Which starting pitchers have turned their season around most dramatically?
John Dewan's Stat of the Week™
September 22, 2006
We all know a pitcher can have one great game or one blowout from time to time. However, pitching well over the course of five consecutive games started is probably a good indicator of a pitcher living up to his potential. We thought we would look at the first five games started and the most recent five starts of all pitchers with at least ten games started this season. Then we can compare the two.
First, who looked awful in their first five starts of 2006?
| First Five Starts of 2006 |
| Pitcher | ERA |
| Joe Mays, Royals | 11.07 |
| Josh Towers, Blue Jays | 10.45 |
| Jorge de la Rosa, Brewers/Royals | 10.42 |
| Carlos Silva, Twins | 10.31 |
| Robinson Tejada, Rangers | 9.78 |
| Rich Hill, Cubs | 9.53 |
| Brian Moehler, Marlins | 9.27 |
| Seth McClung, Devil Rays | 9.27 |
| Angel Guzman, Cubs | 9.15 |
| Brad Radke,Twins | 8.89 |
One interesting note: The Twins are the only team with two starters on this list.
Second, who pitched great in their most recent five starts?
| Most Recent Five Starts of 2006 |
| Pitcher | ERA |
| Rich Hill, Cubs | 0.97 |
| Jeff Suppan, Cardinals | 1.06 |
| Kelvim Escobar, Angels | 1.32 |
| Johan Santana, Twins | 1.49 |
| Chris Carpenter, Cardinals | 1.64 |
| Matt Cain, Giants | 1.80 |
| Kenny Rogers, Tigers | 1.85 |
| Roger Clemens, Astros | 1.86 |
| Erik Bedard, Orioles | 1.91 |
| Scott Olsen, Marlins | 1.91 |
The amazing Roger Clemens is finishing strong again. Are we seeing the last five games of his career, or will he return?
Only one guy makes both lists. Rich Hill obviously turned his season around most dramatically. But who are the others?
| First Five Starts vs. Most Recent Five Starts of 2006 |
| Pitcher | ERA Difference |
| Rich Hill, Cubs | -8.56 |
| Robinson Tejada, Rangers | -7.55 |
| Carlos Silva, Twins | -7.01 |
| Brad Radke, Twins | -6.40 |
| Jorge de la Rosa, Brewers/Royals | -5.51 |
| Jeff Suppan, Cardinals | -4.13 |
| Matt Cain, Giants | -3.48 |
| Scott Olsen, Marlins | -3.41 |
| Jon Garland, White Sox | -3.25 |
| Ryan Madson, Phillies | -3.17 |
| Esteban Loaiza, Athletics | -3.05 |
| Johan Santana, Twins | -2.97 |
| Boof Bonser, Twins | -2.94 |
Nice turnarounds for these guys.
Oh, why did I show the top thirteen, instead of the customary ten? I had to show you one reason why the Twins have turned around their season. They have four of the thirteen pitchers on this list!
(All statistics complete through the games of Wednesday, September 20.)