COULD PINEDA BE A PREMIER STARTER IN 2017?

Source: MLB Analysis

Okay, I am not a fan of Michael Pineda.  He started off on the wrong foot the day he was traded to the Yankees.  Actually, it was his shoulder and then it was a tear in his shoulder and then it was his recovery from shoulder surgery.  Honestly, I never understood what the Yankees saw in him, but I read something today that gave me some hope that 2017 could be his year.

"Examining his year through the window of Deserved Run Average (DRA), an advanced metric which incorporates factors like stadiums, situations, defense, weather, catcher framing, umpires and opposing hitters, Pineda ranked among the top starters in the game with a 2.58 DRA.

Only the late Jose Fernandez (2.23) posted a better DRA in 2016, with Cole Hamels (2.65), Chris Sale (2.69) and Noah Syndergaard (2.71) all trailing Pineda, who allowed two earned runs or fewer in 17 starts but at least five earned runs in 11 starts," reports Bryan Hoch at MLB.com.

Source: The New Yorker

In his article, Hoch features the theories of Jonathan Judge of Baseball Prospectus, a hub for baseball statistics.  Judge, known for his genius-like statistical analysis, sophisticated measures and statistical rigor, says that we have something to look forward to with our 27-year-old pitcher. "The Yankees' defense rates in the middle of the road, Judge said, placing more of the blame on Pineda for getting squared up so often when he isn't missing bats. Judge said that based on his numbers, a Yankees fan should tentatively be encouraged about what Pineda might deliver in 2017."

Source: The Boston Herald

"The mixed models that make up the core of DRA allow you to adjust for a lot of the factors that we've known to affect pitching, but haven't been able to measure or integrate into our pitching metrics. So factors like the framing skill of the catcher, the quality of the opposition, home or away, the park, et cetera," according to an article on CBSSports.com.  So, perhaps, much like David Price struggled with an adjustment to Fenway in 2016, Pineda is adjusting to Yankee Stadium.  But those days could  be numbered and given the fact that two years have passed, it's time for Pineda to take on a premier role in 2017.

Source: Newsday

"As long as you're striking out guys and you're eating innings like he is, and you're not walking too many guys, I would certainly keep the hopes up. It does look like something mechanically or overall does probably need to change," said Judge.  

Source: Spring Training Connection

I am going to be cautiously optimistic about Pineda as the days continue to grow nearer to the pitchers and catchers report date in mid-February.  Having Pineda in the spotlight in 2017 as a leading starting pitcher would make us all happy, wouldn't it!?

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof