Stats that should make you optimistic about the 2017 New York Yankees
3.30
Michael Pineda is confusing, isn’t he?
Last season, Big Mike became the only starting pitcher in major league history to give up 25+ homers while maintaining an ERA over 4.80, a strikeout-per-nine rate of 10+ and striking out 200 or more batters.
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That’s not the stat we’re focusing on today, though, as Pineda’s 3.40 xFIP, (strips out defense, luck and predictive of future performance — per FanGraphs), ranked third among qualified major league starters — behind Jose Fernandez and Noah Syndergaard.
In addition to his xFIP, Pineda strikes out more than a batter per inning, led the league in K/9 and has frequently displayed ace-level material on the hill.
So, basically, while many find Michael Pineda to be frustratingly inconsistent, there were signs in 2016 (like his xFIP) that are reassuring that, perhaps, he could tap into his potential for a full season.
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Christian Kouroupakis covers the New York Yankees and is the Editorial Director for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page and follow him on Twitter. All statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Don’t hesitate to shoot him an email with any questions, criticisms, or concerns.
