bpj wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 11:31 pmAgreed, when you have a couple guys at the top of your rotation that are clearly better, the team would be better off skipping the #5 guy when there's a day off to keep the aces on schedule.DavidGee24 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 20, 2024 4:40 pmIf you have a starting rotation where you've got one or two really good pitchers but either your fifth guy really sucks or you have to use mediocre spot starters, with days off why not just skip that fifth spot when you get the opportunity?
Let's say for example that some combo of Castillo/Kirby/Gilbert/Miller were pitching like aces and Hancock/Woo were sucking eggs. You could easily use your better pitchers every fifth day with days off during the season and put the ball in the hands of your better pitcher(s) up to, say, 35-37 times instead of 32.
Why give your worst spot in the starting rotation an equal say in the team's fortunes as your best one? That's a thing about modern baseball that doesn't make sense and nobody will waver from just because "That's the way it's done". Oh, and (in really whiny voice) "Someone might get huuuuuurt", which is why nobody will do it. Give your ace one extra start and if he by some miracle gets hurt at any random point during the season management gets blamed and ohhhhhh we can't have that! Guys get hurt now pitching meager innings as it is, so you might as well go for it.
Look at the last three seasons. If we get our ace 35 starts and sit Marco or somebody else's ass those three (or more if we get our #2 guy more starts) times, we likely have three straight playoff appearances.
Does this make sense?
Plus, the 5th starter is usually the one they're trying to "limit innings" anyways, so it's just a natural move imo.
But it is in defiance of their 54% slow play policy so they refuse to do it...