When Jordan Zimmermann this season to pitch for the Washington Nationals, no one quite knew what to expect. He would be held to a 160 inning limit, and he didn't have a lot of success when he finished the end of the 2010 season, though no one should have expected no-hitters from a guy with a completely reconstructed elbow.
The 2011 season was certainly no disappointment from JZimm, who showed why the Nats chose him with their supplemental pick in the 2007 draft. In 20 of his 26 starts, Zimmermann made it through at least 6 innings; he would have certainly thrown 200 innings this season if it weren't for his inning limit. These are the things you're looking for with your #2 pitcher when he returns from major surgery. Overall, ZNN posted a 3.18 ERA this season, with 124 Ks and just 31 walks. He held opponents to a ..251 batting average and gave up less than 1 HR/9.
No month in his short career has been better than this June, though. Over the course of that month, JZimm started 6 games, and all of them to stellar results. Of those 6 starts, he went fewer than 7 innings just once, and his final start of the month was good for an 8 inning complete game, 1-run loss. His offense couldn't even manage to get him 1 run of support to get him a no-decision.
Other incredible stats of his career month include a 0.85 ERA, holding opponents to an astoundingly low .216/.259/.275 slash line, and giving up just just 1 HR. He ended the month with a 3-1 record, marred only by that once complete game with zero run support.
Jordan Zimmermann finished the season with a 2.9 WAR, according to Baseball-Reference.com, and one has to imagine it will only go up from there in future seasons when he can throw more innings and gets more run support from a less-lethargic offense. We're excited for the future of JZimm in a Washington Nationals uniform, and you should be, too.
What do you think about Jordan Zimmermann, CapBall readers? Are you as excited about his future as we are?
Absolutely! And I also think there is a good reason for innings limits after TJ ( no matter what Nolan Ryan thinks about pitch counts). I think JZ was beginning to show signs of fatigue - mental and physical.He was pitching under pressure every game - because there was no run support and every game was close. I was very annoyed at the insistence on trying to push him into 7th at the end of his first season after surgery.Next year. He needs to be our #1 next year, too. Strassie just can't be #1 yet in his first season back and with an innings limit. I can't wait until the two of them are in full health and battling it out for #1 and#2 -- it'll be like facing Halladay and Lee before too long.Optimistic - yes!
ReplyDeleteJZim is so much better than his numbers portrayed. He has talked so much about his need to be perfect with every pitch as he has lacked run support and he will be more effective in pitch count when he pitches to contact with nobody on base.
ReplyDeleteHe averaged 6 1/3 innings per start and had 18 of his 26 starts of giving up 2 earned runs or less.
He had the lowest run support in the Majors for innings he was in the game. I don't know if there is a UZR stat for him but I suspect it to be lowest of all Nats starters as his defense just was not great behind him. Those 2 earned runs that Bernadina lost in the sun and the triple in Chicago that clanked off of Werth's glove cost him 3 earned runs there and all those games where Burnett and Slaten allowed inherited runners to score would have kept his ERA in the upper 2.70 range.