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:
*Cueto,
Johnny •
11-5 (5-1 H)
Johnny
Cueto has been pitching all season like its May after an incredible start. As
this month begins he a 0.86 ERA and otherworldly WHIP of 0.69. Opponents
are batting just .150 against him. Cueto's deceptive deliveries and various arm
angles are working magically thus far.
*Greinke,
Zack • 11-4
(4-1 A)
In
spite of how well Arizona has started the season, Greinke's been more
inconsistent than normal. More than anything, he's left too many pitches in the
zone, giving up too many base-knocks and home runs. Let's see if the
right-hander finds his usual rhythm this month.
*Kershaw,
Clayton •
13-3 (8-1 H)
Though
Kershaw has not walked many batters, he's missed his spots which has hurt him.
He's set such a high standard it's almost impossible to maintain and his
velocity has dipped now in his 10th season. Still, he's still Kershaw and once
the slider and curveball are back hitting their marks, watch the W's start
piling up.
McCullers
Jr., Lance • 9-4 (5-1 A)
Other
than one start, McCullers Jr. has been in great form so far in 2018. His
curveball is a work of art and among the best in the majors. His tendency to
get hurt is what is holding him back from becoming next level hurler. If the
hook and the fastball are on, he is one tough customer.
*Price,
David • 10-3 (5-0 H)
Price's
days as a top notch starter appear over, but he can still be a very good
pitcher. His command of the fastball is what's changed (along with lower
velocity), which makes his breaking pitches and off-speed stuff more of a focus
for hitters. Nevertheless, when Price is right (sorry about that), he's more
than capable of stringing a groups of victories together.
Strasburg,
Stephen 12-4 (6-2 A)
Like
his team, Strasburg has been up and down in the early part of the season. What
has really hurt him is fat tosses in the zone, with seven balls flying over the
fence already, after conceding an average of 14 per year since 2015. Just like
the Nationals, it's just a matter of time before Strasburg is back in the
groove.
*Sale,
Chris •
13-4 (7-2 H A)
Unquestionably
one of the premier pitchers in baseball who has gotten smarter in trying to
work deeper into games and pitch to more contact. That does not mean the big
lefty cannot dial it up and punch-out a hitter when needed. Sale's just figured
out how to be more valuable to his team.
BAD
MONTH PITCHERS:
*Cashner,
Andrew •
5-10 (2-8 A)
In
the world of baseball betting, this is one of our favorite hurlers. Time and
again oddsmakers consider his stuff rather than how he actually pitches. For
every two OK starts are three lousy one's, which helps to explain his team's
51-76 record in his starts since 2013 and why Cashner is 43-68 lifetime.
Note:
in a bit of an oddity, only one hurler makes our BAD MONTH list this May.
Stay tuned for recent developments.
For more of Marc Lawrence click here.