ugy but he should be on any rookie pitcher list, just considering that he's been our 2nd or 3rd best starter all of the season, as a rookie.

Josh Johnson is also a guy that should be in this class, like most Florida pitchers, I guess.

Anyway, good points.

[McKain]

I left out most of the guys who weren't absolutely ridiculous (which means a lot of deserving guys who have pitched well weren't discussed), so guys like Maholm and such weren't pointed out.

[Kingdom]

Johnson was mentioned..


I hope the braves are sorry for dealing Wainwright. He would have been a great boost for the pitching staff.

[Nolan_Ryan]

I like how you put Jonathan Papelbon at the top of the list He's been lights out all year, only giving up 2 runs, one of them unfortunately leading to a loss and the other one being a home run. The home run was barely a home run too, it hit the foul pole in right field at Fenway Park. In a lot of ballparks, that would just be a foul ball.