The best depth you could ask for
The Royals have often struggled with the quality and depth of their starting pitching. But last year and this year, that hasn’t been the case. Michael Lorenzen has been a huge part of that depth, and in years past would legitimately be the best Royals starter. Lorenzen’s two most recent solid starts mean that he is the Player of the Week.
Key stats
- Innings pitched: 14.1
- ERA: 2.51
- FIP: 2.75
- Walks: One (1)
Lorenzen’s start against the Red Sox was absolutely brilliant. He tossed seven innings and gave up zero runs. Though Lorenzen was officially tagged for four runs in his most recent start, one of those was an inherited runner that Carlos Estevez allowed to score with two outs.
In an era in which innings out of the starter matters less and less, it is nevertheless nice to get seven innings out of your starting pitcher. Over time, that will mean less wear and tear on your relievers and overall less exposure of your bad relievers to other teams. For Lorenzen to get back-to-back starts of seven (or more!) innings has been nice.
It will be interesting to see if Lorenzen remains in the rotation when Alec Marsh or Kyle Wright return from injury—whichever comes first. On one hand, Lorenzen’s ERA on the year is at a solid 3.76. On the other hand, Lorenzen’s FIP of 4.53 suggests that he has been fortunate when it comes to batted ball events and some regression might be on the way.
Additionally, Lorenzen has been a story of two totally different pitchers. The first time through the order, he has a 1.25 ERA and a .239 OBA against. That’s great! But in the third time through the order, he has a 6.92 ERA and a .390 OBA against. That is not great.
In any case, Lorenzen turned in two quality starts over the last week and deserves some kudos for doing so. He’s been very important to the team and could be an incredible weapon in the postseason.