More report cards being handed out. Next up on the list of assessments – Matt Andriese.
Grades are based on a few key numbers
ERA — FIP — BABIP — K/9 — WAR
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.
Matt Andriese is up next. How was his 2017?
Matt Andriese’s 2017 Season
(5 wins, 5 loses; 76 strikeouts)
- 86.0 IP
- 17 Starts
- 4.50 ERA
- 4.93 FIP
- .296 BABIP
- 7.95 K/9
- 0.5 WAR
Notes:
Andriese barely made the cut for a report card this season, having just 17 starts to his name. To be fair, prior to June, Andriese was pretty shut down, going 5-1 over his first 11 appearances. On May 25th, many thought he was going to be a 10+ game winner. But in his next start on May 30th, he left (groin) after just an inning of work.
That was the beginning of the end of his season.
After a short 10-day DL stint, he returned with hopes of picking up where he left off. Well, in a sense he did. For consecutive starts he made it just one inning…before being pulled with injury.
This time, he would sit for almost two months with a hip injury. After that injury, Andriese did not have the same fire that he had in the beginning of the season. In five September appearances, he would suffer losses in four of them.
You have to think, what would have happened if he never suffered the groin strain? How would this season have turned out for him AND the team overall? Four losses in September in the American League East can be the deciding factor in a Postseason berth. Granted, the team was out of contention in August, but if they had been making that push would they even risk putting Andriese on the mound?
That is not a question that a team should be concerned with.
Looking into 2018, it seems that Andriese might end up with the fifth spot in the rotation, given the excellent rookie showing by Jacob Faria and the turnaround by Blake Snell. After his season in the minors, Brent Honeywell could also be an option to fill that role come April.
And of course, Nathan Eovaldi is still lingering there as well, if the option on his contract is picked up for 2018.
We know that baring a massive trade, Archer is sticking around. But since Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi are both linked to trade talks, there could be a big shake up in the Rays starting rotation for 2018. Luckily with young arms like Honeywell showing their worth in the minors, hopefully the impact will generate new life into a club who has missed the Postseason for four straight seasons.
2017 Overall Grade: D+
