[Fangraphs] Will New Look Angels Rotation Fly High?

[Angelsjunky]

Read all about it:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/will-new-look-angels-rotation-fly-high/

 

Its written from a fantasy baseball perspective, but some good analysis.

[Reveille1984]

Summary:  All of our pitchers are either in decline or have a mediocre arsenal of pitches, so hopefully the defense is good enough for us to not have five 4.00+ ERA starters.  Optimism!

[KingJustinian]

Summary: All of our pitchers are either in decline or have a mediocre arsenal of pitches, so hopefully the defense is good enough for us to not have five 4.00+ ERA starters. Optimism!

What that means to me is that our pitchers know how to pitch, not just throw the ball. So they shouldn't drop off a cliff in terms of production.

On another note isn't Skaggs fastball average? And use to be above average as recently as a year ago? 91-92 is average for a lefty.

[wopphil]

I don't think I am quite as worried about Weaver as some.  His HR/9 last year was almost identical to his HR/9 the three preceding years (in which he was a top-5 Cy Young candidate each year), his Hits/9 was close to his career average, and while his K/9 was below his career average, it was identical to that of his stellar 2012 season.

 

Sure, if his fastball drops more there will be a problem, but whose to say it will continue dropping (as opposed to merely leveling out, or even going back up a tick or two)?  I don't think it is unreasonable to pencil in Weaver for 200 innings at 3.00-3.40 ERA.

[NrM]

I don't think I am quite as worried about Weaver as some.  His HR/9 last year was almost identical to his HR/9 the three preceding years (in which he was a top-5 Cy Young candidate each year), his Hits/9 was close to his career average, and while his K/9 was below his career average, it was identical to that of his stellar 2012 season.

 

Sure, if his fastball drops more there will be a problem, but whose to say it will continue dropping (as opposed to merely leveling out, or even going back up a tick or two)?  I don't think it is unreasonable to pencil in Weaver for 200 innings at 3.00-3.40 ERA.

 

Well the fact that he is the angels ace should be worrisome for everyone.

Weaver is a 2 or 3, wilson is a 3, and then the rest are 5th starters because they're so questionable.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Poozy

[floplag]

Thing is we dont really know right now what the rotation is... at this point its incomplete.

Most of this assumes that Skaggs starts the season in the rotation, i dont think thats the hope at all, i think the org wants him to start in AAA and get a little mojo back for a later call up, but thats just my 2 cents.

 

I think the real issues for the final spot if more likely between Mulder (who i think the org hopes wins it in ST), Blanton, and some of the other spare parts to buy a little time on the farm for Skaggs.  The only way i see Skaggs starting the season in the rotation is if none of those options pan out or if he earns the spot outright.. any of which is also very possible

[mtangelsfan]

He is a one actually. 

[NrM]

He is a one actually. 

 

Possibly on a non contender.

On a playoff team, he shouldn't be.

[OregonLAA]

Weaver would be an ace on probably 2/3 of the teams in baseball. But he sucks. Screw him

[Brent Maguire]

Weaver is fine. The velocity isn't as big as a concern because he's never needed a big fastball.

I think he's a very good #2 or weak #1 at this point and there's nothing wrong with that at all. I think he's a good bet for over 200 IP and a 3.25 ERA.

[Hollyw00d]

Only on road trips to Coors field and Safeco.

and Tim lincecum's pool parties

[HaloMagic]

Weaver would be an ace on probably 2/3 of the teams in baseball. But he sucks. Screw him

Conveniently 2/3 of the teams don't make the playoffs. I think that is the point people are trying to make.

[YouthofToday]

Every team does not have an ace. Some teams, like Detroit, have two.

I am perennially worried Weaver's production will fall into the 4.00+ level.

[OregonLAA]

A's Reds Pirates Braves

Ace on those teams and they play extra games at the end of the season

[HaloMagic]

He wouldn't have been the best performing pitcher on any of those teams last season. Maybe Pittsburg if you don't count Gerrit Cole. Not real sure what 'ace' really means, though. It seems subjective to the point of irrelevance.

Regardless, I don't see how any of that matters. Weaver isn't the problem. I worry a little about his future. I'd love to have a better pitcher going in front of him. But slotting Weaver into the number one spot isn't what will blow our season. If you want to see why we might lose you can look to literally any other spot on the team occupied by someone not named Trout. Because everyone else is more suspect in their current role right now than Weaver is in his.

[Inside Pitch]

Every team does not have an ace. Some teams, like Detroit, have two.

I am perennially worried Weaver's production will fall into the 4.00+ level.

 

TB has like four.

[Count Orlok]

I'm thinking they'll be extremely average which is a huge improvement.