Pirates and Angels Swap Closers

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to swap closers marking the first major trade of the season. Jason Grilli will be finding his home with the Angels and Ernesto Frieri will be finding his home with the Pirates. Both closers have had their struggles this season, so as of right now the trade doesn't benefit anyone, but in the long run it benefits the Pirates. They acquire a younger pitcher with 2 more years of team control.

This season Ernesto Frieri has a 6.39 ERA in 31 innings pitched. Jason Grilli has a 4.67 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched this season and was actually injured for part of the season. It appears Grilli may be able to help the Angels more than Frieri will be able to help the Pirates, but if the Ray Searage effect is activated Frieri may be a great addition to this Pirates team.

Tim Lincecum Throws Second No Hitter

Tim Lincecum has thrown his second career no hitter against the Padres. The first time he pitched a no hitter Lincecum was in San Diego and threw a career high amount of pitches at 148 in part due to 13 strikeouts and 4 walks. This time he threw a significantly lower amount of pitches at 113. In this no hitter Lincecum recorded 6 strikeouts and allowed just one walk. Lincecum not only pitched a no hitter, but he got 2 hits and scored 2 runs, followed by a walk in the 8th inning. He did it all on this special Wednesday afternoon.

Lincecum's season seems to be a repeat of his 2013 season with plenty of ups and downs. Last season he finished with a 4.37 ERA. This season he now has a 4.42 ERA with a 6-5 record and 83 strikeouts. The small framed right hander now has 2 Cy Young Awards, 2 World Series, and 2 no hitters, giving him a very nice track record.

2014 has been a very exciting season and has already featured three no hitters, all three coming from the National League West. The outing by Josh Beckett against the Philadelphia Phillies, the near perfect game against the Colorado Rockies by Clayton Kershaw, and now Tim Lincecum's no hitter against the San Diego Padres. It is safe to say the National League West is one of the most exciting divisions to watch. The San Francisco Giants lead the Dodgers by just 3.5 games. It will be very entertaining to watch down the stretch, and Lincecum will be a very big part of it.

Is The Price Right?

The Tampa Bay Rays have expressed interest in trading David Price. We all know that he will be traded, the question is when, and to who? The Rays simply can't afford to pay David Price through his final year of arbitration. Price's salary for the 2014 season is already at $14 Million and should move up to at least $18 Million for the next season. When he hits free agency, you can bet the former Cy Young Award winner will sign a contract similar to that of CC Sabathia, Zack Greinke, Cliff Lee, Felix Hernandez, and Justin Verlander; establishing himself as one of the most elite starters in the game.

David Price

Price is a three time All Star and a Cy Young Award winner who will be turning 29 in August of this year. The home grown lefty found his groove in just his second full season in 2010 with a 19-6 record, a 2.72 ERA, and 188 strikeouts in 208.2 innings pitched. The following season his ERA shot up .77 points to a still respectable 3.49 ERA. He had a 12-13 record with 218 strikeouts in 224.1 innings pitched. 2012 was the season where Price won the American League Cy Young Award and he earned it. He brought he ERA down .93 runs to 2.56, while sporting a 20-5 record and striking out 205 in 211 innings pitched. In 2013 Price started off terribly with a 5.24 ERA in 9 starts, which can be connected to his first major injury, a tricep strain. He would go on to pitch a good season with a 3.33 ERA, 151 strikeouts, and a 10-8 record in 186.2 innings pitched.

Price usually finishes his seasons strong, but in 2014 he is already having a pretty nice season. With a 3.81 ERA and a league leading 133 strikeouts in 115.2 innings pitched Price is going to be a hot commodity. He has vocalized that he wants to be on a winning team, and the Rays have made it clear that they will be making trades at the deadline. The Rays also have several other pieces that can help a team such as Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist, maybe even newly acquired Grant Balfour if he can turn his season around.

James Shields

There has been some talk that Price is on the decline, but I believe his stuff is good enough to pitch through a velocity decline. In 2010 his average fastball velocity was 95.3, then 94.7 in 2011, and 95.5 in 2012. In 2013 he had a spike in ERA from his Cy Young season and a tricep injury, which could correlate to his 93.4 average fastball velocity. In 2014 his average fastball velocity is at 93.3. Its only a 2 mph difference, but if the trend continues like it did with CC Sabathia, trading for Price and signing him to a long extension could be problematic.

The Rays have said they want a pitcher who is close to Major League ready and at least another good prospect, similar to the James Shields trade. The Kansas City Royals gave up their top prospect, Wil Myers, and their top pitching prospect Jake Odorizzi for Shields who has worked out well for them, but Price is in an entirely different class. It will take a big bundle of prospects to trade Price at the trade deadline, and a desperate team may do it.

The Rays do not have much catching depth and do not have great catching prospects in the minors. Jose Molina and Ryan Hannigan are not getting the job done. It would not be crazy to the Rays to ask for a young catcher or a good catching prospect in the a trade.

Besides a pitching prospect and a catching prospect the Rays need infield depth. Ben Zobrist has been slightly fluttered around in trade discussions, and he is a very fine player. James Loney is not the best offensive player, and Yunel Escobar was never considered a great player. The Rays may want an infielder whether it be a shortstop, a second baseman, or a first baseman.

Mike Zunino 

The most suitable team I can see trading for Price is the Seattle Mariners. They have all the excess pieces and the prospects. By adding Price to the Mariners, it would give them one of the strongest rotations in the MLB. They would have to part with their starting catcher, but also one of their highest prospects Mike Zunino. They also have Nick Franklin who can play just about anywhere, since he lost his job to Robinson Cano. Finally they can include Justin Smoak in the deal, but the pitcher is going to be the tricky part. The Rays will almost undoubtedly ask for Taijuan Walker, which the Mariners already expressed they will not trade him. Suppliments to Walker may be Erasmo Ramirez, Danny Hultzen, or Danny Farquhar.

My pick for Price is to go to the Mariners and contend with the Athletics down the stretch, but Price may also find a home in St. Louis, Anaheim, New York, Toronto, Cincinnati
, or San Francisco.

Overlooked Players On Losing Teams

It is very easy to overlook players having a good season when they are on a losing team. Also it is even easier to overlook a player having a good season when there is a big name player on the team. Here are some players having good seasons on losing teams. Because they are on losing teams, it also makes them possible trade candidates.

David DeJesus

On the Tampa Bay Rays a 34 year old outfielder is having arguably the best season on the team. I am referring to David DeJesus. He is hitting .269 with a .367 on base percentage in 62 games. to go along with his batting average and on base percentage DeJesus also has 5 home runs, 14 doubles, and only 32 strikeouts in 182 at bats. A team looking for a left handed outfielder who can get on base may be interested in DeJesus.

Kurt Suzuki on the Minnesota Twins is having a brilliant season, yet he is 4th in voting for the All Star Game for American League catchers. Suzuki is hitting .321 with a .378 on base percentage behind the plate  for the Twins this season. In 60 games and 212 at bats, Suzuki only has 2 home runs, but 15 doubles, and just 18 strikeouts. The Twins are unlikely to trade Suzuki before the All Star Game in hopes to get another player from their team in the game, but after the game Suzuki may be traded. Any team looking for a catcher should look at Suzuki.

Alex Rios

The Texas Rangers are just 3 games out of last place in the American League West. They may try to add pieces this trade deadline, but they may also try to sell and start over fresh next season. One player having a great season on this losing team is Alex Rios. He is hitting .319 with a .352 on base percentage. Over his 75 games he has just 3 home runs, but 16 doubles, and 8 triples. Rios isn't hitting for power this season, but he is making contact and driving the ball. The home runs should come soon, the Rangers should trade Rios especially knowing that he is free agent at the end of the season.

The Cubs have been talked about a lot with their two best starters being made available. Jeff Samardjiza and Jason Hammel are the two names coming up most often in discussions, but Jake Arrieta is having a very nice season for the Cubs. In 9 starts Arrieta has pitched 50 innings and recorded 55 strikeouts with just a 1.99 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Would the Cubs trade three of its five starting pitchers this trade deadline?

Oliver Perez

In that National League West the Arizona Diamondbacks are in last place and they have some pieces they can part with. Once a starting pitcher, Oliver Perez has made his way to the bullpen and can be a left handed weapon in late innings. Perez has a 2.48 ERA in 29 innings pitched this season with 25 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP. There may be a number of teams interested in Perez and not much would have to be given up to get him.

Although they do not have a losing record at 38-38, no one can see the Marlins winning the division or a wild card. They won't trade Christian Yelich, but he is being overlooked with the name Giancarlo Stanton on the team. Yelich is hitting .258 with a .342 on base percentage. In 251 at bats he has 6 home runs, 12 doubles, and 5 triples. Also to note, Yelich has 10 stolen bases. He is striking out in about 20% of his at bats, but Yelich has a lot of potential and should not be overlooked in the shadow of Giancarlo Stanton.

Clayton KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKershaw No Hits the Rockies

Clayton Kershaw tossed one of the most dominant games in Major League history. A no hitter is historic in its own respect, but to strikeout 15 batters with just over 100 pitches is unheard of. This no hitter is the second for the Dodgers this season after Josh Beckett's no-no against the Phillies in Philadelphia. I have compared Kershaw to Sandy Koufax plenty of times, and here is a side by side video of the two pitching.

Kershaw's no hitter would have probably been a perfect game if it were not for a Hanley Ramirez error in the 7th inning which allowed Cory Dickerson to reach base. Other than that base runner, Kershaw did not allow any others. Here is a video of every play of the game announced by the legendary Vin Scully.

Kershaw's stats are going back to where they usually are after a hiccup early in the season. His ERA sits at 2.52 and his WHIP sits at 0.92 with 86 strikeouts in 64.1 innings pitched. He also holds a 7-2 record. It appears he is on his way to yet another sub 3.00 ERA season, maybe even another sub 2.00 ERA season. You can expect Kershaw to compete for the All Star Game start with Cueto, Wainwright, Teheran, and Hudson.

Could The Astros Be the Story of the Year?

The Astros' record this season is 30-37; not impressive by any standards, but they are just five games back in the Wild Card. Although there are some pretty good teams ahead of them the Astros may be able to pull through and make the most unexpected playoff birth in history. They would have to overcome the Twins, Rangers, Indians, Yankees, Royals, Orioles, White Sox and Mariners. In 2013 the Astros finished with a 51-111 record and it appears very likely they will improve on that, but making the playoffs would be incredible.

Matt Dominguez, George  Springer, and Chris Carter

The Astros are succeeding with the bats due to their recent call ups. George Springer has came out swinging and provided much power in the 48 games hes been in. Springer has hit a team leading 12 home runs and 36 RBI. Dexter Fowler and Jose Altuve have been reaching base effectively for the Astros with .393 and .355 respective on base percentages. The 24 stolen bases for Altuve have also proven his value to the team.

Perhaps another reason for the Astros success this season is the pitching. Dallas Keutchel has a 2.38 ERA in 90.2 innings pitched and Collin McHugh has a 2.82 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched. Guys like Scott Feldman and Jared Cosart have ERAs just over 4.00, but a lot of innings covered. The closer position appears to be taken over by Chad Qualls who has completed 9 saves with a 1.99 ERA in 25 games. The lefty Darin Downs has also been a success by posting a 1.32 ERA in 15 games so far this season.

Dallas Keutchel

If the Astros are serious about contending this season they are going to have to acquire some players before the trade deadline. They will need at least one big bat, starting pitcher, and reliever. Perhaps one of the Dodgers' surplus of outfielders. Andre Ethier would make the most sense, because you can throw him right behind Springer in the lineup and add some much needed depth. Maybe Alexei Ramirez to cover the failures that have come from Jonathon Villar at shortstop.

In the area of pitching the Astros definitely have the farm system to get one of the biggest arms on the market. They can go super big and get David Price from the Rays, who have the worst record in baseball. They can also go out and trade for Jeff Samardjiza. If they don't want to go all in they can acquire a third or forth starter.

The Astros can definitely do something this season, its just a matter if they want to do it with home grown players or to make a push with acquisitions.

The Oakland Athletics and Their Success

The Athletics are the notorious 'Money Ball' team. They spend little and find much success, but this year it appears they are finding more success than ever, but not for the same price. The Athletics added nearly $23 Million in payroll this off season. About a forth of that comes from the trade that acquired Jim Johnson who holds a $10 Million salary and has not performed well. About another half of that came from the so far very successful Scott Kazmir. Other names like Nick Punto and Craig Gentry fill the rest of that additional salary. But the Athletics' payroll is about $83 Million and last season it was about $60 Million. They are on track to win 100 games this season, but they are paying more per win in a winning season for the first time in this century.

If they continue on this successful and specific pace then the Athletics would be spending about $830,000 per win. They have not spent that much per win since 2011 which was a losing season where they spent nearly $900,000 per win.  In a winning season the Athletics have not spent more than $668,000 per win. They are still spending significantly less than other teams to win as many games, but they are spending more than ever. This season the Cubs, Twins, Indians, and Pirates have the closest payroll to the Athletics and all but the Indians are experiencing losing seasons. The Athletics have not spent more than $1 Million per win since 2007.

List of payroll, season, and number of wins for the Athletics.

The Swingin A's

2013     $60.6 M     96 W
2012     $55.4 M     94 W
2011     $66.5 M     74 W
2010     $51.6 M     81 W
2009     $62.3 M     75 W
2008     $48.0 M     75 W
2007     $79.3 M     76 W
2006     $62.2 M     93 W
2005     $55.9 M     88 W
2004     $59.8 M     91 W
2003     $50.2 M     96 W

With the increase in team popularity and player popularity, and of course the teams overall success they are making more money. The organization is spending the money and spending it very wisely. They are making great trades, and we will see if they add any parts at the trade deadline. The Athletics have expressed interest and in my opinion desperately need a new stadium. Perhaps if they continue this low budget success they will have one in the near future.

Expansion Draft Proposal

Baseball is most certainly not dead! Attendance is reaching new highs with at least 20,000 people going to games, unless you're a fan of a team in Florida. More than half the MLB is selling more than two-thirds of their seats per game, and almost the entire MLB is selling at least 50% of their seats per game. Every city looks nicer with a Major League baseball team. In fact there are very few major cities in the United States and Canada without a Major League team. 

The MLB currently has 5 teams in each division and in order to keep that balance 6 teams would have to be added. For ease of traveling two teams would have to be in each third of the United States and Canada. One in the American League and one in the National League. Here are some cities that would make sense for a Major League team. Some of those cities already have Minor League teams. 

Vancouver 

Vancouver is a hockey orientated city, but a baseball team could work to give Canadians in the West an opportunity to watch America's past time other than the Seattle Mariners. They do have a single A affiliate for the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Las Vegas currently has a minor league team for the New York Mets, but would be a great for a Major League team. A populated and tourist driven area with nice weather, Las Vegas may be a perfect location for the west. 

Salt Lake City is just as beautiful as Denver Colorado. If the Rockies worked out well then there is no reason why a team in this city would not.  

Indianapolis is a highly populated city in the central part of the United States which already has a NFL team in the Colts, so those fans need something to do in the summer. Indianapolis does have a Minor League team, an affiliate of the Indians. In all likely hood they are either Cubs, White Sox, or Reds fans, its time they got their own team. 

Oklahoma City is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States increasing over 150 thousand people in the last 20 years. The have an NBA team which has found much success recently and maybe baseball might pick up in the area. The Astros do have an AAA team in Oklahoma City. 

New Orleans has a AAA team as well, an affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The city is rebounding nicely since hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. New Orleans is geographically right in the middle of Atlanta, St. Louis, Houston, and Tampa Bay. 

Montreal had a Major League team, but it failed and became the Washington Nationals, who have had success. Maybe its time to give Montreal another chance since the Blue Jays are becoming very popular. 

Beautiful Stadium is San Juan for the WBC

San Juan, Puerto Rico is a baseball heaven with many talents coming from the city and many more from the country. By adding a Major League Baseball team to this area the talents from Puerto may increase exponentially with the opportunity to see Major League talent. 

Charlotte, North Carolina had a population near 750 thousand and has a Minor League team, an AAA affiliate for the White Sox. They also have an NBA team and the MLB might become very popular. It is also located conveniently in between Washington DC and Atlanta. 

This expansion probably won't happen and if it does it won't happen for a long time. I really want to see baseball in Puerto Rico and Vancouver. For the good of the game, baseball needs to expand and get to places all over the world. It is already increasing in popularity in Australia and has always been popular in Japan. 

Ray Searage and the Pirates Effect

Ray Searage was a left handed pitcher for the Mets, Brewers, White Sox, and Dodgers in the 80s. He ended his career with a 3.50 ERA in 287.2 innings and 193 strikeouts. By no standards was a he an overpowering pitcher, but he is dominating the game now. He is currently the pitching coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates and a huge reason for their recent success. in August of 2010 he earned the position and has improving pirates pitchers ever since.

Ray Searage and Garret Cole

To show the success that Searage has had with Pirates pitchers I will use ERA+. ERA+ is a pitcher's
ERA as compared to league average and adjusted for home ballpark. The higher the ERA+ the better, anything below 100 is below league average. By comparing the ERA+ of pitchers before and after they came to the Pirates and worked with Ray Searage, we can see the improvement.

Mark Melancon pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2012 and logged 45 innings. His ERA+ with the Red Sox was 68. In 2013, his first season with the Pittsburgh Pirates Melancon improved his ERA+ to an astounding 256 in 71 innings.

Searage came to the Pirates at the end of the 2010 season and in 2010 Jeff Karstens had an ERA+ of 82 in 122 innings pitched. in the following season Karstens logged 162 innings with a 110 ERA+, 28 points higher.

Paul Maholm had a terrible ERA+ of 78 in 2010 over 185 innings pitched. He followed that with a 102 ERA+ in his 2011 campaign which included 162 innings pitched.

Joel Hanrahan

Joel Hanrahan was the highly though of closer for the Pirates in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, before being traded to the Boston Red Sox. His ERA+ in 2010 was 112 which in 70 innings is very respectable, but in 2011 his ERA+ was 203 which is absolutely fantastic.

Francisco Liriano was an All Star in 2006 overshadowed by Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, but Liriano quickly fell out of sorts. In 2012 with the Twins and White Sox Liriano had an ERA+ of 78 and in 2013, his first season with the Pirates Liriano had a 118 ERA+.

Jason Grilli is the current closer for the Pirates and did not even play in 2010. In 2009 he played with the Rockies and Rangers and had an ERA+ of 89, but then 2011 Grilli pitched his first season with the Pirates and recorded an ERA+ of 151.

AJ Burnett 

AJ Burnett was acquired by the Pirates from the Yankees in the 2011 off season. In 2012 Burnett had an ERA+ of 83 and in 2012 he record his best season since 2005 with a 107 ERA+.

Ray Searage is one of the best, if not the best pitching coach in the Major Leagues. He is in part responsible for the success of the Pirates, and should receive more recognition for the players he helps.

National League All Star Game Selection

The National League seems like the dominant league this All Star Game with several producing players at each position. Below are my top two picks for each position. I will also give 2 bonus picks because there is no DH for the National League, but there will be in the All Star Game.

Jonathon Lucroy

Catcher:
Jonathon Lucroy - Milwaukee Brewers - .325/.394/.483
Yadier Molina - St. Louis Cardinals - .305/.349/.442

First Base:
Paul Goldschmitt - Arizona Diamondbacks - .299/.354/.521
Matt Adams - St. Louis Cardinals - .325/.337/.474

Second Base:

Troy Tulowitzki

Chase Utley - Philadelphia Phillies - .319/.378/.517
Dee Gordon - Los Angeles Dodgers .280/.331/.372

Third Base:
David Wright - New York Mets .296/.345/.403
Nolan Arenado - Colorado Rockies .305/.333/.409

Shortstop:
Troy Tulowitzki - Colorado Rockies .350/.450/.661
Hanley Ramirez - Los Angeles Dodgers .261/.336/.469

Outfield 1:
Giancarlo Stanton - Miami Marlins  .313/.411/.611

Andrew McCutchen

Carlos Gomez - Miluakee Brewers .312/.388/.566

Outfield 2:
Yasiel Puig - Los Angeles Dodgers .340/.430/.606
Justin Upton - Atlanta Braves - .301/.380/.575

Outfield 3:
Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates .304/.425/.469
Seth Smith - San Diego Padres .310/.419/.548

Bonus Players:
Michael Morse - San Francisco Giants .298/.371/.574
Freddie Freeman - Atlanta Braves .297/.388/.512

The pitchers will be chosen by St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny because they won the National League Pennant. These are my picks for the pitchers.

Johnny Cueto 

Starting Pitchers:
Johnny Cueto - Cincinnati Reds - 1.68 ERA 92 k
Tim Hudson - San Francisco Giants 1.75 ERA 50 k
Julio Teheran - Atlanta Braves 1.83 ERA 66 k
Adam Wainwright - St. Louis Cardinals 2.32 ERA 81 k
Zack Greinke - Los Angeles Dodgers 2.50 ERA 83 k
Micheal Wacha - St Louis Cardinals 2.45 ERA 75 k
Jeff Samardjiza - Chicago Cubs 2.54 ERA 67 k
Clayton Kershaw - Los Angeles Dodgers 3.32 ERA 55 k
Stephen Strasburg - Washington Nationals 3.15 90

Relief Pitchers:

Huston Street

Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Dodgers 3.60 ERA 42 k
Francisco Rodriguez Milwaukee Brewers 2.33 ERA 41 k
Sergio Romo - San Francisco Giants 3.52 ERA 19 k
Huston Street - San Diego Padres 1.23 ERA 24 k
Craig Kimbrel - Atlanta Braves 1.77 ERA 37 k
Jonathon Papelbon - Philadelphia Phillies 1.91 ERA 19 k
Aroldis Chapman - Cincinnati
Reds 1.80 ERA 18 k

American League All Star Game Selection

The All Star Game has become kind of a popularity contest allowing people to vote up to thirty times online. I think you should have one vote and vote for those who deserve to be in the game. The All Star Game is very important because the league that wins will have home field advantage in the World Series. People should vote for the best players in the league of their favorite teams. This way if their favorite team that team would have home field advantage. Below are my top two selections for each position in each league.

Joe Mauer is not performing well but should be picked to be in the All Star Game because it is in Minnesota this season. Also although Derek
Jeter leads the voting for AL shortstop, he is not playing very well, but this is his last season and should also be selected.

Robinson Cano

American League:

Catcher:
AJ Pierzynski - Boston Red Sox - .288/.317/.417
Kurt Suzuki - Minnesota Twins - .297/.
367/.399

First Base:
Edwin Encarnacion - Toronto Blue Jays - .279/.359/.615
Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers - .325/.370/.558

Second Base: 

Robinson Cano - Seattle Mariners - .327/.371/.420 

Jose Altuve - Houston Astros - .318/.360/.429

Third Base: 

Josh Donaldson - Oakland Athletics - .284/.377/.550

Yangervis Solarte - New York Yankees - .294/.363/.458

Short Stop

Alexei Ramirez - Chicago White Sox - .327/.364/.477 

Derek Jeter - New York Yankees - .273/.337/.326

Outfield 1: 

Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels - .294/.380/.549

Jose Bautista - Toronta Blue Jays .311/.441/.558

Outfield 2: 

Nelson Cruz

Michael Brantly - Cleveland Indians - .307/.370/.505

Shin-Soo Choo - Texas Rangers -.289/.414/.456

Outfield 3:

George Springer - Houston Astros .259/.444/.500 

Melky Cabrera - Toronto Blue Jays .308/.351/.497

Designated Hitter: 

Nelson Cruz - Baltimore Orioles - .314/.384/.672

Victor Martinez - Detroit Tigers -  .335/.390/.395

Fans do not get to choose the starting pitchers. That responsibility is given to the manager of each team. Usually the manager gives players on his team the benefit of the doubt and selects them to the All Star Game. 

Masahiro Tanaka and Yu Darvish

Starting Pitchers:

Masahiro Tanaka - New York Yankees - 2.06 ERA 88 k

Yu Darvish - Texas Rangers - 2.08 ERA 83 k

Mark Buehrle - Toronto Blue Jays - 2.10 ERA 46 k

Felix Hernandez - Seattle Mariners - 2.57 ERA 83 k

Sonny Grey - Oakland Athletics - 2.45 ERA 65 k 

James Shields - Kansas City Royals - 3.36 69 k

Relief Pitchers: 

Greg Holland - Kansas City Royals - 1.74 ERA 30 k 

Glen Perkins - Minnesota Twins  2.96 ERA 33 k

Koji Uehara - Boston Red Sox 0.76 ERA 34 k

Dellin Betances - New York Yankees 1.38 56 K

Sean Doolittle - Oakland Athletics 2.77 ERA 38 k

If you would like to cast your vote for the All Star Game follow this link. Vote Here. Remember to vote responsibly, this may make or break your favorite team. 

Nippon to MLB ERA Index

Willie Mays and Masanori Murakami

Since 1995 33 Japanese pitchers have come to the MLB from the Nippon League. Some pitchers found much success and others have been complete failures. The first Japanese pitcher to pitch in the United States was Masanori Murakami who pitched two seasons with the San Francisco Giants in 1964 and 1965. The next Japanese pitcher would not pitch in the United States until Hideo Nomo in 1995.

The first three years for a Japanese pitcher in the MLB are the transition years. These years are the years that show what kind of pitcher he really is. The last three years in the Nippon League are basically what Major League Baseball teams look at when deciding to sign the pitcher. By compiling statistics from the last three years in the Nippon League and the first three years in the MLB one can make an accurate comparison on how the pitcher performed.

Hideo Nomo

There are a few pitchers who came to the MLB from Japan without ever pitching in the Nippon League, they will not be included in the statistics, because this only focuses on the transition from the Nippon League to the MLB. By finding the total number of innings pitched and earned runs allowed in the Nippon League by pitchers in their last three seasons, you can find the ERA of the average pitcher coming to the MLB in his last three seasons in the Nippon League. This ERA is 3.06. Then by doing the same thing, but for the first three years in the MLB the for the average Japanese pitcher is 3.90.

With the known statistics you can create a ratio to get an estimate or understanding of how the average Japanese pitcher would perform in the MLB after playing in the Nippon League. This is 3.90/3.06 which equates to 1.275. So by multiplying a pitcher's ERA over his last three seasons in the Nippon league by 1.275, you will have an estimate of his ERA in his first three seasons the MLB.

Takashi Saito

This does not work out perfectly for every pitcher because it is an average, it is supposed to just provide an estimate. Hideo Nomo had a 3.29 ERA in his last three seasons in the Nippon league but a 3.34 ERA in his first three seasons in the MLB, but it turns out to work wonderfully to project Nomo for his career ERA of 4.21.  Now Takashi Saito who had a 4.65 ERA in his last three season in the Nippon League and had a 1.95 ERA in his first three seasons in the MLB. He did significantly better. These are just two pitchers the transitional index does not work for. They are not average pitchers. Saito was not that good in his last three seasons in the Nippon League and Nomo was better than most in his lasts three seasons. Before Daisuke Matsuzaka 27 pitchers came to the MLB from the Nippon League and I bet most of you cannot name more than 8.

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Speaking of Matsuzaka, the Nippon to MLB index has changed dramatically since he has come to the MLB. Since Matsuzaka the only Japanese pitchers to come to the MLB from the Nippon League are Kuroda, Uehara, Darvish, Iwakuma, Fujikawa, and Tanaka. These are all what I call "Super Star" players. The pitchers before Matsuzaka were not "Super Star" players. These guys are the ones that absolutely dominate the league and expect
huge contracts from Major League teams. In their last three seasons in Nippon League their ERA is 2.26 and in their first three seasons in the MLB 3.37. Significantly less than the average Japanese pitcher coming from the Nippon League.  The ERA index for a "Super Star" pitcher is 1.5.

Yu Darvish in last three seasons in the Nippon League had a 1.71 ERA. That would mean he should have a 2.57 ERA in his first three seasons in the MLB. He has a 3.21 ERA through his first two and a third seasons.

Yu Darvish

Hisashi Iwakuma had a 2.87 ERA in his last three seasons in the Nippon League. That would mean he should have a 4.30 ERA in his first three MLB seasons, but he actually has a 2.87 ERA in his first two and third seasons.

Masahiro Tanaka had a 1.44 ERA in his last three seasons in the Nippon League that means his ERA through his first three seasons in the MLB should be 2.16. In his first 11 games in the MLB he has a 2.06 ERA.

There are other pitchers you can see how they did and how they will do, but this basically tells us since Matsuzaka there has been less failure from Japanese pitchers coming from the Nippon League. If there is a "Super Star" pitcher in Japan meaning he has an ERA below 2.5 in Japan he is most certainly worth the money a team is willing to offer him. He should have an ERA from 3.18-3.75 which would mean an effective pitcher. If a pitcher has an ERA below 2.00 in the Nippon League he will have much success and little to no problems adjusting to the MLB.

Kenta Maeda

The next Japanese pitcher to come from the Nippon League to the MLB might be the right handed pitcher for the Hiroshima Carp, Kenta Maeda. He has a 2.05 ERA in his last three and a third seasons in the Nippon League. That means he should have a 2.61- 3.01 ERA in his first three seasons in the MLB. He is a "Super Star" pitcher. A few teams have heavily scouted him and he has expressed interest in playing in the Major Leagues.

 You can find a range for where the ERA of any Japanese pitcher in his first three seasons should fall by taking the average ERA of all Japanese pitchers and the average ERA of "Super Star" pitchers. So multiply the ERA in his last three seasons in the Nippon league by 1.275 and 1.5. The two numbers you get is an estimate of his ERA.