It seems like Seattle hasn't had good starting pitching in forever. The reality is slightly different, but it's certainly fair to point out that Seattle has struggled mightily over the past 5 (or more) years to develop good starting pitching. This has come as quite a surprise to longtime league observers who saw the Storm develop a number of terrific starters, including Ken Walter and Hector Marquez. In order to, hopefully, reverse this trend, Seattle has spent a significant amount of recent draft capital on starting pitchers in the hope of improving its rotation and making it the centerpiece of a future contender.
It's fair to say that, at least for this year, that strategy has not succeeded. This year, Seattle's pitchers allowed the most runs in the Frick League, and their starters had the worst ERA in the league as well. No one associated with the team would describe that as successful. Let's look under the hood a bit, though, and see how some of Seattle's highly-touted prospects performed on the biggest stage this year.
Lucio Juarez was Seattle's first round pick in 2050, and, after dominating AA hitters in 2051, the decision was made to bring him up to the majors this year as a 22 year old. It's fair to say that he's more than held his own. In 21 starts, he threw 122 innings with an ERA of 3.61. A large part of Juarez's success can be traced to his ability to limit home runs and walks, as he only gave up 10 and 31, respectively. While Juarez's strikeout totals did not match his previous numbers in the minors, his ability to throw strikes and keep the ball in the park kept his FIP at 3.80. If Juarez can continue to do those two things, it's clear he will be quite successful. If Juarez is able to increase his strikeout totals, however, then the sky should be the limit for his future.
Harley Phillips was Seattle's first round pick last year, in 2051. He was already unusually developed when he was drafted, and he moved quickly through the minor leagues. In his first year in the bigs, he made 18 starts, threw 115 innings and had an ERA of 3.99 and a FIP of 3.91. Much like Juarez, Phillips relied on throwing strikes and limiting the amount of home runs that he allowed, and he had similar results. Also like Juarez, Phillips' ultimate upside will likely be determined by his ability to strike hitters out, although evaluators believe his pure stuff might be a notch below Juarez's.
Doug Eckhoff was Seattle's first round pick in 2049, and many people in the organization view him as Seattle's most talented pitcher. That's what makes his performance this season so perplexing. In his debut season, Eckhoff made 28 starts and, by most metrics, he was quite bad. He had a 5.88 ERA and while his FIP was better, a 4.93 FIP is also quite bad. Eckhoff really didn't do anything well, as he walked far too many hitters, gave up too many home runs, and also failed to strike out many hitters. Seattle fans and coaches were perplexed, as he had dominated AAA hitters in each of the past two seasons, and observers think that his stuff is just as good as it has always been. In many ways, Eckhoff's performance next season will be key to determining how well Seattle's rotation will do in the future. If he can pitch in line with his pedigree and talent, expect the rotation to improve significantly next year. However, if Eckhoff just isn't very good, expect an even longer rebuilding process.
Chasing The Storm 2052-5 Starting Pitching Recap
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Chasing The Storm 2052-5 Starting Pitching Recap
General Manager
Seattle Storm: 2011-Present
1737-1391 through 2029
Frick League, Pacific Division Winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
Frick League Champion (2013)
Seattle Storm: 2011-Present
1737-1391 through 2029
Frick League, Pacific Division Winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
Frick League Champion (2013)
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Re: Chasing The Storm 2052-5 Starting Pitching Recap
Yep, definitely concerning.
General Manager
Seattle Storm: 2011-Present
1737-1391 through 2029
Frick League, Pacific Division Winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
Frick League Champion (2013)
Seattle Storm: 2011-Present
1737-1391 through 2029
Frick League, Pacific Division Winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2024)
Frick League Champion (2013)
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