Twins left-handed relief pitcher Jose Mijares has long been a highly-rated prospect, with a low-90s fastball and an excellent slider. He appeared to live up to the hype as a rookie in 2009, posting a 2.34 ERA.
Ah, but wait.
Mijares' FIP was 4.01 last year. His xFIP was even worse at 4.43.
Those numbers suggest that Mijares was one of the luckier pitchers in baseball last year.
So, is Mijares a very good pitcher, or is he just an average pitcher who benefited from good fortune in 2009?
A quick glance at Mijares' two big "luck" indicators points overwhelmingly toward the latter.
His BABIP was .266, and he stranded 89 percent of runners. Most pitchers strand about 70 to 75 percent of runners, a range that Mijares typically sat in while in the minors.
So it's safe to assume that he got some st ...
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Article written by Nathaniel Stoltz
Here’s a Thought: Was Minnesota Twins’ Jose Mijares Lucky in 2009?
Posted: 5th January 2010 by Nathaniel Stoltz in MLBComments Off on Here’s a Thought: Was Minnesota Twins’ Jose Mijares Lucky in 2009?