Strikeout Time: Scherzer and Pomeranz combine for 30 punchouts
I try not to lead this column with stupendous feats done by the universally owned, but sometimes you can’t avoid it.
Hey, Max Scherzer struck out 20 Tigers. Go add Max Scherzer!
Scherzer’s the fourth member of the 20-strikeout club (Roger Clemens did it twice; Kerry Wood — in the best game I’ve ever seen pitched — and Randy Johnson did it once). Scherzer didn’t walk anyone, and he got to 20 strikeouts in the midst of a competitive, stressful 3-2 victory. No cruise control in this one.
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It hasn’t been the quickest start for Scherzer: 4.15 ERA, 1.17 WHIP. Most of the under-the-hood stuff will defend him. His strikeout rate is the highest it’s ever been, and his fastball velocity is basically unchanged from last year. His swinging-strike rate is down a spec, but still elite. He’s been bitten by the home-run ball (20.4 percent of his fly balls have left the park), which can be bad luck, bad location, bad sequencing — take your pick. I think most will agree, there’s nothing to worry about here. Scherzer seems fine, approved for ace usage the rest of the year.
We should talk a little bit about the team Mad Max mowed down, the Tigers. Detroit’s been a disappointment as we hit the middle of May, ranking 17th in both runs scored and weighted on-base average. If you want strikeouts, it’s a good team to attack — Detroit ranks fourth in strikeout rate. It’s a shame the Tigers don’t have more left-handed presence in the lineup — other than switch-hitter Victor Martinez, there isn’t much here.
Perhaps this will comfort you if you need a Baltimore pitcher for the upcoming four-game set against Detroit. Ubaldo Jimenez, Chris Tillman, Mike Wright (no), and Kevin Gausman are lined up at Camden Yards. Tillman (59 percent) and Gausman (28 percent) are curiously underowned in Yahoo leagues.
• Drew Pomeranz picked the wrong day to throw a gem at the Cubs — all the action’s on the other side of the mall. Pomeranz scattered six baserunners over six scoreless innings at Wrigley Field, rolling up 10 strikeouts. He’s now carrying a 1.80 and 1.08 WHIP. His strikeout rate is an eyelash higher than Scherzer’s.
It’s a shame Pomeranz had to waste three years of his pro career in Colorado. Big things were expected when he went fifth overall in the loaded 2010 Draft, but Coors Field chews pitchers up and spits them out. Pomeranz got things under control in Oakland the last two years, sometimes as a starter and sometimes as a reliever, and he’s been nails for the Padres this season.
Pomeranz is long-gone in the competitive pools (though you can still add him in 37 percent of leagues, oddly). There are only two things that concern me going forward: his nagging walk problem (4.3/9) and the logical expectation that he won’t pitch a full season.
Pomeranz has never gone past 96.2 innings in a MLB campaign, and even if you add minor-league work to the mix, his seasonal high is a modest 143.1 innings. The Padres aren’t expected to contend in 2016. I suspect Pomeranz will be a five-month story for us, not a six-month story. But the way he’s pitching now, I don’t even care. Found money is found money.
Pomeranz’s next two starts are a home-and-home with San Francisco, matching up with Johnny Cueto. Sounds like appointment viewing to me.
• If you’re someone who likes to stash-and-hope with highly-touted pitching prospects, Andy Behrens posted something of interest Wednesday. The Pirates have a couple of highly-touted future aces, Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow, coming soon to a ballpark near you. The timing for adding these guys will greatly vary from league to league — in some leagues you need to act now, in some pools you can wait for recall, in other leagues you can audit a start or two. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, another much-ballyhooed future ace is struggling in Harrisburg, PA. Washington right-hander Lucas Giolito currently has a 4.74 ERA and 1.74 WHIP, toiling in the Double-A Eastern League. His eight starts last year at this level weren’t much better.
Giolito entered the season as a Top 10 prospect on everyone’s clipboard. He turns 22 in mid-July, so he has plenty of time to get things together. Maybe he’s bored in the minors, maybe he’s working on stuff. It’s not uncommon for high-ceiling prospects to have an occasional malaise in the minors. The bottom line is this: if you want to punch a pitching lottery ticket right this second (thinking only about one-and-done leagues), your money goes further in Pittsburgh.
• Handcuffing is one of my least favorite things to do in any fantasy sport, but if you’re a Shawn Tolleson owner, I don’t think you have any choice. Sam Dyson looks like mandatory insurance.
Tolleson’s usage has led to 11 saves this far, though his other numbers are a mess (5.40 ERA, 1.50 WHIP). He struck out better than a batter per inning last year, but he’s down to 6.8/9 this year. Line drives and home runs are up, too.
Dyson is also pitching to contact, though that’s acceptable when you have a ground ball rate just under 67 percent. His 2.12 ERA isn’t completely supported by the secondary numbers (and his xFIP is just about identical to Tolleson’s), but nonetheless, let’s be aware of the situation.
Tolleson needed a day off Wednesday, which led to Dyson getting a rogue save against Chicago (10 pitches, one strikeout, clean inning). Dyson is available for pickup in 87 percent of Yahoo leagues.
• The Rangers offense is going to be crowded when Shin-Soo Choo comes back, but Ian Desmond probably has nothing to worry about. Desmond’s critics had a field day when he slumped for the first ten games of the year, but check what Desmond has done since: .330-22-4-19-5. He’s getting on base 40 percent of the time, slugging .591.
Yes, it’s a cherry-picked sample, but just remember Desmond is still a pretty good offensive player. He’s not going anywhere.
• Given my 01824 roots, I’m thrilled to see the Boston lineup crushing everything in its path lately. The Red Sox piled on 13 more runs Wednesday, sweeping the Athletics out of town. Boston scored 40 runs in the series. Party on Lansdowne Street.
Rick Porcello picked up his sixth win, while Jackie Bradley (two homers, six RBI) continues to look legit. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Travis Shaw, who’s slashing .323/.391/.540 and stole his third base Wednesday. Boston’s the highest-scoring team in the American League, and tried with the Cubs overall. The catchers might not hit in The Hub, but every other piece of this offense looks like a blast.
