If the home/away Wandy continues into this season, at what point does an organization consider just playing him at home? If you started Wandy in the 1st and 6th games of every homestand, you could probably get about 25+ starts from him. Yes, it would wreak havoc on the rotation, but you'd basically just have to carry a spot-starter / long-reliever guy. It would also keep him a bit more rested since he's injury-prone. Consider his stats: 2007: Home: 2.94 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 88Ks/95 innings Away: 6.37 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 70Ks, 87 innings 2008: Home: 2.99 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 82Ks/81 innings Away: 4.34 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 49Ks, 56 innings 2009: (limited sample, obviously) Home: 0.69 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 14Ks/13 innings Away: 4.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 4Ks, 6 innings At home, he's basically the best pitcher in baseball - his stats over the past 2+ years are virtually the same as Johan Santana. How he does it, I have no idea, but it's too consistent to be a fluke. Is it better to get about 15-17 starts at home from ace-Wandy and 15-17 starts on the road from mediocre Wandy? Or 25+ home starts from ace-Wandy?
I was looking at this last night. His stats at home are just ridiculous. I wish there was some way we could pitch him at home every start. I told my brother before the season that I predicted Wandy would have a breakout year this year. He laughed at me. Mainly, I think because Wandy's 30.
The thing is, even with those numbers on the road, he is still the Astros' second best pitcher. Most players have better home splits than road splits and 2007 was a fluke. Last year he was decent on the road and there is no reason he can't improve on that. I think it may cause as many logistical problems as it solves.
I have been thinking of this since 2 years ago, but I think doing it like this would just put extra pressure on wandy to pitch well at home and that would just blow his current groove at home.
i feel this way also, though he's probably already aware of his home dominance and it hasn't affected him yet.
He'll never be a stud until he learns to pitch consistent and deserve to pitch 1-3 in the order. That's all there is to it. He should be a #4 or a #5 pitcher, but unfortunately, we don't have that option as the FA's are gone and we have nothing to trade from the minor's i'm aware of that would come close to get a Jake Peavy type talent. Obviously more names will pop up near the All Star Break, but that might be to late unless the bats can keep us a little over .500.
The only way this would work is if the 6th starter/long reliever guy you had pitch in Wandy's place on the road was a very resilient pitcher and someone that was easy going and willing to do whatever to help. Because that guy is going to get seriously short changed. Maybe Chris Sampson would be willing. I don't know. He's had injury problems in the past so screwing with his schedule might not help matters.
I'm just still confused since Roy is the last good pitcher we've brought up and we won't sign anymore pitching that took us to the promise land for the 1st time. I guess i just need someone in the organization to explain to me the end game they imagine. That's why i get so frustrated to where i gripe about Astros as i love baseball and don't like seeing us competing with the Pirates or Brewers for 3rd place in the division.
You do realize starting pitching hasn't been the problem lately right? Our starting pitchers have not allowed a run in over 20 innings.
Uh, Wandy had a 3.54 ERA last year and a 1.89 ERA so far this year. If you think that's a #4 or #5 pitcher, that's just delusional. By the way, check the box scores -- pitching hasn't been the biggest problem with this year's team. Not even close.
Lance Z this morning said Wandy is good enough to be a 3 on a mediocre to bad team. I even disagree with that as far as not giving him enough credit.
Let's give Wandy more than 1 road start before we say he's the same old. He clearly improved last year over 2007 and he looks pretty damn good so far this season. He's been mentioned as a candidate to be this year's Cliff Lee. While I don't think he's going to put up the ridiculous numbers Lee put up last season, I think he will earn that #2 spot behind Roy.
If he's taking durability into account, I can understand it -- you'd ideally like a top 3 rotation guy to be someone you feel very confident will give you 180+ innings. But from a production standpoint, you're exactly right -- that's not giving him enough credit. He's a 2/3 on a good team, when he's able to make his starts.
the league average ERA last year was 4.30, meaning wandy was a league-average starter on the road (era+: 99). other than oswalt, the astros unfortauntely don't have a league average starter in their entire organization. so sitting wandy so a worse pitcher could start 10-15 games in his place is an absolutely terrible idea.
Except you're potentially getting 7-8 extra home starts out of Wandy in that scenario as well. The question would be, which is better: 25 Home Starts from Wandy + 9 Road starts from, say, Chris Sampson or Paulino or Moehler or whoever starter #6 would be OR 17 Home Starts from Wandy + 17 Road starts from Wandy (This assumes he stays healthy, of course)
That's not a half bad idea. If he continues to improve on the road though, then there's no reason to not have him continue as a full-time home and away pitcher.
Just wanted to chime in that Wandy is a legit 2/3 on a good team when healthy. However, more than home/road splits the problem with him is getting even close to the 200 innings that you would ideally want your #2 getting.
Doubt that, look at the Red Sox, Rays, Angels. If Wandy was on one of those teams, he'd be the #5 at best.
where are you finding 7-8 additional home starts? there's still a rotation and wandy still needs 4-5 days between starts. maybe you can sneak in an extra start or 2... but no way 7-8. it remains a no-brainer; no one else in the astros' system is a league average starting pitcher.
Red sox...Wandy has performed just as well as Wake.. and Penny has had 1 good year in the last 3 Rays, I'd put him up there with Sonnanstine...but once Price is calledu p, yeah that'd be the 5 slot. But hey the Rays have great young pitching. Angels, when they're all healthy, yeah, 5 also But hey he said "good teams"... maybe not the top 5, but the next 5 at least..
