By Richard Schortemeyer III
We’re back for the second half of this week’s double-dose of “On the Record”. In this edition, we’ll chat about a solid in-house arm in the Steel City and Detroit striking gold with a former reliever now starter. Let’s jump into it …
Question #2
What pitcher is easily cementing his spot in the Steel City’s rotation for years to come?
In what has started to become a norm, the Pittsburgh Pirates were slated to place near the bottom of the NL Central in 2008. However, one could argue in the beginning of the season that with the X-Man, Xavier Nady, and Jason Bay, the Pirates had a top-10 OF. The other OF, Nate McLouth, was chosen as the team’s breakout player, and he has become a young star in ‘08.
Two trade deadline deals later, Nate remains, but the other two switched leagues. Pittsburgh received more youngsters that should help them for the next several years. The youngster theme expands into the starting rotation as one promising arm has come in and given first-year manager John Russell a reason to believe the team’s future is starting to look up.
In the first round of the 2003 Draft, Pittsburgh chose pitching and went with Paul Maholm. In his first full Big League season in 2006, Maholm struggled a little bit, going 8-10, which included 81 BBs in 30 starts. He improved the following season, though, going 10-15. In that season, he threw two complete games and lowered his BB total almost in half (49) in 29 starts.
Maholm was slow out of the gate in the first couple months of ‘08, with a 3-5 record and a 4.74 ERA heading into June. Since July 1st, however, he has settled in nicely, going 5-2 and lowering his ERA just over one run. In nine of his last 13 starts, Maholm has gone at least seven innings and has only three starts in which he has allowed more than three runs.
Another thing to look at is his command. Maholm is easily going to shatter his career-high in Ks (117 in ‘06) and has walked a little over 40 batters, translating to a K:BB ratio of 3:1.
Two things, though, that go against this impressive young arm is a dreadful schedule, as the rest of August sees the Pirates go against playoff hopefuls and offensive juggernauts like the Cubs, Brewers, and Mets. The Pirates also have a transitional bullpen that is operating without a true closer.
For all of you teams looking for some backend starters, Maholm’s positives should be convincing enough for a pickup.
Question #3
Who’s another young arm that has pitched his way into the Detroit Tigers rotation?
As mentioned before in this column, it has been a struggle in ‘08 for SP Justin Verlander. In his first two seasons, Verlander became the ace of the Detroit Tigers pitching staff with an impressive 35-15 record. However, he has seemed to hit the junior ‘wall’, as he’s not even at double-digits in wins and has an ERA close to 5.00 so far this season. Unfortunately, Verlander is part of a veteran Detroit staff that can only be described as disappointing.
What has been somewhat of a saving grace for the Tigers are the two youngsters at the backend of the rotation … Armando Galarraga, who just won his 11th game in impressive eight-inning fashion, and the answer to Question #3, Zach Miner. A 2000 fourth-rounder of Detroit, Miner struggled in his rookie year in 2006, going 7-6 with a 4.84 ERA. He was forced to switch roles the following season, but did an adequate job, going 3-4 with a 3.02 ERA in 34 appearances.
Due to injuries and disappointments, Miner has been given a second chance this year and it has seemed to strike gold for manager Jim Leyland, who’s been in a desperate search for consistent starting pitching. Ever since regaining the SP role in late July, Miner has gone 3-1 (two of those wins against AL Central leading Chicago), allowing just five runs in his seven starts.
Given Miner’s inexperience, an unfavorable schedule, and an inconsistent bullpen, however, you really don’t have a solid case right now to pick up Miner. But, give him a couple more starts and see how his story develops. If he continues to pitch well, and you’re desperate for some backend assistance, you might want to see if this ‘Miner’ can help you strike gold for your fantasy squad.
Check back next week to see who’s “On the Record.”
Until next time, Adios all.