Do we baby our MiL pitchers more than other organizations? A quick look at the AL East

[Frobby]

I got to wondering what other organizations do with respect to MiL starting pitcher usage.   Are the O’s outliers?   Here’s a quick look at the AL East:

BAL: 6 pitchers over 50 IP; high is 56.2*

BOS: 9 pitchers over 50 IP: high is 67.0

NYY: 8 pitchers over 50 IP; high is 59.1

TBR: 4 pitchers over 50 IP; high is 53.2

TOR: 4 pitchers over 50 IP; high is 61.0

I would not say the Orioles are outliers here.   The Red Sox are the outliers, with 4 pitchers over 60 innings and another 4 over 55.   Tampa, much admired for how well they develop pitchers, has been lighter than the O’s.

* Our leader is Grayson Rodriguez, despite missing two starts since injuring his oblique.   But for that, his total might have been the highest among the five teams.   Of course, I have no idea what other prospects have had their innings limited due to injury.

 

[linedrive]

That's nice to know where we stand, but I'd still like to see starters going longer on every professional level- Majors and Minors. There was an article I read recently (can't remember where), and it suggested there was no statistical difference in injuries when pitchers threw few pitches or a lot of pitches in a game. If that's true, and further studies bear that out, then maybe we'll eventually see starters throwing complete games again.

[ChuckS]

5 minutes ago, linedrive said:

That's nice to know where we stand, but I'd still like to see starters going longer on every professional level- Majors and Minors. There was an article I read recently (can't remember where), and it suggested there was no statistical difference in injuries when pitchers threw few pitches or a lot of pitches in a game. If that's true, and further studies bear that out, then maybe we'll eventually see starters throwing complete games again.

Even if starters could throw complete games, the grand majority of teams are better off letting their flame throwing bullpens finish the game after the sixth inning. 

Third time through the order is always the most difficult for a starter.  The way major league bullpens are built these days you just need your starter to go five or six and the days of teams only carrying 11 or 12 bullpen arms are over. 

[Can_of_corn]

Nice work but something like this has so many moving parts.

What if a team has a bunch of AAAA pitchers in AAA that are 25+ years of age and aren't on any sort of usage restrictions?

 

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Nice work but something like this has so many moving parts.

What if a team has a bunch of AAAA pitchers in AAA that are 25+ years of age and aren't on any sort of usage restrictions?

 

I agree.   That’s why I called this a “quick look.”   I will say though that most of the Red Sox guys don’t meet that description.  The four guys with 60+ innings are 21, 23, 24 and 25 years old and only one (the 23-year old) has reached AAA, having started the year in AA.  So, it really does look like the Red Sox have a different philosophy.   

[bpilktree]

I think it would be better to look at the teams top prospects more then the entire farm.   Take the top 5-10 pitchers in each origination and compare them.  You still have some obstacles but that takes away the AAAA guys that are just there taking up innings.

[oh-wee-ohs]

3 hours ago, Frobby said:

I agree.   That’s why I called this a “quick look.”   I will say though that most of the Red Sox guys don’t meet that description.  The four guys with 60+ innings are 21, 23, 24 and 25 years old and only one (the 23-year old) has reached AAA, having started the year in AA.  So, it really does look like the Red Sox have a different philosophy.   

Throwing another research angle out there. Are they getting thru those innings on less pitches? Seems we view guys on  pitch limits by day, and innings by season. 

[Frobby]

11 hours ago, bpilktree said:

I think it would be better to look at the teams top prospects more then the entire farm.   Take the top 5-10 pitchers in each origination and compare them.  You still have some obstacles but that takes away the AAAA guys that are just there taking up innings.

 

9 hours ago, oh-wee-ohs said:

Throwing another research angle out there. Are they getting thru those innings on less pitches? Seems we view guys on  pitch limits by day, and innings by season. 

That’s all fine for anyone who has the interest and the time to study it.   That’s more time than I personally have to invest in this.