NewsMaking the Grade: Starting Pitchers
Friars' young hurlers showed progress in 2009
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
10/28/09 2:18 PM EST
"Making the Grade" is a four-part series analyzing the performances of various units of the 2009 San Diego Padres. Today: starting pitching, followed by bullpen (Oct. 30), offense (Nov. 3) and defense (Nov. 5).SAN DIEGO -- When rookie left-handed pitcher Cesar Ramos got his first Major League start in the final weeks of the regular season, he became the 15th different starting pitcher for the Padres in 2009.
Not exactly a sign of stability.
Injuries forced the Padres to go without Jake Peavy and Chris Young for a stretch and a July 31 deal with the Chicago White Sox sent Peavy, the NL Cy Young Award winner two seasons ago, packing for good.
To be sure, there was plenty of turnover as there were plenty of auditions for 2010 --Wade LeBlanc, Ramos, Edward Mujica, Tim Stauffer and, of course, rookie Mat Latos, who appears to have a very bright future.
The Padres had the third-fewest victories (46) by starting pitchers in the league and also finished third in the NL in the most no-decisions, thanks to a league-low average of 3.9 run per game.
The team figures to have no shortage of rotation candidates for 2010, like Mujica, who was impressed in long relief and fared well as a spot starter. Sean Gallagher, obtained from the A's in Scott Hairston deal, could be a potential candidate.
(Note: Starting pitchers not under club control for 2010 are not included. Josh Geer, who was recently outrighted from the 40-man roster, is also not included. Among those under club control next season, only those who made at least five starts are listed below.)
Overall: C
Remember that Padres Opening Day rotation? Jake Peavy, Chris Young, Walter Silva, Shawn Hill and Kevin Correia? The only member of the group who made it from start to finish was Correia, who led the Padres with 12 victories, 33 starts, 198 innings and posted a 3.91 ERA, including a complete-game shutout of Arizona in the final month. All this on a Minor League deal of $750,000 that grew to $1.1 million in incentives, which was still a bargain. He is arbitration eligible and will command a bigger deal in 2010. He won't be as big of a bargain in 2010, though the Padres would be hard-pressed to find an innings-eater like him elsewhere.
The Padres got a glimpse of the future when 21-year-old Mat Latos made the leap to the big leagues in 2009 after starting the year in the Class A Midwest League. Latos showed flashes of brilliance at times, though struggled toward the end of a nine-start stint after the All-Star break. He impressed the club with his velocity, movement and his fearlessness. He evolved from trying to strike everyone out to a pitcher willing to get ahead in the count and minimize his pitch count. The team shut him down over the last month of the season. He made gains on the side that have the Padres excited about his potential.
What a turnaround it was for left-hander Wade LeBlanc, who went 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA in nine starts, though that doesn't come remotely close to wrapping up what kind of season it was for him. LeBlanc was promoted from Triple-A Portland in June, and made two forgettable starts that got him sent back to the Rose City. He returned in August a new pitcher, showing much better fastball command and the willingness to throw inside more to go along with his same nasty changeup. The results were nothing less than stunning. He was 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in seven starts after his return, putting him back in the Padres plans moving forward. He'll be a candidate for the rotation this spring.
The Padres got 12 starts out of left-hander Clayton Richard after he was picked up in the July 31 deal that sent Peavy to the White Sox. He went 5-2 with a 4.08 ERA in those starts, showing plenty of promise for the future. He tossed seven shutout innings in a victory over the Dodgers in September and six scoreless innings against the Cardinals. Richard was at his best when he could bury his sinker. He had 13 ground-ball outs in the victory over the Dodgers. He figures to be a prominent part of the rotation moving ahead, sliding in somewhere behind Young and Correia.
After a full season away following shoulder surgery, former First-Round Draft pick Tim Stauffer reemerged late in the season with an improved fastball and slider and, if nothing else, put himself back on the Padres radar for 2010. Stauffer went 4-7 and had a 3.58 ERA in 14 starts after being promoted from the Minor Leagues. His walks were a little high and he didn't always attack the strike zone, as evidenced by his 13 walks in his last three starts, but figures to get a look at a rotation spot in Spring Training.
Injuries have waylaid Chris Young to some degree in each of the last three years. In 2007, he missed time with a strained oblique muscle. A year ago, Young made 18 starts after missing time when an Albert Pujols line drive hit him in the face. In 2009, Young made 14 starts after needing minor shoulder surgery that will have him ready for the start of the 2010 season. A potential staff ace, Young made the All-Star team in 2007 after he went 8-3 and lead the NL in first-half ERA (2.00). For his time in San Diego, Young has a 1.19 WHIP. The Padres feel he can get back to that in 2010. At $6.25 million, he'll be the highest-paid player on the roster.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
