It is too early to yank him (hitters just can't keep hitting that many home runs), but regarding performance so far this season on preventing big innings, I'd put it more on the hitters randomly sucking with RISP against him than Fiers magically becoming the best pitcher in baseball with RISP. Edit: RISP should be runners on base.
I think he's learned how to mesmerize hitters while pitching out of the stretch. That's why he works so much faster from the windup, that stuff takes a few seconds.
If that is the case, he should just call for an automatic walk at start of the inning so he doesn't have to pitch with no one on. This is not an exaggeration if his ability to prevent runs with people on base is real. You take away the solo homers and his ERA is 1.41.
Maybe. Consider Correa was the only one who balled out. He's the only one who's regressed since the 2014 regular season ended. Really need him to get things in gear. He's batting cleanup.
Mike Fiers vs. the leadoff batter in an inning: 20 PA, 8 H, 6 HR, 4 BB It knew it was bad, didn't realize it was *that* bad. Maybe he should pitch a simulated AB in the bullpen before every inning? Kinda like with Gregerson a couple of years ago: sure you can pitch him in the 9th, just change all the scoreboards to say it's the 8th inning. Mike Fiers with the bases empty: .405 / .479 / .929 / 1.408 Mike Fiers with runners on: .167 / .211 / .278 / .488 There's some serious wizardry going on here that I cannot explain. Or it could be totally flukey. I'm going with wizardry.
If the problem is being in first place, yes it is an easy problem to fix. If the Astros placed guys in a slump down in the order, when they get hot again they will be batting 7th. When they are cold, they will be batting cleanup. Hot and cold data is lagging...i.e. by the time you know he's hot or cold, it is usually too late to fix it. The only reason to move a guy down or up in order (not talking about normal matchup stuff and Hinch juggling lineup) if you think with current data, guy deserves it (i.e. not a temporary move and guy isn't as good/bad you thought he was).
I would typically mostly agree but this is different. He is absolutely killing them. He is that bad right now. RISP: 2-23, 2 RBI; man on 3rd <2 outs: 7 PA, 0H, 3K, 0BB, 1 SF, 1 RBI; hitless w/ RISP 2-outs, hitting .139 / .200 / .222 / .422 with men on base. You just cannot have that guy hitting cleanup. He's had a few good swings recently but mostly just looks completely lost at the plate. Move him down to 6, let him work through whatever the hell is wrong, once he gets going for a bit move him back up, you have to assume he'll produce like his normal self from that point on. I don't see the problem with this player in this instance this early in the season.
The Cleveland booth made a good point. When they know a guy comes to the plate aggressive, they pitch off the plate to get him to chase. Everyone knows Correa is stuck in aggressive mode and will chase pitches, especially with 2 strikes. Maybe its not so much that Correa has changed but scouts have figured him out. He has become one dimensional and predictable.
In a 4 week season, he had 3 miserable weeks. This week, he's hitting nearly 0.300 with a couple of doubles, is getting on base, hit the ball hard, and has not been thrown out in the 9th inning while representing the tying run. Sure, he hasn't hit a homer this week, struck out a little more than my liking, and it is only Friday , but overall he's been well above average this week at plate. Not his fault top of order has sucked and he's gotten more empty hits than he deserved. If he was to be sent down in order, it should have been the first three weeks when he was miserable at the plate. Those days are gone already and hopefully stay that way.
