So, after skipping 5 weeks (and with a burning desire NOT to do any real work today), I’ve updated my little spreadsheet of starting pitcher performance.
Interesting results to be had, no doubt:
Nats performance going against Staff Positionals:
#1s (ie, the other team’s aces): 10-8. that’s right; we’ve got a winning record against the staff aces on the season. Amazingly Livan has pitched in 7 of these 18 contests
and will get his 8th ace tomorrow night going against Josh Johnson in Florida. Strasburg has yet to face an “Ace.”
#2s: 6-12. JD Martin seems to be taking the brunt of these losses, as he’s taken over the Jason Marquis rotation spot apparently. Martin isn’t pitching badly (3rd best ERA+ on the staff) but the Nats are 1-6 in his starts right now.
#3s: 5-11. Strasburg seems to be in the #3 rotational spot right now though he goes tonight against Florda’s #2 starter in Nolasco in what should be a pretty good matchup.
#4s: 5-6. Mostly Olsen starts.
#5s: 7-8. Ironically Lannan usually faced up against #5 starters. it is a testament to his bad season that he couldn’t get more wins against the #5 starters.
#5+’s: 6-5. 5+ means they were not in the original starting 5 rotation at the beginning of the season. Sometimes this is a good thing (going against the 7th best starter in baltimore for example) and other times it means the right guy is finally pitching (like Dickey over Oliver Perez in NY).
Taking the “rotation order” out of the equation and just looking at the actual performance of the staff member at the time of the series shows a slightly different take:
#1s: 8-12
#2s: 10-9
#3s: 7-7
#4s: 5-10
#5s: 5-8
#5+: 3-4
We’re actually playing WORSE against the lesser pitchers! how is that possible. Ugh.
Of course, if we trade Dunn and Willing ham we’ll probably head into a tailspin and be closer to 60 wins than 70. Currently the team is on pace for exactly 71-91.
boss