Pirate pitching since the All-Star break

Here's a few things to introduce the numbers. The pitchers are ranked by raw pitching performance which I measured as IP divided by (OBA*SLG). The more innings a pitcher throws and the more he dominates, the higher the number. If this seems like funny way to rank pitchers, consider that for this period, the top three pitchers with four starts, by this measure, are Johan Santana (3-0, 1.24 ERA), Rich Harden (2-0, 1.95 ERA), and Jaret Wright (3-0, 1.04 ERA). The top closers for this period (defined as four or more saves) have been John Smoltz (9 saves, 0.00 ERA), Eric Gagne (7 saves, 2 wins, 0.00 ERA), and Automatic Joe Nathan (7 saves, 0.00 ERA). The measure is quick and dirty and it works so we like it.

So as not to compare apples and oranges, I ranked the starters and relievers separately.

Benson's not on the starter list because he's gone and we're looking back to guess what to expect looking forward.

OK, here are the numbers:

BUCCO W L ERA. G GS .IP. BA... OBA.. SLG..
Perez 1 1 2.11 3 3 21.33 0.164 0.247 0.384
Wells 0 0 3.46 4 4 26.00 0.276 0.327 0.367
Vogel 1 0 2.00 3 1 09.00 0.133 0.257 0.267
Brnet 2 1 6.14 3 3 14.67 0.333 0.415 0.456
JFogg 0 0 3.55 3 3 12.67 0.314 0.417 0.471

Gonzz 1 0 1.42 7 0 06.33 0.174 0.174 0.304
JMesa 0 1 1.86 10 0 9.67 0.216 0.293 0.297
Medws 0 1 1.23 8 0 07.33 0.300 0.344 0.400
Trres 2 1 2.00 9 0 09.00 0.314 0.375 0.457
Grbow 1 1 6.48 9 0 08.33 0.344 0.400 0.438
Robts 0 0 0.00 4 0 04.67 0.294 0.429 0.294

Oliver Perez, to no one's surprise, has been the best of the group. The only thing not to like in those numbers is the slugging percentage which is high for a guy who limited batters to a .164 average and a .247 on-base percentage. When they hit Perez, they hit him pretty hard: of the twelve hits he allowed in those 21 innings, seven were for extra bases (one double, three triples, three home runs). The home run was something we worried about with him in March. Hopefully he's not regressing to his jacktastic ways.

Kip Wells has been solid too. He's been the opposite of Oliver: many hits (a .276 BA) but few for extra bases (six of 27; four doubles, one triple, one home run).

With a little bit of relief work tacked onto his one start, Vogelsong's work looks pretty good. If he can maintain that level, we're in business.

Burnett has been pretty mediocre but his ability to limit the opposition to singles has paid off with two wins. Opponents are hitting .333 off him, but only three of the nineteen hits he has allowed have been for extra bases.

Josh Fogg also continues to defy the laws of gravity with a pretty crazy set of numbers. All batters hit .314 / .417 / .471 off him. This is like Fogg facing a lineup of nine Jason Kendalls. (Playing APBA on the computer in the 1980s, Bones had a team, the Joel Youngbloods, that had thirteen copies of Joel Youngblood to play the eight positions and pinch-hit.) Despite this propensity to put lots of runners on with walks, singles, and doubles, Fogg escaped with a 3.55 ERA and didn't lose a game. Don't ask me how he does it but I've come to recognize this as typical Fogg pitching. Opponents will continue to underestimate him looking at such figures. He and Sean Burnett must get along pretty well in the clubhouse.

During this period, 136 different pitchers made three or more starts. Ranking them by (IP/(OBP*SLG), we find Perez in the 77th percentile, Wells in the 76th, Burnett in the 14th and Fogg in the 10th. NL Central pitchers in the same neighborhood as Perez and Wells include Zambrano (74th), Clement (71st), and Paul Wilson (76th). Mark Prior's been awful, FWIW, and ranks in the 7th percentile for that period. Something's not right with that guy.

In the bullpen, fans will not be surprised to see that Mike Gonzalez, Jose Mesa, and Brian Meadows were lights-out. Torres pitched like Josh Fogg in that he put them on but wiggled out (or was bailed out). Grabow disappointed these last three weeks and Roberts has seen little action.

On the whole, the pitching was pretty great. The Bucs lose the guy who was their best starter, but Oliver and Kip have been really good without looking like they've been at the top of their game. Burnett and Fogg can also get better. The bullpen has done about we expect them to do. If Vogelsong can maintain a league-average starting ability, there's no reason to think the Pirates, as a whole, can't continue to pitch about as well as they pitched these last three weeks.

...Reader Dan asks for Benson's numbers. Here they are. This is *with* the first-start disaster:

MET.. W L ERA. G GS .IP. BA... OBA.. SLG..
Bensn 2 2 4.94 4 4 27.33 0.262 0.307 0.350

84th percentile, with the seven-earnie start. He's been good.