Durham Bulls Pitching at Game 41

As a team, Durham Bulls pitching is doing OK. The team ERA of 4.80 is slightly below the International League average of 4.88. But they rank 9th of 14 in the IL, almost a full run behind the leading Syracuse Mets (note the name change from “Chiefs” to “Mets”).

The starters, however, are not distinguishing themselves. Over their 156 innings they are at a pretty crummy 5.96, while the Bulls’ relievers in their 199 innings are at a stellar (for 2019) ERA of 3.89. Safe to say that it’s the relief crew that is keeping the Bulls in the running.

Another way of measuring pitching performance is to look at your opposition’s hitting. Here is where the Bulls are doing exceptionally well in some categories. This next chart shows their opponent’s batting average and their “secondary average“. What this implies is that (with the notable exception of yesterday’s game against Rochester, see that tick upwards in the secondary average) Bulls’s pitching (and catching) is very stingy when it comes to awarding extra base hits, walks, and stolen bases. They have given up the least amount of walks in the league, are in the middle of the pack on home runs, data on doubles and triples aren’t available, and appear to be the best in the league in preventing stolen bases. Hence the tremendous difference in the league secondary average and the secondary average when those teams are playing the Bulls.