Fess up, Jim. You love a good pop tart as much as the rest of us. There is no need to eat them in the closet.

Fess up, Jim. You love a good pop tart as much as the rest of us. There is no need to eat them in the closet.

Honestly, I really like Hoch and think he can be a valuable piece if he can perform at the level I’m talking about. Given arrivals by Montgomery, Lamb, and Odorizzi as well as anyone else in the system, Hoch could be a capable fifth starter in a few years. Whether that happens or not likely depends on his success this season and possibly next as well as how the aforementioned prospects perform. It’ll be interesting to see what he does, but I have no qualms with cutting players who aren’t getting the job done, even if they’re some of my favorites.

I guess only time will tell.

I really hope that Hochevar’s success at the end of last season IS a change, and not just a hot streak. (Though if it does turn out to be a real change, why did it take the team nearly 5 years to do something as simple as having him work quicker, pitch inside more and mix in some more sliders?) I am just not going to count on it.

I suppose it sticks in my craw that many people write Hochevar in as the #1 starter next season, when throughout his career his performance has been more like a bad 5th starter. If he had not been taken #1, he would have either spent most of his career in the minors, or he would be in his third organization by now.

He deserves a rotation spot this year, but if he reverts to his previous form (any ERA approaching 5.00), it should be his last chance.

Honestly, I really like Hoch and think he can be a valuable piece if he can perform at the level I’m talking about. Given arrivals by Montgomery, Lamb, and Odorizzi as well as anyone else in the system, Hoch could be a capable fifth starter in a few years. Whether that happens or not likely depends on his success this season and possibly next as well as how the aforementioned prospects perform. It’ll be interesting to see what he does, but I have no qualms with cutting players who aren’t getting the job done, even if they’re some of my favorites.

I guess only time will tell.

I really hope that Hochevar’s success at the end of last season IS a change, and not just a hot streak. (Though if it does turn out to be a real change, why did it take the team nearly 5 years to do something as simple as having him work quicker, pitch inside more and mix in some more sliders?) I am just not going to count on it.

I suppose it sticks in my craw that many people write Hochevar in as the #1 starter next season, when throughout his career his performance has been more like a bad 5th starter. If he had not been taken #1, he would have either spent most of his career in the minors, or he would be in his third organization by now.

He deserves a rotation spot this year, but if he reverts to his previous form (any ERA approaching 5.00), it should be his last chance.

Comparing him to Davies, however, is where things go wrong with your argument. Hochevar, on average, has thrown more innings per season in his career. His xFIP each season has been, on average, much lower than Davies. Hoch walks between one and two batters fewer per nine innings. And he explicitly changed something about his pitching style that Davies didn’t really do at the end of that mystical 2008 season in which he compiled a 4.06 ERA. Hoch is a different case for all of those reasons (and more), so grouping him in with Davies seems extreme.

However, since we’re bringing up Davies having a “good” (relative term) season and then faltering, it also goes to reason that anyone can have such a season. So, while we might not expect it to happen, it very well could. Does it mean Hoch will have a 3.00 ERA and get Cy Young votes in the next few seasons? Not at all! We’re just talking about one season and Hoch’s ability to pitch to this level. I don’t think that’s too extreme.

Of course, we’ll see what Eiland has planned for him, which could drastically change the outlook for Hoch’s (and other pitchers’) season.

Thanks for the comment and for stopping by!

Comparing him to Davies, however, is where things go wrong with your argument. Hochevar, on average, has thrown more innings per season in his career. His xFIP each season has been, on average, much lower than Davies. Hoch walks between one and two batters fewer per nine innings. And he explicitly changed something about his pitching style that Davies didn’t really do at the end of that mystical 2008 season in which he compiled a 4.06 ERA. Hoch is a different case for all of those reasons (and more), so grouping him in with Davies seems extreme.

However, since we’re bringing up Davies having a “good” (relative term) season and then faltering, it also goes to reason that anyone can have such a season. So, while we might not expect it to happen, it very well could. Does it mean Hoch will have a 3.00 ERA and get Cy Young votes in the next few seasons? Not at all! We’re just talking about one season and Hoch’s ability to pitch to this level. I don’t think that’s too extreme.

Of course, we’ll see what Eiland has planned for him, which could drastically change the outlook for Hoch’s (and other pitchers’) season.

Thanks for the comment and for stopping by!

This is a guy whose ERA as a starter for the Royals is the same as Kyle Davies in a similar amount of starts and innings pitched. (and he needed the strong run at the end of the year just to catch him) They are the same age. His WHIP and peripherals were always better than Kyle’s, but lumping his mistakes together makes up the difference.

Forgive me if I need to see more than a decent end to the season before I believe that 96 starts and nearly 600 innings of suck are an illusion. I hope you’re optimism is prescient and that he was magically “fixed” and can have this type of season, but I will have to see extended success before I believe.

This is a guy whose ERA as a starter for the Royals is the same as Kyle Davies in a similar amount of starts and innings pitched. (and he needed the strong run at the end of the year just to catch him) They are the same age. His WHIP and peripherals were always better than Kyle’s, but lumping his mistakes together makes up the difference.

Forgive me if I need to see more than a decent end to the season before I believe that 96 starts and nearly 600 innings of suck are an illusion. I hope you’re optimism is prescient and that he was magically “fixed” and can have this type of season, but I will have to see extended success before I believe.

Thanks, Jim.

Thanks, Jim.