It’s that time of year again, the doors are closed at Tropicana Field and the fans are awaiting patiently for next season, while the players are chomping at the bit for their report cards.
So, let’s take away some of that suspense. This is part of a five-part series grading out the performances of the 2017 starting rotation.
Pitchers with fewer than 15 starts do not qualify for a grade. Grades are based on a few key numbers.
ERA — FIP — BABIP — K/9 — WAR
Obviously, there are multiple other SABR-stats that could craft a more definite picture but I’m going to keep this as simple as possible while also accounting for things that matter. However, since the game is not just about numbers, I will also go into a few of the intangibles surround the player’s performance.
ERA: It’s easy to see why this is a significant measure of performance.
FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching): This is a truer measure of how a pitcher performed; removing factors out of his control, such as defensive inefficiencies.
BABIP: For the most part, a pitcher is going to hover around the .300 mark when it comes to batting average on balls in play. Trends in either direction typically provide some insight on how lucky/unlucky they might have been. Although, other factors (i.e. Ground Ball %, Hard Contact %) are certainly at play.
K/9: A general sense of how dominant a pitcher can be. However, a high K/9 is over emphasized if you can’t work deep into games. Which is where the next stat comes into play.
WAR: Almost the standard for measuring success among players now, Wins Above Replacement accounts for innings pitched and the success during those innings. Think of it as FIP with an emphasis on innings pitched.
Alex Cobb is one of these five lucky players to be featured.
Alex Cobb’s 2017 Season
(12 Wins, 10 Losses; 128 Strikeouts) 
• 179.1 IP
• 29 Starts
• 3.66 ERA
• 4.24 FIP
• .282 BABIP
• 6.42 K/9
• 2.3 WAR
Notes:
Cobb had an efficient season which landed him 12th in the American League (.545) in winning percentage. He posted an ERA of 3.66 which placed him 11th in the AL. His WHIP (1.22) ranked in the AL Top 10.
Although his season could be seen as a major improvement from last year there are a few things he needs to work on. His 91.66 MPH four-seam fastball allowed a .254 batting average for opponents, which is high for a pitcher of his caliber.
Cobb only started five games last year because he was recovering from a Tommy John surgery that took place 2015. This season he started 29 games which is a big leap in the right direction. Unfortunately, it appears that the Rays will not be the ones benefiting from his services next season. This season, he proved to be better than expected shaking off some of that rust from his short outings last year.
Overall Grade: B-
