Something I noticed as I scanned across Fangraphs player pages, as is anybody's fancy on a beautiful Saturday afternoon:
| Stat | Felix 2009 | Felix 2010 |
| ERA | 2.49 | 2.75 |
| FIP | 3.09 | 3.04 |
| xFIP | 3.42 | 3.37 |
| K% | 22% | 23% |
| BB/HBP% | 8.1% | 7.7% |
| HR% | 1.5% | 1.6% |
| GB% | 53% | 53% |
| Contact% | 77% | 78% |
| Velocity | ~same | |
| Mix | ~same | |
People talk about how pitchers are inconsistent, and for good reason - generally speaking, they are inconsistent, and difficult to predict. Even Felix has had his inconsistencies within this stretch. But overall, it's remarkable how similar his last two seasons have been, and at this point, we have nearly 400 innings of evidence that Felix has found his level. And what a level it is.
I don't have any problem with Ubaldo Jimenez, but I've taken some degree of delight in his recent performance decline, because he's just another young pitcher who's proven that he isn't Felix Hernandez. There's only one of him, and that guy is ours.
2 recs | 31 comments
This was on the Book blog the other day.
Felix 2009 v Felix 2010
Janic - July 24, 2010
Well that's an unsurprising coincidence
Jeff Sullivan - July 24, 2010
You'd think a blogger as handsome as you would have noticed that.
perfectstrat - July 24, 2010
And about two weeks ago
http://seattle.sbnation.com/2010/7/8/1559144/the-strikingly-similar-felix
Not that anyone reads SB Nation Seattle.
John Morgan - July 24, 2010
Thank you, Jeff for some sliver of hope in a pie full of suck.
Good news is nice and hard to come by these days.
truemsfan - July 24, 2010
Simply remarkable!
ThundaPC - July 24, 2010
Re: "he's just another young pitcher who's proven that he isn't Felix Hernandez"
But-but! Tim Lincecum!
katal - July 24, 2010
No.
Tim Lincecum is two-years older than Felix. His K/BB has dropped by about a point this year, his tRA has risen about one point,
katal - July 24, 2010
Re: "he's just another young pitcher who's proven that he isn't Felix Hernandez"
B-but! Johan Santana!
katal - July 24, 2010
Nope.
You know how Felix is 24? Santana didn’t even start his run of league-domination until his age-25 season.
katal - July 24, 2010
Also, Felix already showed Johan that Johan is no Felix Hernandez.
joof - July 24, 2010
Hey-oh!
“I just closed my eyes and swung.”
wyte_lightning - July 24, 2010
Ubaldo hasn't really declined.
He’s just gotten results that corresponded to his peripherals. It’s not really a surprise to anyone that’s watched what happens to pitchers whose ERAs are blowing their FIPs (tRAs, xFIPs, etc) away. We know what happens to guys like that. There is no pitcher with a .205 true talent BABIP.
I happy to say that Ubaldo is a great pitcher, but don’t anyone say he’s a Felix. He’s not a Felix, he’s just a pitcher.
philosofool - July 24, 2010
Well Jimenez's K/BB was 2.7 through two months and 1.7 since then
Jeff Sullivan - July 24, 2010
God Jeff, why do you hate the Rockies so much?
Eyeball Kid - July 24, 2010
Re: "he's just another young pitcher who's proven that he isn't Felix Hernandez"
What about Sabathia?! He’s good, and he’s a Yankee!
katal - July 24, 2010
No, again.
Sabathia just celebrated his thirtieth birthday. He’s never run a tRA under 3.00 on a season.
katal - July 24, 2010
Re: "he's just another young pitcher who's proven that he isn't Felix Hernandez"
Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay will likely win the Cy Young awards this year!
katal - July 24, 2010
Great.
Neither were like Felix at his age. There’s only one Felix. You get one more shot at this.
katal - July 24, 2010
Re: "he's just another young pitcher who's proven that he isn't Felix Hernandez"
Josh Beckett dominated through the playoffs when he was 23! He’s won a World Series for Red Sox Nation! Yeah!
katal - July 24, 2010
No, no, no, no, no.
As neat as Beckett can be, he’s only had a single season in Boston where his tRA was under 4. As a Marlin? He never threw more than 200 innings in a season. Not once. Felix is better than Josh Beckett. Felix is king.
katal - July 24, 2010
I like this personality better.
It’s smarter.
the other side - July 24, 2010
You're having an awesome thread.
Two Rs and Two Ls - July 25, 2010
Got it Katal
Mark Prior
Edgar for Pres - July 24, 2010
Damn meant to cancel this
Too many injuries even through age 24 of his career.
Edgar for Pres - July 24, 2010
Yeah I can't find anybody who has Felix's skill, youth and consistancy
Edgar for Pres - July 24, 2010
Strasburg!
perfectstrat - July 24, 2010
Ohhhh, just you wait.
katal - July 24, 2010
"Felix is ours, and you can't have him."
urchman - July 24, 2010
Sincerely,
the team with more Felix Hernandezes than you
kentcheesehead - July 24, 2010
Felix is no Katal.
Decatur - July 25, 2010
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