Leading up to the start of the 2039 season, "Position Battles" examines multiple players vying to make the Boise Spuds starting line-up or the active roster as a reserve. The fourth and final installment takes a look at Boise's options to fill it's starting rotation.While the Spuds offense didn't exactly set league records in 2038, they do have two young stars in Dennis French and
Yunosuke Terada to help anchor the lineup. Unfortunately for manager Barrett Callahan and pitching coach Bob Blaisdell, they have no such luxury. How the two men are able to work with the options they have will largely determine Boise's success in 2039.
LAST YEAR BY THE NUMBERS
Of the nine pitchers who made a start for the Spuds last season, all but two return in 2039, including workhorse Maxence Mace (35 starts, 242.1 IP). As expected, the team didn't excel in many categories last year although it should be noted that the team finished 8th in quality starts, so the bullpen will need to perform better in the later innings. Boise pitchers had league-worst strikeout and walk-to-strikeout rates while finishing in the bottom third of the league in walks, hit batters and home runs allowed. While finishing 12th in ERA (4.53), Spud pitchers had a FIP that ranked 23rd (4.83). Simply put, the team needs to limit their walks and get more strikeouts, even with an improved defense set to hit the field this season.
RATINGS
Germán is the de facto "ace" of the staff with the highest ceiling of talent despite a dismal 2038 season. The former #2 overall pick is young (23) and saw both his stuff and control improve over the winter thanks to a new off-season training program, so there is some hope for improvement. What Báez lacks in stuff he makes up for it with his work ethic and is a fan favorite with his scrappy, overachiever personality. Baez had a decent season in Boise making 11 starts, but his performance in Triple-A Salt Lake City (4-1, 1.62 ERA, 8.7 K% in six starts) has Boise coaches crossing their fingers for continued improvement. Mace is the most veteran member of the staff, making a league-leading 144 starts in the first four years of the expansion team's history. While the Frenchman can be a reliable workhorse, averaging 6.9 innings per start during his time in Boise, and has impeccable control, his inability to strikeout hitters prevents him from being anything but average. The Sanchez duo of António and Marcos have more in common than the same last name and triple-digit velocity: troublesome control. Both will have to make strides in lowering their walk rate during spring before being leaned on for meaningful innings. An interesting name to watch is Pidduck, who has pitched exclusively out of the Boise bullpen the last four years and has yet to log a start in his professional career. The tall (6'7") lefty will be experimented in a starting role this spring to see if his balanced skill-set and excellent endurance are a winning combination.VERDICT
A focus on pitching in upcoming drafts is the top priority for general manager Joe Lederer but until then, he'll have plenty of options to fill out a rotation in 2038, albeit with less-than-optimal talent. Rumors have it Lederer's sabermetric leanings could mean fans in Boise will be on "cyclone watch," as Lederer and Callahan are both fans of the cyclone rotation system made famous by Brookyln Robins general manager Alan Ehlers. In various interviews, Lederer has hinted at a non-traditional approach, anywhere from a four-man rotation with pitch limits to a six-man rotation, allowing Boise's deep bullpen to play a big part in the team's pitching success in 2039. It's not an optimal situation, but until Boise is able to land the right free agent pitcher(s) and draft talented arms, the team will do best with what it has.