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.
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.
