Younger & Deeper, Yea-huh, Right.........

[Crash Course]

I just heard on the TV, for the millionth time in the last couple of weeks, that the Yankees need to pick up a younger starting pitcher this off-season (like Pavano) rather than an older one (like Pedro) because their staff is old and they need a younger stud "who can take them deeper into games."

Well, I finally reached the point where I had to look at the numbers.

119 pitchers last year had 20+ games started. On average, they went 6.17 IP per start.

Of that 119.........
85 were 30 years old or younger and 34 were over 30.
Those 30 or younger went, on average, 6.14 IP per start.
The over 30 group went 6.26.

Of that 119..........
107 were 35 years old or younger and 12 were over 35.
Those 35 or younger went, on average, 6.15 IP per start.
The over 35 group went 6.35.

Last year, on average, pitchers over 30 and over 35 went deeper, not shorter, in games than those younger than them.

So, there goes the younger and deeper claim........no?

[rc3000]

I don't have the stats but how does Pedro vs. Pavano shape up ? I am not sure if the comment made was about younger/deeper in theory or this specific comparison.

[Crash Course]

2004:

Pavano: 7.2 IP per start.
Pedro: 6.6 IP per start.

They're close.

[nyy26wc]

I don't care as much about the younger/older issue as much as the large difference in quality.

If the Yankees sign Pavano, I am hoping he can have a 0 RSAA season. Even 0 RSAA is going to exceed my expectations.

[JamesI]

No one goes deep into games anymore. But could the numbers for older pitchers be scewed by the small sample size by a player like Randy Johnson?

[Crash Course]

Unit factor? Not in the over 30 group - because that was 34 pitchers.

On the over 35 group, he helped - but, so did Schilling, and Clemens, and Maddux, and Glavine, and :shockbig: Kenny Rogers. So, it's not just Randy bumping the numbers.

[JamesI]

Unit factor? Not in the over 30 group - because that was 34 pitchers.

On the over 35 group, he helped - but, so did Schilling, and Clemens, and Maddux, and Glavine, and :shockbig: Kenny Rogers. So, it's not just Randy bumping the numbers.
He was just an example.

[Crash Course]

FWIW, I thought too that maybe one or two would mess with the stats. But, it appears that, if you can stay a SP at a later age, it's usually because you're good.

[KCBOOMER]

I'm with Lee that quality matters more than age. You would expect for a pitcher to be "old" he would have to be fairly good.

[guidry49]

Pedro is two years younger than Mo... what if Pedro becomes the next Yankee closer?

At least you won't have to worry about pitch #101....I know it is a completely different mindset as a closer- but curious to know historically how Pedro does in his first inning of work- I bet it's pretty good.

[RedSeat]

Pedro is two years younger than Mo... what if Pedro becomes the next Yankee closer?

At least you won't have to worry about pitch #101....I know it is a completely different mindset as a closer- but curious to know historically how Pedro does in his first inning of work- I bet it's pretty good.
Pedro actually struggled in the first inning this year (all the more reason his appearance in Game 7 of the ALCS was so puzzling).

As for becoming a closer, I think he could do it if he adjusted his warm-up routine and was able to essentially go all out for 20-30 pitches. But I think it would be a waste to limit him to 75 innings a year. He's not what he was, but he's still an elite starter which is a rarer commodity than an elite closer.

[Joseph]

not this past year:

pitches 1-15 .333 .360 .657
pitches 101-120 .244 .279 .341