Cardinals' home grown pitchers are phenomenal

A lot of research would be needed to find another team with so much home-grown young pitchers performing as well as the young pitchers of the St. Louis Cardinals in the long history of the game. With an average age of 23.8 years old, Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller, Tyler Lyons, John Gast and now Michael Wacha have gone a combined 16-4 with a 2.54 ERA. And that is just the starting pitchers and does not include Trevor Rosenthal and Seth Maness, two more home grown pitchers who are also performing well in the bullpen. The startling thing about all these pitchers is that they were all drafted by the Cardinals.

Let's look at the list again:

• Lance Lynn: Drafted by the Cardinals in the first round in 2008
• Shelby Miller: Drafted by the Cardinals in the first round in 2009
• Tylor Lyons: Drafted by the Cardinals in the tenth round in 2010
• John Gast: Drafted by the Cardinals in the sixth round in 2010
• Michael Wacha: Drafted by the Cardinals in the first round in 2012
• Seth Maness: Drafted by the Cardinals in the eleventh round in 2011
• Trevor Rosenthal: Drafted by the Cardinals in the twenty-first round in 2009

Again, this seems unprecedented and remarkable. How could so many pitchers be drafted by the same team in a five year span and all be making a positive impact on the Major League staff? It is remarkable.

 Let's focus on just the starters from here on out. Here are their collective numbers of the starters in the above list:

• Starts: 27
• Record: 16-4
• Winning percentage: .800
• ERA: 2.54
• K/9: 8.71
• K/BB: 3.29
• HR/9: 0.49
• WHIP: 0.998

Amazing. And this is not really a fluke. I did a little research on first year starters going back to 2009. Here are the collective stats I found concerning all those pitchers:

• 2010 - Winning percentage: .438, ERA: 4.55, K/BB: 1.90, WHIP: 1.429
• 2011 - Winning percentage: .386, ERA: 4.63, K/BB: 1.86, WHIP: 1.427
• 2012 - Winning percentage: .461, ERA: 4.36, K/BB: 2.32, WHIP: 1.355
• 2013 - Winning percentage: .461, ERA: 5.12, K/BB: 2.16, WHIP: 1.456

And that includes some pseudo-rookies like Yu Darvish, Hisashi Iwakuma and other imports. Now the following is those same numbers collectively of all Cardinal starters in their first year starts since 2011:

• Baby Cards: Winning percentage: .579, ERA: 3.17, K/BB: 2.64, WHIP: 1.201

Have I made your jaw drop yet? Somehow, the Cardinals have managed to draft pitchers since 2008, spin them through their system and spit them out to the Major Leagues and have them perform far better than all the other teams combined doing the same thing. Whether this is great scouting, great drafting, great coaching, great luck, or the combination of all the above, the Cardinals are beating the odds and they are beating them handily.

I think back over the past thirty years and all the great young staffs. The 1990s Braves got Greg Maddux from the Cubs. Last year's Oakland A's compiled their arms from other teams. Perhaps the early 2000's A's with Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito come to mind.

But I can tell you that after watching baseball for fifty years, what is going on with these young home grown Cardinals does not happen often and is remarkable that it is happening at all. Such a progression from draft to minors to the majors for the St. Louis franchise has been incredibly fun to watch.

MLB Game Picks - Saturday: May 25, 2013

The game last night between the Yankees and Rays typified the night. The Yankees won the game but lost Curtis Granderson again with another broken bone from getting hit by a pitch. Yesterday's picks could not escape bad news that followed good news. Plus it was incomplete with the Braves - Mets game suspended due to weather. Thus the day will remain incomplete until that game is finished. If the Braves win, the day will be, 10-5. If not, then 9-6.

I can relate to the weather thing. It started to rain here on Monday and has rained every day this week and is supposed to rain all bloody weekend. When did I move to Seattle and how can I get back?

Here are Saturday's picks:

• The Braves over the Mets: How many people are aware of the season Mike Minor is having? His WHIP is under one and his only sub-par start this season was against the Tigers. He should be better than Dillon Gee. The other factor in this game is whether the bullpens will be all sapped out if the teams complete the suspended game first.
• The Blue Jays over the Orioles: This outcome all depends on how well R.A. Dickey pitches. The Blue Jays will score, as they have been killing the ball and get to tee it up against Freddy Garcia. If Dickey can hold back the hard-hitting Orioles just a little bit, the Blue Jays win. I like their chances.
• The Red Sox over the Indians: Jon Lester's last couple of starts have me a bit concerned that he is falling back to last year's patterns. But I think they are just blips and he will pitch a good game today. Scott Kazmir could shut the Red Sox down. But he probably will not.
• The Royals over the Angels: There is so much to consider in this game. First, the Angels have caught fire. And they are winning left and right. But, they have Billy Buckner slated to start today and he has not pitched in the Majors since 2010. His minor league numbers are not promising. He has always lacked command and is homer prone. Then, there is the Royals, who have really hit the skids lately. They are flat and lifeless. But Jeremy Guthrie always give them a chance to win. Oy.
• The Giants over the Rockies: I am going against the odds here because the game is actually determined on the field. The Rockies have had the best of the Giants so far. And Juan Nicasio is a pretty decent pitcher. But Barry Zito got his bad start out of the way and can now bamboozle the Rockies for six or seven. The Giants are too tight a team to get rolled over the entire series.
• The Tigers over the Twins: It is really kind of sad that every pitcher the Twins can call upon is exactly the same--high contact, no strikeout guys. Someday, they will actually get some real arms. P.J. Walters is not it. Doug Fister with the win.
• The Reds over the Cubs: Yes, Travis Wood is having a good season. Yes, the Cubs are playing pretty well...for them. But picking against the Reds at home is pretty dicey. Homer Bailey really has not gotten untracked yet this season. It is time.
• The Pirates over the Brewers: The odds are saying the Brewers win this game. I am not liking Mike Fiers as the Brewers' starter. He is the true definition of a BABIP pitcher with few strikeouts. Everything has to go right in order for him to win. On the other hand, the Pirates just do not hit very much and have to hope Jeff Locke can shut down the Brewers. Maybe the odds were right. We will see.
• The White Sox over the Marlins: The White Sox tried very hard to give the Marlins a win yesterday and the Marlins just could not do it. There seems to be no shot for the Fish to win today. Jake Peavy goes against the needs-to-be-traded Ricky Nolasco.
• The Athletics over the Astros: That game last night was a heart-breaker for the Astros. But that is what happens to bad teams. Lucas Harrell could keep the Astros in this one, but give A.J. Griffin the edge for the win.
• The Nationals over the Phillies: Yeah, Jonathan Pettibone is 3-0. But I just do not see it. His numbers do not fly off the charts for me. Dan Haren is a bit of a flier for the Nationals too. But he is the pick here.
• The Cardinals over the Dodgers: I cannot see how Don Mattingly survives here. His team is dead in the water and now he has alienated Andre Ethier who really was not having that bad a season. The Dodgers put up a real dud last night and Ted Lilly will never inspire confidence. John Gast is the wild card in all this.
• The Diamondbacks over the Padres: Andrew Cashner has the ability and the arm to shut down the D-backs. But then the Padres have to score. Wade Miley will do his best to make sure that does not happen.
• The Mariners over the Rangers: Picking against Felix Hernandez at home just does not make sense. Granted, the M's have to score for him to win, but if they get a couple, he will make them hold up. Derek Holland goes for the Rangers. Hey! Brendan Ryan's average is over .200!

And the Game of the Day!

• The Rays over the Yankees: The Rays have won every game that Matt Moore has started this season. How can you pick against that? Besides, he is left-handed and the Yankees' lineup against lefties is pathetic. Add in that Vidal Nuno is starting for the Yankees and that seals the pick.

Yesterday: 9-5  (still pending the suspended game)

Week: 42-34

Month: 181-135

Season: 410-299

Games of the Day: 35-18

MLB Game Picks - Sunday: May 19, 2013

Four games yesterday hung in the balance until the last inning. All four went the wrong way. The Nationals wasted another Jordan Zimmermann beauty and could not score more than one run and lost in extras. A.J. Burnett left with a 2-1 lead after seven. Mark Melancon allowed Houston to tie the game in the eighth and the Astros won in extras. Those freakin' Cardinals tied the game late and the game went into extra innings. The Brewers won. That is the way the day went.

Of course, I should not gloss over the fact that some stinker picks were in there too. I had the Phillies over the Reds. That pick was only off by ten runs. I thought Scott Diamond had a chance against the Red Sox. I thought way wrong. I predicted a high scoring game with the Rockies and Giants with the Giants winning. But the Rockies were the only one of the two that went high scoring.

The bottom line was a 7-8 day, an rare incorrect Game of the Day and a bummer of a week-ender after two very good days that preceded it. Sunday cleans the slate (cliche alert!) and a new week starts.

Sunday's picks:

• The Mariners over the Indians: Justin Masterson was really good against the Yankees in his last start. But he squares up against Felix Hernandez today. If the Mariners score two or three runs, they win.
• The Yankees over the Blue Jays: How can you pick this game any other way? The Blue Jays are already 1-8 against the Yankees this season and today face CC Sabathia. R.A. Dickey might make it interesting but the Yankees should complete the sweep.
• The Diamondbacks over the Marlins: And this pick is not because one of my favorites, Wade Miley, is pitching. It is because I think Miley will hold the Marlins scoreless or close to it to allow his teammates to score two or three runs off of poor Ricky Nolasco.
• The Pirates over the Astros: What kind of uniforms are the Pirates wearing lately? Are they fatigues? They must be because their offense is invisible right now. Even so, you cannot pick the Astros on a regular basis. Lucas Harrell versus Jeff Locke.
• The Braves over the Dodgers: Mike Minor does not always fill me with great confidence, but I have to go with the Braves' offense against young Matt Magill.
• The Bay Rays over the Orioles: The Rays complete the series they have dominated against the Orioles with their best pitcher, Matt Moore, taking the hill today. That should be game, set and match. Chris Tillman has been pretty good, but he is not in Moore's category.
• The Red Sox over the Twins: Can we just say that David Ortiz is incredible? How many times has he been left for dead only to come back and dominate? I do not care if Pedro Hernandez is doing well and is a lefty. The Red Sox have really killed off last year, haven't they? There is only one problem with this pick: John Lackey. Oh boy.
• The Cardinals over the Brewers: Yeah, this pick was wrong yesterday. And yeah, John Gast is pitching and I have no idea how he will do. And yeah, Kyle Lohse could come back to haunt his old team. But you see, this is what the Cardinals do to me. They lull me to sleep and then kill my pick. It is personal at this point. I know it is.
• The Cubs over the Mets: Feldman and Travis Wood have been a nice 1-2 combination lately. I bet you did not know that Wood has a 0.92 WHIP thus far after eight starts. Dillon Gee is always capable of a good game. But I think the Cubs take this one.
• The White Sox over the Angels: The Angels exploded on the scoreboard yesterday. Does that mean they take off now? Are they over the hump? Time will tell. I am too skeptical to pick Jason Vargas despite his league leading change-up. I will instead pick Jake Peavy.
• The Athletics over the Royals: The Royals' offense really confuses me. Sometimes they seem good. Other times, they seem to go in long stretches of coma-like trances. I do not get it. But the A's have Coco Crisp back and A.J. Griffin is tough in his home ballpark and Luis Mendoza seems like a bad idea to pick.
• The Rockies over the Giants: Barry Zito has a meme of pitching a couple of great games followed by a shelling. And he was shelled last time. So this should be a good outing, right? Not in Coors Field. Juan Nicasio goes for the Rockies.
• The Nationals over the Padres: Dan Haren at least seems to get run support that Strasburg and Zimmermann never get. Grrr. So will be the case today as the Nats score five or more against Andrew Cashner and company.
• The Tigers over the Rangers: This has been a fun series of two pretty evenly matched teams. They have taken turns winning and today is the Tigers' turn. Doug Fister over Derek Holland. Miguel Cabrera should hit Holland if he gets pitched to.

And the Game of the Day!

• The Reds over the Phillies: Homer Bailey is a power pitcher whose fastball is averaging over 93 MPH this season. Why is that important here? Because the Phillies have 347 plate appearances against power pitchers and have a combined .493 OPS. Eww. Plus, I still think Jonathan Pettibone has led a charmed life thus far.

Yesterday: 7-8

Last week: 54-41

Month: 139-101

Season: 368-265

Games of the Day: 33-14