Former Yankees Key in Pirates Success

by Brandon C. on Jul 23, 2011 11:01 AM EDT in New York Yankees Analysis

One of the great stories of the 2011 baseball season is the Pittsburgh Pirates rise to the top of the NL Central division. The Pirates had been sort of a joke since their last playoff appearance in 1992, as they had not finished a season above .500 going into this season. One part of the joke Yankees fans enjoyed was that the Pirates employed various Yankees cast-offs.

This season, the Pirates are the ones laughing. Former Yankees have been key in the Pirates return to relevance in the NL Central.

July 26, 2008: New York Yankees traded Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Tabata, and Daniel McCutchen to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte.

Jeff Karstens has been nothing short of spectacular for the buccos this season. Karstens' ERA stands at 2.28, and his WHIP is a low 1.04. The former Yankee has pitched 6.2+ innings in each of his last nine starts. This season Karstens was named the NL player of the week for July 11-17, and won five consecutive decisions.

Ross Ohlendorf has not been able to help the Pirates this season due to a season ending shoulder injury. Still, Ohlendorf looks to have a promising future with the Pirates.

More after the jump

Jose Tabata has not become the top outfielder the Pirates thought they were getting when they acquired him in the Nady deal, but he has still been helpful. Tabata, who is currently on the DL, is hitting .265/.351/.354 with thirty nine runs scored and fourteen stolen bases.

Daniel McCutchen could be the most surprising member of the bunch. Originally a starter, McCutchen was switched to a reliever going into this season by the Pirates. Out of the pen this season McCutchen has appeared in forty two games, allowing only twelve runs in 49.1 innings pitched. McCutchen pitched fifteen shutout innings to start off the season.

Remember Jose Veras? The former Yankee reliever turned into a journeyman, and eventually landed with the Pirates. Veras joined McCutchen in the Pirates pen this season, and has shut down hitters. Opponents are hitting just .183 against Veras, and Veras has recorded a hold in nineteen games.

No one knows if these players would have been successful with the Yankees, but they certainly have helped the Pirates this season. I'm rooting for the players, and the Pirates overall, to go far this season.

For more about the Pirates visit the SB Nation Pirates site, Bucs Dugout.

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I want them to win.

You know that thread IGYAR posted about Yankee fans really never get the satisfaction of making the playoffs because it’s become expected? Well the Pirates fans have the opposite. I want to see their true fans get the feeling of winning.

Joessportsblog

by Jeterian 2 on Jul 23, 2011 11:11 AM EDT reply actions

Lets trade Swisher, Montero and Gardner

for the Pirates Core Four

by jetanumba2 on Jul 23, 2011 11:19 AM EDT reply actions

If you were born in Pittsburgh in November 1992....

and you are now 18 going on 19, you have never seen the Pirates have a winning season. Ouch. Good luck to them and their smoke and mirrors pitching staff, but I see 2010 Padre-esque fade in their future.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Jul 23, 2011 11:21 AM EDT reply actions

Karstens (and I guess Ian Kennedy)

just show that either the NL is a much lighter hitting league, you need patience with young pitchers, or that throwing pitches that move in the strike zone and command are much better keys to success then a cute 94mph fastball that does nothing. Probably the latter 2 are more correct since while pitchers hit in the NL, so do Albert Pujols and Matt Kemp.

Karstens is probably just pitching out of his ass, or maybe someone finally taught him that a sinker and a changeup can make a success out of anyone if they throw them for strikes. Its probably that simple, and it may be the key for Phil Hughes to become a MLB pitcher again, or continue to throw Rick Helling’esque meatballs.

If Hughes is gonna sit at 91 with more early movement then late, barely a changeup and nothing else that really moves or causes pitchers to worry he needs to make the transformation that is making Karstens have this sort of year. He was always a 4-seam guy (..well..of course he was, he came from the Yankees) and now I doubt other then mixing them in here and there he throws many 4 seamers at all.

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Jul 23, 2011 11:30 AM EDT reply actions

Viva RAB on Kartsens, he's basically the same guy as he was his career

by lololol on Jul 23, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

His walk rate is way down and he’s leaving more guys on base and ground balls are up. This season he’s not even close to his past self. I’d say he’s learned how to pitch a little. Something the Yankees just don’t have the patience for which to wait, thanks to the “win now” culture of Yankeedom.

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Jul 23, 2011 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Low BABIP and high LOB% isn’t a pitcher controlled skill… His walks are down but is his strikeouts. a 4.40 FIP is still nothing to special. I would bet money next season he posts a 4 era season again.

by lololol on Jul 23, 2011 12:26 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

those don't tell you what pitches he's throwing, so no he's not

also those stats are skewed by the first two months of the season. June and July he’s been much better then that.

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Jul 23, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions

also conveniently leaving off the xFIP part of that is pretty funny.

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Jul 23, 2011 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Well it's RAB's chart

His xFip is 3.88 not bad but not as good as his ERA suggest either. But thats if his rate normalize, his preformance so far does not equate to such a low ERA. In terms of his pitch selection: 56.1 % fastball which is exactly his career line. 16.9 % slider this year vs 15.8% career. 14.3% curveball vs 14.7% career. 12.6% changeup vs 13.3% career. In essence his pitch selection hasn’t changed much either and His velocity is a tick lower from last year. So take it ad you will. He’s improved but nothing to cry over.

by lololol on Jul 23, 2011 12:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions