The call to the post in the month of May signals
the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. For baseball purists, May is
simply the 2nd full month of the season as we head toward the sweltering days of
summer. And for die-hard baseball fans that enjoy handicapping America's
pastime, it also signals the arrival of our annual May Good Month/Bad Month
pitchers report.
Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a
two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last
three seasons during the month of May. On the flip side, we've also listed
pitchers that struggle in May, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start
efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at
least one start each May over the last three years. And for your convenience
alongside each record, we break down each pitcher's greatest success or
greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.
Note: * designates a categorical repeat
appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season's May list.
GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:
*Greinke, Zack • 10-5 (7-2 H)
The 35-year old right-hander does not have the
same zip on the fastball, but he does not walk hitters, allows less than a hit
an inning and does not beat himself. The beat goes on for Greinke.
Happ, J.A. • 8-4 (5-2 H)
After a slow start with Yankees this season,
Happ started heading back to career norms in his few starts in April. However,
there is something not everyone realizes: he's had five straight years of 10+
wins.
*Kershaw, Clayton • 11-3 (5-1 A)
Like the sun rising in the east and setting in
the west, Kershaw has been the best pitcher in baseball for a decade. A few
recent injuries have some folks wanting to anoint others and the fact is he
doesn't throw mid-90's anymore and he gives up a few more home
runs. Still, the lefty is still among the best in the sport.
Miley, Wade • 8-4 (5-2 A)
Miley was basically a below average pitcher for
the majority of his career. At 30-years old and becoming increasingly
ineffective, Miley began learning to throw a 'cutter' in his bullpen work,
seeing if it was worth a try and what do you, it worked. The lefthander has
gone from a long reliever on bad teams to a solid back of the rotation starter
on playoff contenders like Houston this year for example. Kudos to him.
*Price, David • 9-3 (5-0 H)
The Boston port-sider has made the transition
from power pitcher to complete pitcher. With a quality of assortment of
off-speed pitches, this has made his fastball appear quicker and he still has
excellent movement on tosses down in the zone.
Rodriguez, Eduardo • 10-2 (6-1 A)
The Red Sox have always loved Rodriguez ability
if not his results. After another typical slow start, the left-hander was
sharper at the end of the month and he gave credit to teammate second baseman
Dustin Pedroia for showing him a new grip for his curveball that gave him more
downward movement. Let's see if that continues.
*Sale, Chris • 12-6 (6-3 A)
Chris Sale starts May 0-5 with an unthinkable
6.30 ERA. Sale's career ERA is below 3.00 and his velocity is down
dramatically, 4 to 6 MPH on the heater, and nobody understands why other than
possibly the postseason innings from last fall. A developing story for certain.
Scherzer, Max • 11-5 (6-2 H)
At 1-3 with an ERA of 4.12, are we seeing
Scherzer starting to show the signs of age creeping up on him at 34? It's too
early to say for sure but opposing batters are hitting .257 against Mad Max
versus .223 - which is career number. Maybe Scherzer needs a little more time
to settle in for 2019.
Severino, Luis • 11-5 (7-3 H)
On the 60-day IL and probably won't even start
throwing until June.
Strasburg, Stephen • 15-1 (8-0 A)
Normally a fast starter, Strasburg stumbled at
the start with an ERA of 5.56 after four outings. However, he must have sensed
May was coming and allowed two runs in two starts over 15 innings, fanning 20,
walking three, on just four hits. The right-hander is just money in May.
Wainwright, Adam • 10-2 (6-1 H)
The former St. Louis ace is not the same hurler
at 37, yet, he's capable for five to six good innings for three to four starts
out of every five made. To this point of the season, Wainwright has been much
tougher in right-hand batters compared to lefty's (.223 vs .300 BA)
BAD MONTH PITCHERS:
Urena, Jose • 3-9 (1-5 H)
Urena is pitching as poorly as the team he's on
in Miami with a 1-4 record and a 5.08 ERA. He's permitted 43 hits on only 33.2
innings and opposing batters are knocking him around for a .300 BA and .353
OBP. Ouch!
For more on Marc Lawrence click here.