Quality Starts 2005

Since I am on vacation, I was checking my projects from 2005, and noticed I never finished my study of the Rangers starting pitchers, and their ability to get quality starts (6 innings or more, 3 Earned Runs or less). So, this morning, I finished the job, and here is what I found. At the bottom, please note the numbers for the season compared to those numbers of 2004.

Rogers: 30 starts, 22 quality starts (4/6, 4/11, 4/21, 4/27, 5/2, 5/8, 5/14, 5/20, 5/26, 5/31, 6/5, 6/17, 7/3, 7/9, 7/16, 7/26, 8/16, 8/27, 9/1, 9/11, 9/23, 9/29)

Comments: His 73% QS% is Top 10 in all of baseball! You might find that Kenny is a jerk that you want out of here. But the more you look at his 2005, the more you must admit that his pitching performance this season was one of the finest ever for this franchise. And you will not replace his 22 QS’s in 30 GS. Next to impossible, unless Andy Pettitte or Chris Carpenter are acquired. Kenny’s QS% was the highest in the American League for any pitcher with 15 or more QS’s.

Drese: 12 starts, 4 quality starts (4/5, 4/15, 5/7, 5/24)

Comments: Ryan Drese – R.I.P. June 7, 2005

Young: 31 starts, 10 quality starts (4/28, 5/9, 5/27, 6/2, 6/13, 6/25, 7/17, 8/7, 8/17, 8/28)

Comments: Young’s season was overall fabulous. Quality Starts were tough for him to come by given the large number of pitches that he required to record outs. As he matures, you would hope he could get through 6 in fewer than 100 pitches. But make no mistake, until his arm tired in early September, this was the bright spot of the rotation (excluding Rogers).

Park: 20 starts, 8 quality starts (4/13, 4/23, 4/29, 5/22, 5/29, 6/26, 7/1, 7/19)

Comments: Happily, the Metroplex got rid of Chan Ho Park, Pierre Turgeon, and Shawn Bradley in the same summer.

Astacio: 12 starts, 6 quality starts (4/9, 4/14, 4/19, 5/11, 5/25, 6/3)

Comments: As big a Spare that Astacio seemed, his 50% QS% was 3rd, behind Rogers and Dominguez.

Rodriguez: 10 starts, 3 quality starts (6/18, 6/29, 7/28)

Comments: It appears the Rangers are no longer optimistic for his future.

Wilson: 6 starts, 0 quality starts

Comments: As a starter, he is a good bullpen guy.

Wasdin: 6 starts, 2 quality starts (6/28, 8/6)

Benoit: 9 starts, 1 quality starts (8/25)

Comments: Ditto Rodriguez (as a starter), but his job in the bullpen was very impressive in September.

Dominguez 10 starts, 6 quality starts (8/24, 8/29, 9/3, 9/14, 9/20, 9/25)

Comments: 60% Quality Start Percentage??? If he isn’t in the opening day rotation, this team needs its head examined. Dominguez may have his warts, but he also has the ability to be a dominant starter.

Loe: 8 starts, 3 quality starts (8/31, 9/5, 9/27)

Comments: Maybe just one poor start (9/10 vs. Oak) in the 8 starts he made. His percentage is a bit lower than it should be, as Buck was quite careful with Loe in the 6th inning, pulling him just short of a QS on at least two occasions. I am very interested in what he brings to the table in 2006.

Volquez: 3 starts, 0 quality starts

Comments: Very, very early in his story. Send him back to AA or AAA for seasoning.

Dickey: 4 starts, 1 quality starts (9/13)

Comments: Another non-rotation candidate

Rupe: 1 starts, 0 quality starts

Comments: Interesting kid, who also requires more seasoning.

Quality Starts by Month:

April: 13 of 25 = 52%
May: 14 of 25 = 56 %
June: 10 of 27 = 37%
July: 8 of 27 = 30%
August: 10 of 29 34%
September: 11 of 27 41%
October: 0 of 2 0%

Total: 66 of 162 40.7%
2004: 61 of 162 37.6%

What happened to the staff on the Morning of June 8th (when they waived Ryan Drese)? They fell apart. Not saying the two incidents are related, but it is a wild coincidence…

Through June 7 = 31 of 57 = 54% (on pace for 87 QS’s)
June 8 – end of season = 35 of 105 33%

Anyway, moving ahead, optimism with Young, Loe, and Dominguez, combined with new acquisition Vincente Padilla and assuming Jon Daniels has more plans before Spring Training hits, we are starting to see some development in the rotation. But, as we continue to wait for the big prospects of DVD to arrive, expect a pretty rough 2006 as this team no longer has the services of old reliable, Kenny Rogers. That will be next to impossible to replace.