Nationals Pitching Daily Briefs (PDB): A Collection
To catch you up on the work Garrett Hooe has been doing this offseason to prepare us all for the pitching analysis he intends to do during the 2013 campaign. A look at the stats and thinking that goes into looking at the Washington Nationals' pitchers as they try to defend the NL East title.
Nats PDB: No Words For Verlander's Fastball
Justin Verlander hasn't had as much success this season as he has in the past. Some bad luck and some apparent skill degradation are to thank, but his track record is too good to ignore. This PDB uses images to tell the story of Verlander's 2013.
Nats Ther-A.P.: Taylor Jordan's Legitimacy
Taylor Jordan is in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, and every team in the Major Leagues had the opportunity to claim him in the Rule 5 draft recently. Now, at age 24, he's a bona fide major league starter.
Nats PDB: Gerrit Cole Doesn't Need Any More Help
Gerrit Cole brings a top of the line prospect pedigree and tantalizing stuff to Nationals Park tonight in the second of four games against the Pirates. While Cole doesn't generate a lot of strikeouts, he's still effective. And he's already improving
Nats PDB: Zach Greinke's Inconsistent Movement
Zach Greinke is a talented pitcher with a great major league track record who the Nats once targeted. Pitching for LA, he's had a decent year, but fans expect greatness with nine-figure contracts. Greinke's inconsistent movement may be a culprit.
Nats PDB: Nathan Eovaldi Can Throw It
Nathan Eovaldi takes the mound for the Miami Marlins in a very winnable series for the Nats. Eovaldi can throw the ball hard (really hard) but his major league pitching ability is still developing. Also, some Nats' offensive platoon split visuals.
Nats PDB: Cole Hamels' Normal Season
Cole Hamels has just three wins and eleven loses so far this year. But don't be fooled, because this is largely the same hurler who has earned four strikeouts for every walk and a .626 OPS against the Nats for his career.
Wily Peralta's HR/FB and LOB Issues + Command Poll
The Milwaukee Brewers send Wily Peralta to the hill against the Nationals tonight. Peralta is a young hurler with a pretty good pedigree, but has yet to see consistent results this year. What can Washington expect tonight? Plus, a poll on command.
Nats PDB: Assessing The Nationals' Starters
Because I profiled Jhoulys Chacin last week, I opted to take a birds-eye look at the Washington Nationals' pitching performance so far this year, as well as how the team is doing in comparison to last year.
Nats PDB: Of Cliff Lee and Greg Maddux
It gets no easier tonight for the Washington Nationals, who face the Phillies' Cliff Lee. Lee has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past several years, and 2013 is looking like no exception. The Nats face a tough task tonight.
Nats PDB: Justin Masterson, Not a LHH Liability
Read up on Justin Masterson, and you'll probably learn two things: First, he is a ground ball pitcher. Second, left handed batters hit him well. But his slider effectiveness is something that is less publicized, and lefties may now be trouble.
Nats PDB: Jhoulys Chacin, Pitching Out of Thin Air
Colorado Rockies' right hander Jhoulys Chacin toes the rubber against the Washington Nationals tonight in Denver. Chacin is a young hurler with a good pedigree and solid component numbers. The Nats will have to work to put runs up tonight.
Nats PDB: Kevin Correia, a Chance to Gain Ground
You know how the statistic "Wins Above Replacement" means how far above or below "replacement level" a player is? (Sure!) Well, imagine the Twins' Kevin Correia as the replacement level player, and get upbeat about the Nats' chances.
Nats PDB: Trying to Explain Hefner's LHH Issues
The Washington Nationals return home to face the New York Mets and Jeremy Hefner. After a disappointing series in Atlanta, the good guys have an opportunity to get right back on the horse and take the first of three from a division rival.
Nats PDB Rewind: Teheran, Zimmermann, and Gonzalez
This Pitching Daily Brief looks back at the Atlanta Braves' Julio Teheran, who opposes the Nats this evening in Atlanta. Because it's a shorter analysis, I also checked in on the Washington Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez.
Nats PDB: Chris Tillman's Continuing Development
Chris Tillman follows Kevin Gausman as a heralded young pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. His raw stuff isn't as electric as Gausman's, but Tillman has made meaningful steps to capitalize on his promise. Let's check him out.
Nats PDB: Why Kyle Kendrick has a 2.82 ERA
Kyle Kendrick is a seven-year veteran pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. He's accumulated some of the best results of his career so far this year, winning four games against two losses in nine starts. Improved command has helped his cause.
Nats PDB: Matt Cain and Home Runs
San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain has had a rough go of it in 2013, sporting a 5.43 ERA and 5.30 FIP. Historically, Cain has been close to an average +4 win pitcher. So what's going on this year? And what can the Washington Nationals expect?
Clayton Kershaw or the Evening Redness in the West
Clayton Kershaw is a special talent. Indeed, it seems that unless the southpaw wants a hitter to reach base, the batter may as well head back to the dugout. This PDB shows how he's gotten the job done during both his career and this year.
Nats PDB: The Cubs' Jeff Samardzija, True Pitcher
The Chicago Cubs' record may again be below .500, but Jeff Samardzija (suh-MAR-jah) has given the team's fans something to look forward to. Opposing clubs? Not so much. This PDB looks at Samardzija's pitching and what the Nationals may do?
Nats' PDB: A.J. Burnett and his Hammer
Pirates' starter A.J. Burnett likes his curve ball. And this year, his curve seems to be reciprocating. How does he achieve his success with the pitch, and what can the Nats do about it? Game 1 of 3 tonight in PNC Park...
Nationals PDB: Nat Nemesis Tim Hudson and Sinkers
Tim Hudson has enjoyed a lengthy major league career on the strength of several quality pitches, most notably a sinker that generates a large number of ground balls. But, if the season ended today, he would have the highest FIP of his career.
Nationals PDB: Bronson Arroyo, "Crafty" Righty
Bronson Arroyo is a veteran major league pitcher who throws several different pitches, occasionally from different arm angles and velocities. He also attacks the strike zone early with an excellent curve and above average change.
Nats PDB: Shelby Miller's Fastball and Line Drives
Like the NY Mets' Matt Harvey, the St. Louis Cardinals' Shelby Miller is a talented young hurler with a good fastball and curve ball. The Washington Nationals will again face a tough test this evening in another intriguing early-season tilt in D.C.
Friday Night Strikes: Matt Harvey PDB
The New York Mets' Matt Harvey has begun 2013 on a tear, but how sustainable is his performance, and what can the Nats' hitters expect to see in the series opener? A big-time pitcher duel goes down in Flushing tonight when Harvey faces off against W
Washington Nationals PDB: Braves' Julio Teheran
Julio Teheran is a talented young hurler for the Atlanta Braves who arrived in the Major Leagues with great expectations after earning an enviable minor league track record. He takes on the Washington Nationals tonight in game one of three in D.C.
Nationals PDB: The White Sox' Jake Peavy
The Chicago White Sox have a front-line pitcher in Jake Peavy, who last year rebounded from a tough 2011. Peavy features an effective fastball and sinker. While his days as a league-leader in ERA are behind him, Peavy remains a formidable opponent.
Pun-free PDB: Homer Bailey versus the Nats
Homer Bailey has begun to realize the promise the Cincinnati Reds (and others) saw in him. With a high-quality slider and an interesting ability to get leadoff hitters out, Bailey is a formidable opponent for the Washington Nationals to face.
Opening Day PDB: Breaking Down Marlins' Nolasco
Nolasco's broad repertoire has yielded increasingly fewer strikeouts. He sports modestly consistent peripheral numbers, and has contributed favorably to the Marlins since 2008. However, his stuff plays to the Nationals' strengths...
Jordan Zimmermann and a change you can believe in
In 2012, Jordan Zimmermann largely duplicated his 2011 success. In the final Nationals-oriented Pitching Daily Brief of the pre-season, we look at Zimmermann's prospect pedigree, scouting assessments, interviews and statistics.
Gio Gonzalez, The Most Wild Thing of All
This Pitching Daily Brief looks at Washington Nationals' pitcher Gio Gonzalez, his performance in 2012, and what we might look for in 2013. In short, Gio saw significant improvement in his performance last season. Why? And what does it mean for 2013?
National Det: Into the Black
How did Ross Detwiler perform in 2012, and what should we look for in 2013? A look at the Washington Nationals' 26-year-old left-hander and what he needs to do to continue improving on his career-best year in 2012.
Nats PDB, Part IV(B): More Pitchf/x data!
For the final pre-season Pitching Daily Brief, we look at some other Pitchf/x tools to help assess pitcher performance.