There are some concerns within the Portland organization that the starting rotation is starting to show signs of age. It's funny considering the oldest starter on the staff is just 29 years of age, but the staff as a whole seems to be deteriorating slowly before our eyes. I guess that's what happens though when the entire staff has now been with Portland for anywhere from 6 to 8 seasons. But what used to be considered a major strength of the Lumberjacks is now just becoming mediocre.
But with that said, the drop off didn't seem to effect 28 year old
Chris Thompson. In 2052, Thompson appeared in the all-star game for the 2nd time in his career en route to his first ever Top Pitcher Award for the team (somewhat surprising). Thompson won the team triple crown in pitching stats with 16 wins, a 3.87 ERA, and 171 strikeouts. He topped Steve Warren, another all-star in 2053, in 2 of the 3 categories.
Thompson made 33 starts for Portland in 2053 and surpassed the 200 innings pitched plateau for just the 2nd time in his career. The 202.1 innings he pitched last season marked the second most of his career behind the 213.2 he logged back in 2049. That was also the season he posted a career best 17 wins, 1 more than the 16 he posted this season.
In a game in early September against Chicago this season, Thompson surpassed the 1,000 strikeout mark for his career. In doing so, he became the 3rd pitcher in franchise history to reach that total, joining Ken Sparks who did it earlier this season and Steve Warren who was the first to reach the mark in Portland and did it early in 2052.
