Which Hunter Strickland can Giants’ Fan Expect?
For San Francisco Giants‘ ace Madison Bumgarner, 2014 was the tale of two seasons. In the regular season, he was very good, but in the postseason, Bumgarner was other-worldly. For his performance under the bright lights of playoff baseball, he set so many records and won too many awards to even try to remember.
Another Giants’ pitcher followed the pattern of becoming a whole new pitcher in the postseason, although in the opposite direction of Bumgarner.
Hunter Strickland was called up to the major leagues for the first time in September, 2014 during roster expansions. He was a revelation immediately, dazzling fans with his triple-digit fastballs and pinpoint control. In nine games and seven innings, Strickland won one game and saved another without allowing a single run or walk. He struck out nine, and totaled a .714 WHIP.
Strickland’s performance wasn’t all that surprising for people who had followed him in the minor leagues. In 41 games split between High-A San Jose and Double-A Richmond, He posted a 2.09 ERA, .802 WHIP to go along with 11 saves in 38.2 innings. Maybe the most impressive part of his season was the fact that he struck out 55 batters while walking just four. That’s 13.75 strikeouts for every walk issued, and just .9 walks per nine innings.
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Combine the majors and minors, and Strickland struck out 64 batters compared to four walks. That equals out to a 16:1 K:BB ratio, and .8 BB/9. By the end of the regular season, numerous fans were hailing Strickland as the closer of the future.
He pitched so well in 2014 that manager Bruce Bochy kept him on the roster throughout the postseason, a move that proved to be a little too much for the rookie.
In eight postseason games, Strickland imploded. Not only did he allow his first run in a Giants’ uniform, he surrendered seven of them, all coming by way of long balls. Opposing batters hit five solo bombs, and a two-run blast off the flamethrowing righty.
When all was said and done, his ERA stood at 7.56, with a 1.320 WHIP. He also allowed two walks in 8.1 innings, half of his total from 45.2 innings in the regular season.
Strickland went from “he’s the future closer!” to “cut that scrub!” in near-record time.
So which version of the burly country-hardball thrower are Giants’ fans in store for moving forward?
Sep 22, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland (60) in the 13th inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Giants won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Strickland wasn’t going to walk around with a zero ERA forever. Baseball just doesn’t work like that. But could anyone really see him allowing six home runs in a single postseason after the type of regular season he had just finished?
Regular season Strickland is much closer to the actual Strickland fans are bound to see. Don’t expect to see him not allow any runs and to not walk anyone at all. Even Greg Maddux walked people and gave up a run or two once in a while.
The problem for Strickland in the playoffs was easily identifiable. He didn’t trust his slider as much as he should have. He relied too heavily on his heat, and it ended up burning him.
A 100 mile-an-hour fastball is a great weapon to have. But it’s useless if it’s not complemented with a good off-speed pitch. The good news for Strickland is that he has a nice slider. He showed it off on a few occasions in the postseason. He just didn’t show it off enough.
By lighting up the radar gun the way he does, Strickland forces the hitter’s hand somewhat. In order to gear up for the fastball, hitters have to guess that it’s coming. A well-placed slider keeps the hitters off-balance, and an off-balanced swing results in weak grounders or can-of-corns, more times than not.
Strickland also has to spot his fastball better than he did in the postseason. The two best places to get hitters out with a fastball is high-and-tight, and low-and-away. Too often Strickland left pitches in the middle of the plate, giving hitters an opportunity to feast, which they did.
In the regular season, Strickland placed his fastball and relied on his slider. He lived by the old saying “get ahead of them with strikes, but get them out with balls.” Maybe it was the nerves that come with the playoffs, but that Strickland wasn’t the real Strickland.
The Giants saw something special in Strickland long ago. In April, 2013, the Pittsburgh Pirates placed Strickland on waivers in order to make room for Jonathan Sanchez. Yes, that Jonathan Sanchez. It’s okay to laugh, Giants’ fans.
The Giants claimed Strickland, and he spent 2013 with High-A San Jose. In 20 games, he recorded nine saves, and struck out 23 while issuing five free passes in 21 innings. His ERA was 0.86, and his WHIP was .714. 2014 wasn’t a fluke.
As it is, the San Francisco bullpen is pretty packed. Strickland will have to fight in Spring Training to make the opening day roster. But make no mistake about it, when a spot does open up, Strickland is getting the call.