Back to Zac we go!
Yes, it’s the return of the bullpen usage chart, courtesy of samath! That’ll help give you an idea of who might or might not be available in relief going forward. With one full turn around the rotation completed, there’s room for improvement on both sides. The starters have averaged exactly five innings per start, with an ERA of 4.68. That’s ranked equal 20th by ERA, and slightly below average (5.1) in innings per game. Though the 7-0 Dodgers have managed only 4.2 innings per start, so starting pitching going deep into games, is clearly vastly over-rated. 🙂 The relievers’ ERA is also 20th in the majors, though I am impressed that over those 20 innings, the AZ bullpen has a K:BB ratio of 25:3.
The D-backs offense actually dropped to third in the majors, falling behind the Phillies in OPS. Arizona were held to just five hits in 31 at-bats yesterday, although they did take seven walks. Two apiece to Pavin Smith and Jake McCarthy. The former went 0-for-2 with two K’s, so he had a day where he didn’t put a single ball in play! Those were the first times this year where McCarthy has reached base, giving him a slash of .000/.154/.000. Interesting to see how it’s Alek Thomas who has started hot this year. His batting average is actually higher than his on-base percentage, at .556 vs. .545. Give yourself two points if you know how that’s possible – another vagary of small sample size in the first week!
Hopefully, Gallen will be better than his “fours wild” outing on Opening Day: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB and 4 SO, with forty-three strikes, dammit. I think it’s the walks which were the biggest red-flag for me. In 2023, Zac’s K:BB ratio was 4.68, but last season that number cratered to 2.89, mostly because of a sharp uptick in walks allowed by Gallen (his K-rate was actually fractionally higher in 2024). Obviously, one start isn’t enough to determine if that trend is going to continue into 2025. But free passes are never a good thing, and the fact Gallen walked more people in four innings, than our entire bullpen has all season, over twenty innings, is striking. None of that today, please. Or less of it, at least.