Good News If The Yankees Face Tribe In ALDS?
One of the fun things that BaseballReference.com offers is batting splits per type of pitcher faced.
This is how the pitchers are “typed”: Power pitchers strike out or walk more than 28% of batters faced, Finesse pitchers strike out or walks less than 24% of batters faced. Stats are based on the three years before and after (when available), and the season for when the split is computed. A split in 1994 would consider years 1991-1997.
Updating something I did in July, here’s how the Yankees batters break down on this, to date:
Split G PA BA OBP SLG vs. Power 132 2033 .254 .344 .395 vs. P/F 112 1878 .296 .367 .481 vs. Fin. 130 2389 .310 .377 .501
Clearly, the Yankees batters are not too crazy about “power” pitchers.
Here are all the teams in the majors, to date, in terms of K+BB/BF – via the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia:
BFP SO BB Cubs 6010 1174 561 28.9% Marlins 6335 1111 645 27.7% Orioles 6191 1050 666 27.7% Dodgers 5996 1151 502 27.6% DRays 6209 1151 550 27.4% Red Sox 5890 1110 472 26.9% Mets 6098 1082 552 26.8% Brewers 6078 1133 491 26.7% Angels 6011 1130 465 26.5% Giants 6139 1034 583 26.3% Dbacks 6025 1057 527 26.3% Braves 6092 1069 527 26.2% Rangers 6242 958 655 25.8% Padres 6002 1080 449 25.5% Tigers 6215 1030 552 25.5% Jays 5910 1032 465 25.3% Yanks 6081 975 561 25.3% Phils 6202 1007 549 25.1% Astros 6224 1066 491 25.0% A's 6097 1002 517 24.9% M's 6093 981 534 24.9% Twins 5953 1062 407 24.7% Reds 6159 1029 469 24.3% W-Sox 6109 986 489 24.1% Royals 6070 955 501 24.0% Nat. 6182 910 568 23.9% Pirates 6174 964 504 23.8% Indians 5988 1012 402 23.6% Cards 6092 911 499 23.1% Rockies 6046 911 481 23.0%
Interesting – look at the O’s and D-Rays. Maybe this is why the Yankees have had issues with Baltimore and Tampa Bay this season?
But, also, look at the Indians. This could be another reason why the Yankees could have an edge against Cleveland in the ALDS.
Aren’t Sabathia and Carmona considered power guys? Carmona, despite the fact that they hit him around once this year, seems like exactly the type of guy that gives the Yanks trouble: someone with a plus-fastball with movement on it.
Carmona, power? Not so much…see:
Fernando Cabrera 38.9%
Jensen Lewis 34.8%
Tom Mastny 33.6%
Rafael Perez 32.6%
Rafael Betancourt 30.2%
Aaron Fultz 29.5%
Roberto Hernandez 27.2%
Joe Borowski 25.8%
C.C. Sabathia 25.4%
Jake Westbrook 22.9%
Cliff Lee 22.8%
Fausto Carmona 22.8%
Jason Stanford 19.5%
Aaron Laffey 18.7%
Edward Mujica 15.0%
Paul Byrd 14.1%
Jeremy Sowers 13.4%
The above % are K+BB/BF totals, to date, for Tribe pitchers.
Then how to explain our success against the Red Sox as opposed to the Angels, who rank lower on your chart?
Pete – Playing .500 against a team for the last several years is success?
Carmona is a powersinker guy — he doesn’t strike out a ton, but he throws 93-97 mph. Can you really categorize “what” a pitcher is based on stats and not stuff? If Carmona’s not a power guy, he’s also nothing close to a finesse guy. Wang is the exact same type of pitcher — throws 93-96, but doesn’t strike anyone out.
Do these calculations work the same for relievers and starters? Because one thing Borowski is not is a power pitcher.
I was looking these pitchers up and I saw that Sabathia is at 234 innings already, well above anything he’s thrown before. I wonder if there’s any concern about him wearing down for the playoffs (though there’s been no sign of that in his performance).
Also, Borowski was very briefly a Yankee. Can’t say I remember that. He was here in ’97 and ’98.
>> Pete – Playing .500 against a team for the last several years is success? >>
Compared to how we play the Angels? YES!
Yankees haven’t faced Sabathia since 2004. He threw a decent game: 6 IP, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO. Olerud and Posada hit home runs off of him.
The most amazing thing about this game: Cairo hit a home run.
baileywalk, Power pitchers strike out or walk more than 28% of batters faced, so, yes, Borowski is not is a power pitcher.
So then Sabathia isn’t a power pitcher either? I think most people would say he is. You can’t go by a pitcher’s stats with walks and strikeouts to determine what kind of pitcher they are. If Kennedy and Mussina put up the same numbers as Clemens and Hughes, the first two are still finesse guys and the latter two are power guys. Your style is determined by your stuff.