The Starting Line: Jordan Zimmerman - 4/20/09
The Starting Line
by Evan "the Censor" Dickens
Jordan Zimmerman v ATL, 4/20/2009
W, 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K
First things first: Do not read another word until you rush to your league and make sure that Jordan Zimmerman is not on the waiver wire. If he is, then pick him up. I guarantee you he is better than the worst player currently on your team.
The first major league start of an exciting young prospect SP is always cause for celebration--and usually looks pretty standard: 5 innings, 100 pitches, a few strikeouts, a lot of walks. Young pitchers making their major league debut are often, and understandably, a bit wild and inefficient. The Nationals' Jordan Zimmerman proved in his debut on Monday why he is the real thing.
Zimmerman was lifted after six innings for a pinch hitter, which was probably not an easy decision for Acta--because he was sailing through the game like a veteran. Juxtaposed against Derek Lowe, his opponent in the other dugout and the consummate professional veteran starter, Zimmerman put up numbers to die for. He threw an astoundingly low 72 pitches in 6 innings--a ratio of 3.27 pitchers per batter faced. That's identical, by the way, to the ratio put up by Greg Maddux (the master of efficiency) during his 2002 season, the best of his last ten years. Lowe, on the other side, labored to a very poor 4.26 pitches per batter faced.
Zimmerman also was dealing with precision control--71% of his pitches were for strikes, compared to only 56% from Lowe. When batters made contact, Zimmerman kept the ball down--a 1.8 GB/FB ratio compared to a pedestrian 1.0 GB/FB for Lowe, who is one of the great sinker pitchers in baseball. Zimmerman made one mistake pitch to Matt Diaz who left the yard with it, and otherwise made it clear that he is ready for the big leagues. His K/9 numbers were much higher than this in the minors and it stands to reason that he'll be producing at those levels very soon.
I'd rather have Zimmerman than Aaron Poreda, Trevor Cahill, Rick Porcello, Derek Holland, or any of the other rookie starters I've been trumpeting. He may even be more successful in 2009 than Tommy Hanson. In the midst of a franchise that has so little to be hopeful about, Jordan Zimmerman is about to give our nation's capital something to cheer for--and something that could have a dramatic impact on your fantasy season.
~Evan the Censor
by Evan "the Censor" Dickens
Jordan Zimmerman v ATL, 4/20/2009
W, 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K
First things first: Do not read another word until you rush to your league and make sure that Jordan Zimmerman is not on the waiver wire. If he is, then pick him up. I guarantee you he is better than the worst player currently on your team.
The first major league start of an exciting young prospect SP is always cause for celebration--and usually looks pretty standard: 5 innings, 100 pitches, a few strikeouts, a lot of walks. Young pitchers making their major league debut are often, and understandably, a bit wild and inefficient. The Nationals' Jordan Zimmerman proved in his debut on Monday why he is the real thing.
Zimmerman was lifted after six innings for a pinch hitter, which was probably not an easy decision for Acta--because he was sailing through the game like a veteran. Juxtaposed against Derek Lowe, his opponent in the other dugout and the consummate professional veteran starter, Zimmerman put up numbers to die for. He threw an astoundingly low 72 pitches in 6 innings--a ratio of 3.27 pitchers per batter faced. That's identical, by the way, to the ratio put up by Greg Maddux (the master of efficiency) during his 2002 season, the best of his last ten years. Lowe, on the other side, labored to a very poor 4.26 pitches per batter faced.
Zimmerman also was dealing with precision control--71% of his pitches were for strikes, compared to only 56% from Lowe. When batters made contact, Zimmerman kept the ball down--a 1.8 GB/FB ratio compared to a pedestrian 1.0 GB/FB for Lowe, who is one of the great sinker pitchers in baseball. Zimmerman made one mistake pitch to Matt Diaz who left the yard with it, and otherwise made it clear that he is ready for the big leagues. His K/9 numbers were much higher than this in the minors and it stands to reason that he'll be producing at those levels very soon.
I'd rather have Zimmerman than Aaron Poreda, Trevor Cahill, Rick Porcello, Derek Holland, or any of the other rookie starters I've been trumpeting. He may even be more successful in 2009 than Tommy Hanson. In the midst of a franchise that has so little to be hopeful about, Jordan Zimmerman is about to give our nation's capital something to cheer for--and something that could have a dramatic impact on your fantasy season.
~Evan the Censor
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