2022 Positional Overview – Pitchers
by Curt Brooks
This summary provides a BABS overview of the pitcher pool by position and playing time. We also examine the various skill categories, including combinations of skills, and, finally, liabilities.
Starters
Virtually all full-time (F) starters possess a high level of skills. However, while skills fall off dramatically as playing time decreases, one can certainly build, or supplement, a strong-skilled staff with fewer innings. Selecting Part-time and No-time starters can be a random dart throw, but those with above average skills can earn greater playing time. Remember that Freddy Peralta was rated as a part-timer coming into 2021.
| # of Starting Pitchers by PT and Skills |
| PT
Category |
SP
Universe |
ER | K | Both ER & K | |||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| F | 18 | 17 | 94% | 17 | 94% | 17 | 94% |
| M | 117 | 51 | 44% | 69 | 59% | 45 | 38% |
| P | 52 | 9 | 17% | 23 | 44% | 7 | 13% |
| No-Timers | 111 | 17 | 15% | 42 | 38% | 12 | 11% |
| Total | 298 | 94 | 32% | 151 | 51% | 81 | 27% |
Closers
Of the total universe of 324 relievers, only 39 (12%) are projected to record 10 or more saves. For those expected to be solidly frontline closers (SV), all of them have skill ratings of at least (ER,KK) – these are all elite pitchers. Of those pitchers with more ninth inning risk (sv-), over 75 percent carry (ER) skills and more than 90 percent have (K) skills, with over 70 percent carrying dual skills. Only one (sv-) pitcher does not carry either skill – Jake McGee. (Note that there are over a dozen other potential closers currently being drafted after him.)
| RPs with Projected Saves and their Skills |
| SV
Category |
Universe | ER | K | Both ER & K | |||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| SV | 6 | 6 | 100% | 6 | 100% | 6 | 100% |
| sv- | 33 | 25 | 76% | 31 | 94% | 24 | 73% |
| Total | 39 | 31 | 79% | 37 | 95% | 30 | 77% |
Other Relievers
These are relievers who are not expected to save at least 10 games in 2022, however, those with advanced skill could certainly be moved into a more prominent role. Generally, the M and P pitchers are swingman types who do not appear to be a fruitful use of roster space. However, one-third of the NT pitchers possess both ER and K skills, a promising place for rounding out your pitching staff.
| Non-Closer RPs by PT and Skills |
| PT
Category |
Universe | ER | K | Both ER & K | |||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| M | 2 | 1 | 50% | 1 | 50% | 1 | 50% |
| P | 15 | 0 | 0% | 6 | 0% | 0 | 0% |
| No-Timers | 268 | 110 | 41% | 174 | 65% | 88 | 33% |
| Total | 285 | 111 | 39% | 181 | 64% | 89 | 31% |
Summary of liabilities
As would be expected, full-time starters do not have (-E) skill liability, but that prevalence does increase as PT decreases. In general, starters are dominant — the (-K) liability is mostly not a factor. Almost half of all starters have some injury risk. And as expected, the less major league experience, the lower the playing time outlook.
| Major Liabilities – SPs |
| PT
Cat. |
Univ. | SK | INJ | EX | |||||||
| -E | -K | -EK | |||||||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| F | 18 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 6% | 0 | 0% | 7 | 39% | 0 | 0% |
| M | 117 | 23 | 20% | 7 | 6% | 12 | 10% | 69 | 59% | 46 | 39% |
| P | 52 | 14 | 27% | 1 | 2% | 17 | 33% | 30 | 58% | 38 | 73% |
| NT | 111 | 29 | 26% | 4 | 4% | 46 | 41% | 34 | 31% | 91 | 82% |
| Total | 298 | 66 | 22% | 13 | 4% | 75 | 25% | 140 | 47% | 175 | 59% |
No surprise that projected closers would be without skill liabilities. However, once again, the INJ liability holds around the 50 percent level for this group, although the experience liability is much less than that for SPs.
| Major Liabilities – Closers (RPs with SVs) |
| PT
Cat. |
Univ. | SK | INJ | EXP | |||||||
| -E | -K | -EK | |||||||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| SV | 6 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 2 | 33% | 1 | 17% |
| sv- | 33 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 20 | 61% | 10 | 30% |
| Total | 39 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 22 | 56% | 11 | 28% |
Finally, one-quarter of other relievers hold the (-E) liability and, like the other groups, the (-K) liability is rare and the dual risk combination is held by only one in six. While the injury liability is lower in this group than in the other two pitching groups, two thirds of these pitchers have less than two full years of major league experience.
| Major Liabilities – Non-Closer RPs |
| PT
Cat. |
Univ. | SK | INJ | EXP | |||||||
| -E | -K | -EK | |||||||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| M | 2 | 1 | 50% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 50% | 2 | 100% |
| P | 15 | 3 | 20% | 0 | 0% | 6 | 40% | 8 | 53% | 9 | 60% |
| No-Timers | 268 | 67 | 25% | 9 | 3% | 39 | 15% | 90 | 34% | 176 | 66% |
| Total | 285 | 71 | 25% | 9 | 3% | 45 | 16% | 99 | 35% | 187 | 66% |