Pittsburgh Pirates first half grades for pitching staff
By Matt Shetler
Starters
A.J. Burnett (4-6, 89.1 IP, 3.12 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 99 K, 35 BB)
Jun 8, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Raise your hand if you thought the Bucs would be 21 games over .500 with their ace having a 4-6 record and missing a few weeks of the season on the disabled list. OK now put your hand down because you are lying.
But that’s exactly what has happened and it speaks to the pitching depth in the organization. However don’t be fooled by Burnett’s win-loss record. He has pitched much better than that and was the victim of poor run support early on. Despite making only 14 starts, Burnett still leads the team with 99 strikeouts and if he comes back completely healthy, should anchor the Bucs rotation for what should be a run at the postseason. Grade: B+
Wandy Rodriguez (6-4, 62.2 IP, 3.59 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 46 K, 12 BB)
Back to talking about depth, the Pirates top two pitchers have a combined 10-10 record. If that’s the case, there is no way this Pirates team should be above .500, yet having the best record in baseball.
But despite two stints on the disabled list, Rodriguez has been very effective when he has been given the ball. Early on in the season it seemed like every time the Pirates needed a big outing from one of their starters, it was Rodriguez who delivered. He has unfortunately made only 12 starts on the season and his strikeout total continues to decline, but when he has been healthy Rodriguez has battled and been very effective. Grade: B
Jeff Locke (8-1, 102.0 IP, 2.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 69 K, 44 BB)
I was often ridiculed the past couple of years for saying I was very high on Locke, but even I didn’t see this coming. Who would have thought at this point of the season that Locke would not only lead the Pirates in innings pitched, but also rank second in all of baseball in ERA.
With all of the injuries on this pitching staff, the Bucs needed someone to step up and add some stability to the rotation. Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that Locke would be that guy. He should be heading to the All-Star Game. Grade: A+
Jonathan Sanchez (0-3, 13.2 IP, 11.85 ERA, 2.81 WHIP, 15 K, 8 BB)
Everything about the Sanchez signing screams failure. But how far have the Pirates come as a staff since he was on the team? Grade: F
James McDonald (2-2, 29.2 IP, 576 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 25 K, 20 BB)
I only included Sanchez and J-Mac to further illustrate how this staff is not only so much different than the beginning of the season, but how much better it has gotten. McDonald had some good moments but as usual he couldn’t find consistency. He was given every opportunity to seize a spot on this staff and couldn’t take advantage of it. I would be shocked if he ever threw another pitch in a Pirates uniform. Grade: D