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The starting pitcher market may not be star-filled at this point, but there are still some good options for filling the rotation. Former top contender and current journeyman Michael Wacha.
Wacha is finishing his best season in terms of fWAR since 2017 (3.1 in ’17), ending the 2022 campaign with a 1.5 fWAR and welcoming the Boston Red Sox as the 3rd or 4th starter in that rotation. I was. Starting with the basic numbers, Washa had an ERA of 3.32, K/9 7.35, BB/9 2.19, and HR/9 1.27. These are pretty solid as his third or fourth starter in most MLB rotations. Let’s take a closer look at why Japanese tea was successful in 2022.
Two of Wacha’s standout stats are his LOB% and BABIP. Wacha ran aground more runners than his average of 80.3% and had a very low BABIP of .260. In addition to this, Washa was also able to produce his 41.0% ground ball, which he has struggled with in the last two seasons. But the biggest improvement comes in the type of contact he gave up last year.
One of the big problems Washa had in the 2020 and 2021 seasons was the hard hit rate of over 43%. However, in 2022, Washa’s slugging percentage has fallen to 35.4%, 0.4 points below the league average. These numbers are good, but some of the expected numbers tell a different story.
Wacha had a 3.32 ERA, but his expected ERA, FIP, and BABIP point to a bit of luck in 2022. Expected ERA is 4.56 and FIP is 4.14, matching BABIP .260. This might be a cause for concern as Wacha has had better luck and looks like he’s defending well, but the Royals will probably play a good defense again this year, so it’s not a particularly big concern.
One of Washa’s biggest concerns is his pitch repertoire. According to the run value, the Japanese tea four-seam fastball had some problems with a run value of 9. I hit a lot (.287 average) and slugged for a .537 clip. HIS RUN HIS VALUE One of the positives that stands out from his chart is that he has reduced his use of four seams every season since 2019.
Maintaining run value, there are two good pitches for Japanese tea: changeup and cutter. Run values for each are -9 for changeup and -6 for cutter. Neither hit at a good rate (both below .230), nor did they slug (both below .400).
Another plus to come out of Washa’s 2022 season is that he did really well through September and October. Please give me. At one point, Washa’s ERA was his 2.52, but at the end of the year he collapsed with a 5.57 ERA.
In 2022 stats, Michael Wacha is a younger and better version of Jordan Lyles (minus the Inning Eater trait). for that reason, spot rack Japanese tea has a market value of $11.9 million, higher than Lyles’. If the Royals need another starting pitcher for a few seasons, offering Wasa his two- or three-year deal worth $12 million a year with an opt-out would be a good move for them. .
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