Count me amongst the many who would have NEVER guessed that just a few weeks before the All Star break…that the team leader in wins would be Jeff Niemann.
I know that at the beginning of the season, I initially thought David Price would hold the fifth spot in the rotation, and Niemann and Jason Hammel would be let go.
Turns out I was wrong there, in more way than one. Niemann had a great spring, and maintains a bigger upside that Hammel, so the team made a decision and so far it has worked out across the board.
Let’s take a look at the facts:
| Jason Hammel
Colorado Rockies |
Jeff Niemann
Tampa Bay Rays |
|
| Games | 15 | 15 |
| Wins | 5 | 7 |
| Losses | 3 | 4 |
| ERA | 4.21 | 3.95 |
| CG | 0 | 1 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Innings Pitched | 72.2 | 79.2 |
| Hits Allowed | 85 | 77 |
| Runs Allowed | 42 | 39 |
| ERA | 34 | 35 |
| Home Runs | 7 | 8 |
| Base on Balls | 19 | 35 |
| Strikeouts | 51 | 45 |
| Hits by Pitch | 1 | 4 |
| Wild Pitches | 2 | 5 |
| Balks | 0 | 0 |
Safe to say in looking at the numbers, that sticking with Niemann was a wise choice by the Rays. He has a tremendous upside, and was a former number one pick. His unusually tall frame–he’s 6’9″–creates a different delivery angle than hitters are used to seeing, making his pitches harder to pick up.
I foresee Niemann continuing his tear he has been on over the last five or six starts, and continuing to trek along and become an intricate part of a post season run for the Rays this season.
Thomas Gemkow is the editor-in-chief of TampaBayRaysFan.com. Founded in January of 2009, TampaBayRaysFan.com is a compilation of all the best of the Rays, from across the web. The website can be followed on Twitter
