Mark Buehrle has become MLB’s first 10-game winner of the season, but with an 83-mph fastball you can’t help but ask how. Buehrle has always been the example of consistency, but has never been a dominant force like this year. How has 35-year-old Buehrle stormed onto the scene and into the American League Cy Young conversation?
Buehrle has been as consistent as a pitcher can be throughout his career and has registered at least 10 wins in 14 straight seasons. Buehrle’s consistency has paid off before as he did register a 19-win season in 2002, has been an All-Star four times and has thrown a perfect game. If Buehrle were to keep up this pace, not only would he find himself at the All-Star game, but he could have his first 20-win season and possibly some Cy Young consideration.
Joe Giglio of Bleacher Report dug into the numbers and got a great hold on why and how Buehrle is having a career year up in Toronto.
Among all qualified starting pitchers this season, only six—Kevin Correia, Bronson Arroyo, Kyle Gibson, Jeremy Guthrie, Chris Young and Eric Stults—have a lower strikeout rate than Buehrle's current mark of 5.1 K/9. Without the ability to miss bats, Buehrle must rely on defense behind him to make plays in the field and turn batted balls into outs.
Buehrle has long been considered one of the best and most consistent fielding pitchers in the game. Through 12 starts in 2014, he has already been credited him with six DRS (defensive runs saved), putting his career total at 87.
Now, almost inexplicably, Buehrle's HR/FB percentage is down to a minuscule 2.4 percent.
While Giglio agreed that Buehrle is having an incredible season, he believes that it will turn on him at some point. He believes that Buehrle’s fastball will get caught up with in due time and as the home runs start to increase, so will Buehrle’s ERA and loss total.
Considering the risk of relying on Buehrle for the long term, the Blue Jays could still look to make a splash with the likes of Cubs' Jeff Samardzija. If the Jays were to add a player like Samardzija, they could be poised to do some damage in the short term.
For now, we should appreciate Buehrle for what he has been through 12 starts and hope for the best. The Toronto Blue Jays are in first place in the American League East in large part to Buehrle’s consistent dominance.
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