I don't ever want to see TJ McFarland in an Orioles uniform again

[CA-ORIOLE]

TJ is a craftsman. Old School. I love watching him work.

[Creamsicle]

TJ is a craftsman. Old School. I love watching him work.

Very bad mojo with the name "TJ" for a pitcher. We need something better to call him.

[OFFNY]

T.J. is a craftsman. Old School. I love watching him work.

Very bad mojo with the name "T.J." for a pitcher. We need something better to call him.

If McFarland winds up with anything similar to these career numbers, I'll be very happy if he spends most of his career as an Oriole.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnto01.shtml?redir

I don't think what we call him here has any effect on him, anyway (his effectiveness as a pitcher and/or the odds of him winding up needing ulnar collateral ligament surgery.)

[scOtt]

If McFarland winds up with anything similar to these career numbers, I'll be very happy if he spends most of his career as an Oriole.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnto01.shtml?redir

I don't think what we call him here has any effect on him, anyway (his effectiveness as a pitcher and/or the odds of him winding up needing ulnar collateral ligament surgery.)

[video=youtube;37-yFGJngPs]

Fingers crossed anyways...

[SpinJr]

All batters are hitting over.300 against him. He's really not to good folks. ERA is misleading and a 1.4 WHIP is terrible.

I will not shed a tear if he is gone next year.

[CA-ORIOLE]

All batters are hitting over.300 against him. He's really not to good folks. ERA is misleading and a 1.4 WHIP is terrible.

I will not shed a tear if he is gone next year.

His peripherals are perfectly fine. He's a sinkerballer with a high GB rate and has really cut his HR rate this year. Is he a world beater, no. But he fits in very well in the long relief role at a pretty low cost.

[Ornithological]

All batters are hitting over.300 against him. He's really not to good folks. ERA is misleading and a 1.4 WHIP is terrible.

It's more complex than that. He isn't giving up many walks or home runs. He has a 60% ground ball percentage. The advanced metrics are good (3.38 FIP, 3.74 xFIP, 3.35 SIERA). He can pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen, spot start if needed, plus he's cheap and under team control until 2019.

[CA-ORIOLE]

It's more complex than that. He isn't giving up many walks or home runs. He has a 60% ground ball percentage. The advanced metrics are good (3.38 FIP, 3.74 xFIP, 3.35 SIERA). He can pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen, spot start if needed, plus he's cheap and under team control until 2019.

That's what I said. You just said it better.

[SpinJr]

His peripherals are perfectly fine. He's a sinkerballer with a high GB rate and has really cut his HR rate this year. Is he a world beater, no. But he fits in very well in the long relief role at a pretty low cost.

If you count opponents batting average and WHIP as peripherals than I disagree. I do agree that his 10 GDPs have really helped his ERA and FIP. I'm just not sold he's very good. A long man is absolute ceiling. Point taken about his cost and it's probably what's keepin him in the ML.

[CA-ORIOLE]

If you count opponents batting average and WHIP as peripherals than I disagree. I do agree that his 10 GDPs have really helped his ERA and FIP. I'm just not sold he's very good. A long man is absolute ceiling. Point taken about his cost and it's probably what's keepin him in the ML.

No, By peripherals I meant his FIP/xFIP and SIERA (as Ornithological summarized). They take into account numerous factors and are all quite good. GB pitchers do tend to get more DP's but I don't think they factor much into FIP or xFIP. Certainly not as much as they might into SIERA.

[OFFNY]

It's more complex than that. He isn't giving up many walks or home runs. He has a 60% ground ball percentage. The advanced metrics are good (3.38 FIP, 3.74 xFIP, 3.35 SIERA). He can pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen, spot start if needed, plus he's cheap and under team control until 2019.

That's what I said. You just said it better.

Stealing your thunder.

That bastard.

[SpinJr]

No, By peripherals I meant his FIP/xFIP and SIERRA (as Ornithological summarized). They take into account numerous factors and are all quite good.

Yeah and I agree that his ground ball tendencies help those come down. Brendan help him if that changes because his stuff is not that good shock I think opponents BA and WHIP illustrate. Hey he's getting outs though so I'm just splitting hairs.

[Ornithological]

If you count opponents batting average and WHIP as peripherals than I disagree.

Opponents batting average and WHIP are highly influenced by BABIP. There was an interesting article in Fangraphs earlier this month on pitcher xBABIP. At the time, McFarland had a BABIP of .343 but a much better xBABIP (expected BABIP based on batted ball data) of .281. Based on xBABIP, McFarland's high opponents batting average could be viewed as bad luck.

[SpinJr]

Isn't .281 still advice league average though. It's right around .253.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Opponents batting average and WHIP are highly influenced by BABIP. There was an interesting article in Fangraphs earlier this month on pitcher xBABIP. At the time, McFarland had a BABIP of .343 but a much better xBABIP (expected BABIP based on batted ball data) of .281. Based on xBABIP, McFarland's high opponents batting average could be viewed as bad luck.

Anecdotally I think it is as well. We have good IF defense for sure but it seems like a lot of weak GB's/slow rollers have gone against him for IF hits this year.