Let's take a moment to talk about Jordan Zimmermann. He's the archetype for pitchers who focus on elite ERA/WHIP numbers while lacking a bit in the K department, and was expected to sit with a near 3.00 ERA and a WHIP under 1.15. Well, he's been struggling to get there this season and after last night's outing of 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks he now holds a 3.36 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Not horrible numbers, but when you're stomaching a low strikeout rate and sacrificing 1/3 of the stats that starters can control (Wins are very finicky, Drew Hutchison is 9-2 this year), you best be getting an excellent return in the other 66%. This is why I'm lower on guys like Keuchel, Wacha, and Miller than the rest of the pack - it's tough to salvage starts when the ERA/WHIP isn't there. I understand that JZ stepped it up in 2014 and had an above average K rate, but it's looking like a career year, and he's back to the old ways, with the worst xFIP (3.88) he's ever had. He's still in the 40s since he has a decent floor, but I would be shocked to see him change either way in the final months of the season.
Let’s see what every other SP did yesterday:
