The Oakland Starting Rotation Still a Mystery

Jun 5, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz (13) delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

The case for Drew Pomeranz:

Another likely candidate for the third or fourth spot to open the season, Pomeranz was once a top-50 prospect in all of baseball. But above-average totals in home run and walk percentage, and a below average strikeout percentage doomed him in Colorado. In Oakland those numbers corrected to closer to league-average. His FIP, which measures a pitcher’s overall effectiveness at limiting home runs and walks while earning strikeouts, was better than average at 3.77.

His ERA and WHIP were 2.35 and 1.116, respectively and he struck out nearly a batter per inning.

Pomeranz just turned 26-years old, and is under team control until 2019, which makes him a valuable asset.

Career highlight: His first three starts for Oakland were each five-inning scoreless outings. He compiled 16 strikeouts to 4 walks in wins against the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays.

Next: Sean Nolin