Pregame Nuggets: Numbers Behind Darvish & Cashner's Starts
Darvish has held hitters to a .065 BA w/ RISP this year, easily best in MLB. Next closest? Gio Gonzalez, .111.
*Darvish has held hitters to a .138 BA w/ RISP since the start of 2016, best in MLB among 180 qualifiers.
*Darvish has gotten whiffs on 34% of 2-strike swings against him since 2016, 5th best in MLB. His K-rate of 54% with two strikes since 2016 ranks 1st among active players. League average: 40.1%
*Darvish has been getting beat on inside fastballs this year. Opponents have a line drive rate of 42.9% against him on inside fastballs, 95th/96 qualifiers.
*Darvish has just 9.61 K/9 this year. He's never finished below 10.40 K/9 and his career rate is 11.17 K/9.
*Among the 25 SP who average 9+ K/9, Darvish is one of 12 who average 3+ BB/9. Estrada is one of 13 who average 3- BB/9.
ANDREW CASHNER
*Among pitchers with 20+ BB and 20+ K, Andrew Cashner is the only one with more BB (25) than K (21).
*Obviously it is early, but Cashner's 7.74 H/9 would be the best rate of his career, whereas his 4.96 BB/9 would be the highest since his rookie year (4.97).
*Cashner is throwing a first pitch strike just 51.8% of the time, the lowest of his career and 2nd lowest in MLB among SP (min 40 IP). His career average: 59%.
*Cashner has held hitters to a .094 BA w/ RISP, 2nd lowest in MLB (min. 40 IP).
*Cashner has induced 9 ground ball double plays, T-6th in MLB.
*Cashner has walked 14.4% of leadoff batters in an inning since 2016. That's the 5th highest rate among 183 qualifiers. Lg avg: 7.0%
*Leadoff batter of the inning is reaching 40.8% of the time vs. Cashner this year, 5th highest in the AL.
