Matt Moore Unleashed: What Should We Expect?
The Tampa Bay Rays are notorious about being extra slow and cautious with their pitching prospects, but once those pitching prospects reach the majors, watch out! Contrary to how many teams operate, the Rays rarely put their young starters on a strict innings limit in the majors, and according to GM Andrew Friedman, they’re not about to start with Matt Moore:
Friedman said rookie LHP Matt Moore’s innings will be watched but don’t have to be limited because he’s been “built up in a pretty systematic way” in the minors. (Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times)
Moore was ranked the #2 prospect in baseball this morning by Baseball America, which got me thinking: how have top-ranked pitchers fared in the past during their rookie season? If given a full work-load, how do these pitchers typically perform?
For a quick-and-dirty look, I used the rookie leaderboards to find the top rookie pitching performances over the past 10 seasons. Over that time frame, there have been 48 rookies who have started at least 28 games. Those starters have run the gamut; some put up decidedly mediocre seasons (Kaz Ishii, 0.1 WAR), while others have skyrocketed to success (Brandon Webb, 4.8 WAR). But overall, it’s not uncommon for there to be above-average rookie starters in a given year. Since 2001, there have been 20 rookie starters to have a +3 win season or better. That averages out to two starters per season, which is a higher rate than I would have guessed at the outset.
At the moment, Moore is projected to post around +3.8 wins over 166 innings according to the Fans Projections. If we were to assume a full workload of around 180-200 innings (granted, this is a best case scenario and precludes injuries), he would seemingly have a chance to clear the +4 win hurdle. Since 2001, there have only been three rookie starters to start their careers that well: Brandon Webb (4.8 WAR, 2003), Roy Oswalt (4.4 WAR, 2001), and Francisco Liriano (4.1 WAR, 2006).
But none of these takes quite answers the question I initially posed: how have top-ranked pitchers typically adjusted to the majors in their rookie season? If we look back at the top pitchers selected by Baseball America each year, we get the following results:
| Year | Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Felix Hernandez | 84 | 24% | 7% | 2.6 |
| 2006 | Francisco Liriano | 121 | 30% | 7% | 4.1 |
| 2007 | Daisuke Matsuzaka | 204 | 23% | 9% | 3.9 |
| 2008 | Joba Chamberlain | 100.1 | 28% | 9% | 3.3 |
| 2009 | David Price | 128 | 18% | 10% | 1.3 |
| 2010 | Stephen Strasburg | 68 | 34% | 6% | 2.6 |
| 2011 | Jeremy Hellickson | 189 | 15% | 9% | 1.4 |
| 2012 | Matt Moore |
First of all, kudos to Baseball America. Even at the top levels, prospecting isn’t an easy task, and they hit the nail on the head in almost every case here. That’s not to say that they may have underrated other pitching prospects lower down the list, but when they rate someone the best pitching prospect in baseball, they don’t tend to miss. These pitchers have all dominated in the majors at one point or another, even if half of them have dealt with injury issues.
Second, almost without exception, the pitchers selected as the top pitching prospect for the year have performed exceptionally upon reaching the majors — well, except for the Rays’ David Price and Jeremy Hellickson. Is there some sort of Rays-related conspiracy going on here? To be fair, Matt Moore is a more refined pitcher right now than David Price was in 2009, and he has more dominating stuff than Jeremy Hellickson. Instead of going the way of the Rays other top picks, I could see Moore challenging Scott Kazmir (3.8 WAR, 2005) for the title of best rookie starter in Rays history.
Mark this down as Reason #5,792 why I wish the season would start already. Stephen Strasburg and Matt Moore will both be pitching in the majors this year? Be still, my heart.
I think you mean Matt “Death Star” Moore.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/21/matt-moore-will-have-no-innings-limit-this-year/
We’re making this nickname happen.
I don’t hate it, not punny, original, almost encapsulates the full fury of his destruction. I’m on this bandwagon until something better comes along.
It’s not punny, but this time the Rebels have their own death star to take on the Evil Empire.
Yes, that’s why I said, “…not punny…”
that is the greatest nickname for anything ever
Steven “SS” Strassburg—- his pitches are fascist!
Who has the better season: Matt Moore unleashed or Stephen Strasburg on a leash (song by Korn)?
Tuh Tuh Tuh Tuh Tossup. If Strasburg can stay healthy and pitch 225 innings one of these years we may well see the return of the 300 strikeout season. He’ll be lucky to get to 175 innings this year. I wonder if the progression of Matt Moore lights a fire under David Price’s ass and he is the one that puts up the big big numbers. I think with Strasburg, because of TJ surgery, build, and arm action injuries and durabiity will be concerns until he proves otherwise. If he proves a workhorse lookout. He is a once a decade talent. Matt Moore remind me alot of Jon Lester watching him pitch although his ceiling may be higher which is sayin something.
Strasburg, but fingers crossed for a WS game started by those two a couple years from now.
I would rather see it this season!!!
Well, Matt Moore is essentially left Strasburg with a filthy slider instead of a filthy curve. Moore is pitching in the hardest division in the harder league, but in terms of WAR, I’ll give the edge to the guy without the innings cap. Matt Moore all the way.
lefty*
Prepare for total domination……
Just throwing this out there, but the Nats and Rays play each other in interleague this year.
I’d go with Matt “Machete” Moore…because batters will be up there just hacking away
That Moore’s innings will be “watched but don’t have to be limited” sure sounds like his innings are going to be limited in 2012 (and smartly so). Isn’t this just another case of a GM telling his fan base what he thinks they want to hear?
One reason the Rays starters have remained relatively healthy is that the Rays do not allow pitchers to increase their load by more than 20% each year. The teory is that more than a 20% increase will increase the potential for an arm injury. Moore has been building his innings each year in the minors, totaling 175 in minors and majors last year. A 20% increase would put him at 210 innings which would be an outstanding number of innings for a rookie starter (28 starts at 7 innings totals 196). Suffice it to say the Rays will not need to “limit” innings but rest assured that Moore will not pitch more than 220 innings in 2012.
Let me be perfectly clear, here.
32-0, 0.18 ERA, 398 K, 4 BB (all intentional, all to Eric Chavez out of pity), 0.25 WHIP, 97% SwStr
To be quite honest, I believe you’re selling me a bit short. I’ll probably start 32 games, win them all. 404 K is what I’ve guessed for strikeouts. You’re right about Eric Chavez, but i’ll also give Dunn a walk or two, just for fun.
I guess the 3% missing in the SwStr are because the Rays face the Nationals and Bryce Harper this year?…
Wrong. It’s because they are playing the Orioles and Felix Pie.