The upcoming free agent class is chock-full of top-of-the-rotation starting pitching. Unless they agree on an extension with their respective teams, David Price, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmerman, and Jeff Samardzija, among others, are set to hit the open market upon the conclusion of the 2015 season.
Front offices will weigh their options, fanbases will dream of the possibilities, and the agents of the players will salivate their imminent payday. While Price, Cueto, and Zimmerman have begun their seasons with performances worthy of mega-contracts, Samardzija has accumulated the worst numbers of his career as a starting pitcher.
In his first twelve starts of the 2015 season, the right hander has posted a 4.93 ERA and a 3.98 FIP in 80 ⅓ innings. Samardzija has allowed five earned runs or more in five game this season, including his last two starts in which he gave up 15 earned runs in 12 ⅓ innings of work.
Samardzija will look to find his form against Chris Archer and the Tampa Bay Rays in today's afternoon matchup at Tropicana Field. Archer, the reigning American League Player of the Week, has struck out 26 batters in his last two starts. In his last 15 innings of work, Archer has only allowed one earned run.
First pitch is at 4:10.
The Book on Jeff Samardzija
PITCH | VELOCITY | FREQUENCY | vs RHH | vs LHH |
Fourseam | 94.69 mph | 18.67% vs RHH / 18.15% vs LHH | Sporadic; though he often throws it low and away. | Outer third of the strike zone, under the knees, or up and away. |
Sinker | 95.14 mph | 28.16% vs RHH / 18.80% vs LHH | Often out of the strike zone, inside. | Outer half of the plate; up and away out of the strike zone. |
Slider | 84.71 mph | 29.43% vs RHH / 15.07% vs LHH | Either low and away or up and in. | Sporadic. |
Cutter | 93.02 mph | 19.15% vs RHH / 31.60% vs LHH | Sporadic. | Sporadic. |
Split | 85.92 mph | 4.27% vs RHH / 16.37% vs LHH | Low and away. | Under the knees or up and away.
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Samardzija has lost one mile per hour on his fourseam fastball and nearly two and a half miles per hour on his slider compared to last season. The effectiveness of these pitches have suffered as a result.
In 2014, while pitching for the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics, Samardzija's best pitch was his slider as batters hit only .225 and slugged a mere .355 when the pitch was thrown. However, in 2015, batters have hit .308 and slugged .487 off of Samardzija's slider. The Shark has already surrendered three home runs with the pitch this season, matching his 2014 total.
Surrendering the long ball has been Samardzija's achilles heel this season, as the former Notre Dame wide receiver has already seen 11 of them leave the park. His 1.23 HR/9 rate is easily the highest of his career as a starter.
Not only has Samardzija featured a career-low ground ball rate (37.5%) but his fly ball (36.7%) and line drive (25.9%) rates have both never been higher as a starter.
--Curt Casali was recalled from Triple-A and will get his first start of the season behind the dish for the Rays.
--Mikie Mahtook was optioned to Triple-A.
--Logan Forsythe gets the day off against a pitcher who he is 0 for 10 against in his career. Nick Franklin gets the start.
Bullpen Availability
Pitcher | Wednesday Pitch Count | Thursday Pitch Count | Friday Pitch Count |
Brad Boxberger | 15 | 7 | - |
Xavier Cedeno | - | 13 | 20 |
Steve Geltz | 14 | - | 12 |
Brandon Gomes | - | 12 | 18 |
Kevin Jespen | 20 | 26 | - |
Jake McGee | 13 | - | 14 |
C.J. Riefenhauser | - | - | - |
Enny Romero | - | - | - |
Other Rays' Notes
--Happy 26th birthday to Drew Smyly!
Join us in wishing @SmylyD a happy birthday! pic.twitter.com/cwYEg1uL1h
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 13, 2015
--He even got to play catch on his special day:
And that's #Rays Drew Smyly (torn labrum) playing catch for first time today pic.twitter.com/8IFA3GZ1fJ
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 13, 2015