Joe Pawlikowski at the essential Fangraphs.com has an in-depth post up about the Reds playoff rotation. He also quotes Chad, and also has some interesting stuff. 🙂 Like the fact that Johnny Cueto has been much better at home than on the road this year, and that Travis Wood has only pitched 16 of his 96 innings at GABP.
Pawlikowski’s picks for the rotation:
Arroyo
Cueto
Wood (based partly on Chad’s suggestion)
and probably Voltron over Homer Bailey.
@Doug Gray: I agree, great job setting him straight on Bailey.
Still, while Wood hasn’t given a resounding reason to believe he’s not tiring, I like him in the rotation over Bailey. For some reason, it seems to me that Bailey has to work a lot harder to get guys out, and also allows more base runners. In terms of quantifying this, I threw together some stuff below:
Bailey: WHIP-1.35 Pitches/Batter Faced-4.11 Pitches/Inning-17.44
Wood: WHIP-1.11 Pitches/BF-3.82 Pitches/Inn.-15.67
Cueto: WHIP-1.28 Pitches/BF-4.00 Pitches/Inn.-16.88
I included Cueto as reference since he typically has control issues. While these aren’t alarming differences, Bailey does have to work a little harder to get through innings. In the playoffs, where everything is magnified and every out is so crucial, I’d like to limit scoring chances as much as possible, and thus, continue to like Wood better.
I also agree with Chad in that “he’s the only lefty, and he’s earned it.”
I might be in the minority here, but I really won’t mind if the Reds make an early exit from the playoffs. I mean I hope they win it all, but this season is icing to me. I felt like this was at least the season before they competed. So, IMO, protecting their young arms overrides everything else. And getting post season experience for Bruce, Votto et al feels like a bonus to me.
I think this franchise is at the start of a decent run of being competitive.
…if we don’t win 1 game in the 6 OR St. Louis doens’t lose one game in the last six …
but yes