On yesterday’s updated Starting Pitcher List for the rest of the season, you have may have noticed some names weren’t included that you might have otherwise expected on a list running 116 deep. Here are those names along with some information on why I didn’t include them.
Dustin Moseley (SD) – He doesn’t do anything especially well. He isn’t a strikeout guy, he isn’t an elite control guy and he doesn’t use Petco Park to his advantage (3.70 ERA; 2.52 road ERA). I just don’t see how he can keep his 3.16 ERA all year and I’m not going to hold onto his sub-5.0 K/9 and try to find out.
Josh Collmenter (ARI) – I can’t find anyone who believes in his stuff. He is succeeding (quite a bit, in fact) off of deception and guile at this point with his windmill delivery. He at least does something really well, unlike Moseley, he doesn’t walk anybody (1.0 BB/9). Alas, it is still a small sample and it would be a minor miracle for him to continue at this clip or anything like it.
Clayton Mortensen (COL) – Even if he hadn’t just lost his job, his 1.1 K/BB would’ve been enough to keep him far away from the list.
Tyler Chatwood (LAA) – Chatwood is like, “1.1 K/BB, huh? Overachiever.” He is toting a jaw-dropping 0.97 mark in 71 innings of work. How his ERA is 3.79 and not 9.73 is beyond me.
John Lannan (WAS) – He is one of the strikeout “aces” on this list at 5.4 K/9. That is about the best that can be said for him right now. His strikeout rate has risen yearly since 2009, but so has his walk rate. The groundball rate is very strong, but he will do more harm than good the rest of the way.
Jason Marquis (WAS) – When he walked five in 34 innings during April, he had some people fooled. Industry people, even. They fell for the ol’ “since it’s our only sample it must mean something” routine. I won’t name names because we all make mistakes, but I thought we were all beyond falling for his tricks (although, he definitely pulled a quarter out of my ear). Since April Marquis has walked 15 in 41 innings which yields passable 3.3 BB/9, but not when it’s paired just 18 strikeouts. Gimme back my quarter and leave me alone, Jason.
Carlos Villanueva (TOR) – He is the true strikeout ace on this list at 6.8 K/9, but that includes his relief work which accounts for more than half of his innings this year (24 to 22). His K rate is 5.6 as a starter against 7.8 out of the bullpen. His ERA as a starter should be better than the 4.84 it is now based on the skills he has displayed, but he is still at best a borderline guy. Don’t be fooled by the composite numbers.
Baseball By Paul 
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