Joe Posnanski was talking today about a pitcher’s “strength of opponents.” I took a quick look at who Edinson Volquez has faced, in putting up a league-leading 1.71 ERA, Voltron has faced some tough competition. The Reds’ opponents in Voltron’s 15 starts are averaging 4.77 Runs per Game. The NL average is 4.52 R/G, while the AL averages 4.56 R/G.
Prospectus looks at the issue in little more detail. They break down opponents’ AVG/OBP/SLG. Voltron’s opponents have hit 742, which ranks 3rd in the NL (of the 48 pitchers with 80+ IP). And he’s still leading the league. That’s stunning.
Guess who’s at the very top when you remove the innings qualifier? Who faced the very best-hitting opponents of anyone who’s pitched in the major leagues this year? Mr. Daryl Thompson, who did pretty well for himself against a Yankee lineup that collectively OPSes 819.