A big league manager's dream for his bullpen is to have the starter throw nine innings. In his last start, Gio Gonzalez did just that for the Washington Nationals. After watching an hour or so of the talking heads, I've been hearing about the upcoming dominance that Gonzalez is about to feature in tonight's game, so I thought I might compare tonight's starting pitching. Furthermore, I thought I'd compare the offenses that each pitcher will be up against.
First, Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez is in the midst of a career year by the peripheral metrics. His SO/BB ratio is up around .76 above his career average. Similarly, his hits per nine, walks per nine, and dingers per nine (technical term) are all down measurably from last year, and his career average. Gonzalez is sporting a 3.32 era this year, which is the only measurable metric that is up from previous years. The only issue Gonzalez has run into this year is allowing more extra base hits than before, and falling prey to the "Big Inning".
He'll be facing what is essentially a league-average offense. Up from last year's abysmal offensive performance, the Giants now are seventh in baseball in hits. They've taken approximately the league average in walks, have an above average steal rate, a higher than average strikeout rate, and below average power.
On the other side of the Diamond, Ryan Vogelsong, the National League ERA leader. His season has been even more impressive than last year's effort. He sports a 2.27 ERA, and is generally roughing up every offense he's run into. His complete season of quality starts has been well documented, and it's seemed that even the best hitters are using foam bats against him.
His peripheral metrics are all solid. His K/BB is over 2, his K/9 is around 7, his BB/9 is 3.0. He has pitched exactly 143 innings, which is about twenty innings above league average.
The offense he'll be facing is, despite the hype of Bryce Harper, a less than average one. The Nationals strike out more than all but the Houston Astros, and the Oakland Athletics. Furthermore, they are 14th in baseball (league average) in batting average. Their on base percentage is 16th in baseball, also essentially league average. Even their slugging percentage, the traditional metric of power, is only 13th in baseball.
Other metrics follow the same trend: the Nationals are a power team, they love hitting dingers. Unfortunately for them, they are only relatively successful. Fortunately for them, their stellar pitching has awarded them with the best record in baseball, in what is a reasonably tooled division.
This series looks to be somewhat less lopsided than the last series the Giants had with the Nationals, the record of which shall forever remain unspoken.
-Bean
First, Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez is in the midst of a career year by the peripheral metrics. His SO/BB ratio is up around .76 above his career average. Similarly, his hits per nine, walks per nine, and dingers per nine (technical term) are all down measurably from last year, and his career average. Gonzalez is sporting a 3.32 era this year, which is the only measurable metric that is up from previous years. The only issue Gonzalez has run into this year is allowing more extra base hits than before, and falling prey to the "Big Inning".
He'll be facing what is essentially a league-average offense. Up from last year's abysmal offensive performance, the Giants now are seventh in baseball in hits. They've taken approximately the league average in walks, have an above average steal rate, a higher than average strikeout rate, and below average power.
On the other side of the Diamond, Ryan Vogelsong, the National League ERA leader. His season has been even more impressive than last year's effort. He sports a 2.27 ERA, and is generally roughing up every offense he's run into. His complete season of quality starts has been well documented, and it's seemed that even the best hitters are using foam bats against him.
His peripheral metrics are all solid. His K/BB is over 2, his K/9 is around 7, his BB/9 is 3.0. He has pitched exactly 143 innings, which is about twenty innings above league average.
The offense he'll be facing is, despite the hype of Bryce Harper, a less than average one. The Nationals strike out more than all but the Houston Astros, and the Oakland Athletics. Furthermore, they are 14th in baseball (league average) in batting average. Their on base percentage is 16th in baseball, also essentially league average. Even their slugging percentage, the traditional metric of power, is only 13th in baseball.
Other metrics follow the same trend: the Nationals are a power team, they love hitting dingers. Unfortunately for them, they are only relatively successful. Fortunately for them, their stellar pitching has awarded them with the best record in baseball, in what is a reasonably tooled division.
This series looks to be somewhat less lopsided than the last series the Giants had with the Nationals, the record of which shall forever remain unspoken.
-Bean
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