The Two Starter Strategy

There is a penalty a pitcher pays as he goes deeper in the game. By the time the lineup comes around for the third look at the pitcher, they are hitting much better. This is one of the reasons for the bullpen strategy pioneered by the Royals in their World Championship run and the Indians in 2016. Once the starter gets in trouble the third time through the lineup, get him out and bring in a series of lights out relief pitchers.

That is not the only alternative, however, and game seven of the ALCS presented the two starter strategy. The idea is to use two starting pitchers for each game. Once goes through the lineup twice, then the second one comes in for his two turns. The strategy has a number of appealing features:

• Pitch counts would be lower, so the duo might be able to go every four days instead of five.
• Less pitches in stressful situations might lead to fewer injuries.
• Fewer pitching changes might speed up the game.

I suppose the pair could switch starter and reliever role so each gets an equal chance at a win. If the pitch counts are kept low enough, then teams might even be able to go with three duos, and free up a roster spot or two for more position players.

The power hitter in the second slot has caught on. Maybe this will, too. There seem to be a lot more teams willing to try these ideas. Of course, that’s how scientific revolutions work.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/2xdWcR5