Tommy Hanson, The Ace
by Scott Coleman on May 17, 2011 8:00 AM EDT
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PrintTommy Hanson has established himself as the ace of the Atlanta Braves' pitching staff, and now we're all seeing why scouts drooled over him as a 21-year old while he made his way through the Minor League system.
When Tommy first came up to the Majors, he was more of a thrower rather than a pitcher. Sure, he could blow a few guys away with his hard fastball or filthy slider, but it seemed like would always have an inning or two which would either undo or come close to undoing a rather spectacular start.
Tommy Hanson doesn't have those innings anymore. Tommy Hanson is now a pitcher, and a damn good one at that.
After his dominating performance on Monday night, Hanson now ranks in the top-20 in Wins, K/9, BB/9, ERA, FIP, and xFIP among qualified starting pitchers in the National League. And it's not like Hanson has been incredibly lucky or anything, as his .270 BABIP shouldn't regress too much.
After Monday's start against the Astros, Hanson's ERA is 2.35 and his FIP is 2.70.
Over the course of his last 25 starts, Tommy has allowed 4 or more earned runs in three games. In those same starts, he's allowed 1 earned run or fewer in fifteen games. Hanson has thrown 160 innings in that span, and his K/BB numbers are 137/38, which comes out to an astonishing 3.60 K/BB ratio. To give you an idea of how good that is, Hanson's ratio is better than Tim Lincecum's (3.13), C.C. Sabathia's (2.68), and Felix Hernandez's (2.93) career numbers, and it's tied with Roy Halladay's. That's incredible.
During the offseason prior to the 2008 season, the Braves were determined to find an ace who would anchor their rotation for the next 5-10 years. They flirted with Jake Peavy, tried to woo A.J. Burnett and his wife to Atlanta, and eventually settled for Derek Lowe. Whether they knew it at the time or not, the Braves already had their ace, only he was dominating Minor League hitters in Mississippi instead of Atlanta.
While Hudson, Lowe, and Jair Jurrjens are no slouches, Tommy Hanson is now the bonafide ace of this pitching staff, which might be the best in baseball. There's really no questioning that. And when you think that Hanson is just 24-years old and his best days are ahead of him, it's scary to think just how dominant he could be as the ace of our rotation.
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If I had to win a game right now...
I think I’d pick JJ. Hanson is great, but he doesn’t consistently pitch late into the game. I think he’s averaging less that six innings per start. An ace has to pitch deeper into the game.
fjrobinson44
I think I’m on board with that. Game 7 of the World Series, I’d probably go with Jurrjens. But given his injury history, if he has a good season I’d probably trade him this winter. Keep Tommy for the long haul.
As a side note, Tommy was actually more efficient than usual last night. Probably could have gone 8.
by fjrobinson44 on May 17, 2011 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions
fjrobinson44
Fewer game 7s than 1-162. Gotta get to game 7 first. While I’d take Jurrjens over Hanson in that specific situation, I certainly wouldn’t be losing sleep if I knew Hanson was going to get the nod.
by fjrobinson44 on May 17, 2011 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions
fjrobinson44
And that is correct. I, personally, don’t plan on playing in ANY game 7s.
by fjrobinson44 on May 17, 2011 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Just FYI
You don’t need to put your username in the “subject” field every time you post :)
Most people use statistics the way a drunk would use a lamppost—for support, and not for illumination.
www.duwanis.com
why can't it be
his thing… it’s only moderately annoying.
by Klemson Krash on May 17, 2011 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions
This reminds me of my wife's father.
He ends EVERY SINGLE TEXT TO HER with “LOVE DAD” (he only types in all caps). Doesn’t he realize that it shows who the damn text is from????
God typed "iddqd" before creating Jason Heyward.
It may be his “signature”. A friend of mine does the same thing, every text has a saying at the end.
"Curve: The loveliest distance between two points." ~ Mae West
I once asked Mom why she signs her e-mails “MOM,” in all caps, when the rest of the message is in mixed case lettering.
“Because,” she said. “I’m that important.”
LIVE EDT
Tape-delayed for the West Coast
Tommy Hanson’s workload is likely still being monitored as he is still relatively young. Peter Hjort at Capitol Avenue Club has a good post on this particular topic: http://capitolavenueclub.com/?p=3371
The take-away: A person’s joints are not fully developed until roughly age ~25, and prior to that age it is wise to be cautionary of a young pitcher’s workload, especially with long innings and deep counts being considered.
Something else to consider is this: Tommy Hanson is establishing his curveball as a true elite pitch this year and throwing it in any count. I really don’t think there is much an opposing batter can do with a well located Tommy Hanson CB. He froze a few batters with backdoor CBs last night and it was a thing of beauty. Once Tommy finds a good pitching sequence his P/IP and P/PA should come down. His P/PA and P/IP is currently at the highest its been in his career – 4.06 and 16.04 respectively. Normally P/PA and P/IP are crude watermarks for a pitcher’s fatigue but I think it is a wortwhile indicator in a player who is not fully developed in a physical sense, ie less than 25 years of age.
Tommy is certainly evolving as a pitcher though, becoming smarter. He will learn when to go for strikeouts and when to pitch to contact for quick(er) innings. He proved in the 2nd half of 2010 and in the early goings of this year that he doesn’t need elite velocity (avg FB velo is 91 mph this year) to become an elite strikeout pitcher. I think his K rate will continue to rise or gently plateau at roughly 9.5K/9 and if he sustains a K:BB ratio of 3:1 or greater then he will be the true ace of the staff.
He and Beachy are the only SP we have currently who don’t as much on the defense behind them to sustain low ERAs.
"C'mon Chip!"
All this...
And more!!
He’s also throwing his change-up more, at the expense of his slider (his curve has also taken a small amount of that percentage)…but here’s the kicker. The change-up is coming in at the same speed as the slider, making pitch recognition that much more difficult for the hitter.
Our boy’s grown up and got hisself a fourth pitch…
-C
It’s rough to sit through these games and not have someone that can’t hit a Ball?
by cthabeerman on May 17, 2011 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Also:
I wholeheartedly disagree. I would take Hanson in a critical game over any other SP we have. People who still cannot fathom how good Tommy Hanson is will be pelasantly surprised in a year’s time when baseball culture catches on.
"C'mon Chip!"
when baseball culture catches on?
uh…what?
I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they are going to feel all day. - Frank Sinatra
I think this might be part of him becoming a pitcher.
Blowing people away with the heat is great, but to be an ace you need more than a fastball. I think he is relying on all his pitches now and taking some off the heat allows him to pitch deeper into games.
by TCfromDubVee on May 17, 2011 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions
fjrobinson44
Yeah, that curveball was filthy last night.
by fjrobinson44 on May 17, 2011 8:43 AM EDT up reply actions
You know what's scarier?
The contract Boras is going to demand if Handon keeps this up.
by danielduello on May 17, 2011 8:30 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Handon is Hanson’s Star Wars name.
by danielduello on May 17, 2011 8:31 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'll take 4.5 more years of Hanson
and then the draft picks if we lose him. Worrying about what Boras will do now takes away from the fun!
I however do not want to lose him in 4 years.
man all our guys who are going to be free agents in 3-6 years like Heyward, freeman, prado, JJ, Hanson, Kimbrel, Venters, Mccann, Teheran, and oh ya Beachy and Minor too.
fjrobinson44
3-6 years down the road doesn’t really worry me given the current pitching depth and the Braves track record in the draft. We’ll lose a few of those guys, but some will stick around. I’d put a relatively high probabilityon Heyward and McCann being career Braves.
by fjrobinson44 on May 17, 2011 8:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Ideally
we’ll have some of these guys locked up for a while sometime soon…
Most people use statistics the way a drunk would use a lamppost—for support, and not for illumination.
www.duwanis.com
Ideally, by then we’ll have an owner with a first and last name and a desire to spend some cash.
"Curve: The loveliest distance between two points." ~ Mae West
So much for Prince buying the team. Or Madonna. Or Cher.
by Ivan the Great on May 17, 2011 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Somehow, I find this list of “people who will never own the Braves” to be comforting.
Most people use statistics the way a drunk would use a lamppost—for support, and not for illumination.
www.duwanis.com
What, you wouldn't enjoy this
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
by royhobbs on May 17, 2011 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
OK
Now I kind of want this to happen.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
I now twitter as @junkstats and blog about made-up stats and general baseball stuff at JunkStats.
by Jacob Peterson on May 17, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Same here
Prince to buy the Braves. Maybe the Hawks too, and he’ll change the mascot to Blouses.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
by Mr. Sanchez on May 18, 2011 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Make this green...
Merely because the color combination would make the screen implode.
"Insert witty and/or funny quote here" ~ The Person Who Spoketh Said Quote.
Prince haha
GSO
"I'd rather jerk off a tiger in a phone booth than draft Cam"
-Mel Kiper, Jr.
you guys are like a bunch of pirahnas
by chop goes da weazel on Mar 31, 2011 12:32 PM PDT
I can safely guarantee
our front office will space it better than that. J-Hey is the heir apparent to Chipper (if he chooses to be) and will be with us for his whole career… Teheran will be our next Glavine (minus the NY stint) ((in the sense of his longetivity w/ the Braves)) and Kimbrel and Venters will be replaced in three years with players of equal awesomeness…
The track record for all-star closers/relievers is long and depressing… Not many have long careers in their roles. (I hear you about Rivera/Wagner/Papelbon but they are exceptions, not the rule)
by Klemson Krash on May 17, 2011 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions
now... if only that Uggla guy
wasn’t signed for such a long time…
/hides from inevitable UgglaSmash
by Klemson Krash on May 17, 2011 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions
The Braves will lock up a couple of these, but not all. The pitchers are less likely to get extended just because there are so many pitching prospects in the organization. I would expect Heap, Heyward and Freeman to all get locked up long term. And with Prado’s position flexibility it would be stupid not to lock him up as well.
I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they are going to feel all day. - Frank Sinatra
People laugh but
The longer he goes without cutting his hair, the better he pitches. In about two weeks, he’ll be back to his no-hitter length.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
He's Samson in disguise.
A baseball diamond is, most simply, the intersecting of four 90-foot baselines, and, most powerfully, the intersecting of seemingly random lives.
Time to find whoever he uses to cut his hair
and beat them to death with the jawbone of an ass, then.
Most people use statistics the way a drunk would use a lamppost—for support, and not for illumination.
www.duwanis.com
by duwanis on May 17, 2011 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Wasn't Jeff Bennett
The clubhouse barber for one year?
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
Unless you're dealing with primadonnas
or Bieber’s guys hair isn’t hard to cut, especially the short cuts.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
by Mr. Sanchez on May 18, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Naw, we just got to keep him away from seductive women
No women for Tommy until after the World Series….So let it be.
A baseball diamond is, most simply, the intersecting of four 90-foot baselines, and, most powerfully, the intersecting of seemingly random lives.
Unless it is Giselle...
Apparently she is the reason Tom Brady now looks like the fourth Brady son…
And McClouth is also rocking the mullet and putting balls in play and scoring runs....
I’m a Kansas City Chiefs fan also, and this reminds me of the Jared Allen days. He definitely joked about the power of the mullet in a few interviews.
God typed "iddqd" before creating Jason Heyward.
He and Lincecum are forming their own jam band. They’re already booked at Bonnaroo.
LIVE EDT
Tape-delayed for the West Coast
Sell outs...
the real hippies hit up Live Oak/Suwanee, not that corporate sell out in Tennessee.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
by Mr. Sanchez on May 18, 2011 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
“While Hudson, Lowe, and Jair Jurrjens are no slouches, Tommy Hanson is now the bonafide ace of this pitching staff, which might be the best in baseball. There’s really no questioning that.”
But ESPN said Philly was the best??……
A baseball diamond is, most simply, the intersecting of four 90-foot baselines, and, most powerfully, the intersecting of seemingly random lives.
ESPN has actually said
that our rotation is as good as Philly’s, and better than Philly’s, on a couple different occasions now.
Most people use statistics the way a drunk would use a lamppost—for support, and not for illumination.
www.duwanis.com
I knew this
but ragging ESPN is one of the things that gives me joy. Please don’t take this away.
A baseball diamond is, most simply, the intersecting of four 90-foot baselines, and, most powerfully, the intersecting of seemingly random lives.
Last Night
Bobby V said that Phillies pitching was better. Then they threw up stats for STARTING PITCHING ONLY. Of the 5 stats they picked, only 1 was a “final” stat and it was ERA (They had K’s per 9 and such up there too). Guess what? Braves were #1 in ERA. So, even by their selective choice of stats and pitchers ours was better.
Put up 1-9 innings and no chance in hell that the Phillies staff is better through today. It might be better the rest of the season, but so far the Braves staff is the best in baseball.
I wish i had trillions of dollars to spend on a baseball team
Our pitching staff would be DOMINANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't let the green grass fool you.
by obfromsenatobie on May 17, 2011 9:18 AM EDT reply actions
As much as I like Hanson, he doesn’t even have a complete game in his career and doesn’t pitch deep enough into games to be considered an ace. Aces don’t rely on their bullpens every start. Hudson is still the ace of this staff.
This
Hanson is still very streaky. His numbers look great, but I can think of a number of games where he was less than stellar. Not that that isn’t a feat in itself. I think it’s awesome when a pitcher can go out there with mediocre stuff and STILL hold the opposition to < 3 runs.
Hudson though, man. Crafty veteran
Don't let the green grass fool you.
by obfromsenatobie on May 17, 2011 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions
I can remember a number of games that Hudson has been less than stellar as well. Take away the injury riddled last year and JJ has probably been the most consistent.
I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they are going to feel all day. - Frank Sinatra
I can think of two particular instances
When he could have gone the distance, but Bobby and the org seem to be taking the preventative measures to supposedly protect his arm for the long haul, as mentioned somewhat above. Interestingly, both of those instances were against the Astros like last night, with one of them being blown up by Rafael Soriano, and the other one being saved by Billy Wagner.
It’s not so much that he doesn’t have a single nine-inning complete game on his resume as much as it’s been he hasn’t been given the shot. Out of 64 career MLB starts, he’s been allowed to exceed 110 pitches just four times. A strikeout pitcher is going to need pitches to go the distance, and if the team isn’t allowing them, it’s not really his fault.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
Absolutely agree
The Braves are more cautious with their young guns than most other teams (from what I gather). I think Tommy could go the distance if he was allowed.
Remember my old post about what happens first...
Jurrjens complete game
Hanson complete game
Bobby retires
Looks like Bobby just barely beat Jurrjens 9 inning gem earlier this year, cause I don’t count Tommy’s 5 inning rain shortened CG.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
by Mr. Sanchez on May 18, 2011 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I have said all along that our starting rotaion would be equal to or better than the Phillies’ this year. The fact that we are having a discussion about who the Ace is, proves that. When your starter with the highest ERA (Lowe) is at 3.73, that says it all.
We have the perfect blend of seasoned veterans, young starters and a rookie (Beach, Teheran, Minor)
Like many here
I’m not ready just yet to say he’s our Ace. I have no stats for this (and I welcome a stat-head to support or disprove this), but it seems like Tommy is easily flustered when he gets baserunners, especially extra base-hits in tight games. He also gets rattled if his defense makes an error behind him. I know that this is unusual for a cyborg, but it’s something that I’ve picked up on, and I’d like to see him handle it before we crown him.
Tommy Hanson has a career Left on Base percentage of 75.3%, when the league average is about 72%. That doesn’t scream unsustainable to me.
I wrote this article about what he brings to the team and his value to the team:
http://www.talkingchop.com/2011/2/18/2000776/whos-the-most-vital-member-of-the-2011-braves
That Heyward guy is pretty good.
by another simpsons avatar on May 17, 2011 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for the info
according to Fangraphs, Tommy did actually dip below that 72% average last year, though not by much. Maybe that’s what I was seeing. Hope he keeps it up.
Hanson has put up great stats
but he still needs to learn to hold runners better (okay, so many aces don’t really have that ability) and, more importantly, last longer in a game. If you judge things by who will you start in a crucial game, I still think Hanson is not that automatic choice…yet.
by LEastCoastBears on May 17, 2011 10:39 AM EDT reply actions
I don't know about yall...
but I get a tingle in my loins when I see a whip of 0.99 in 53.2 innings so far this year.
I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they are going to feel all day. - Frank Sinatra
I agree with mvhs.
Tommy is our best pitcher right now. He has always had #1 potential; the only thing he’s needed is consistency. It looks like that is starting to come along. The people complaining about him not having a CG are A) picking nits and B) missing the point. Most pitchers don’t throw complete games, and particularly most young pitchers.
There have been only 5 9-inning CGs by pitchers 24 or younger this year, and one was by Felix Hernandez, who has certainly had a lot more time to build arm strength than Tommy has had. (Jaime Garcia has 2, Jhoulys Chacin has 1, and Jeremy Hellickson has 1.) As mentioned by royhobbs above, Tommy could have had a couple CGs, but he was pulled as a precaution. This is not unusual, or Tommy’s fault, or even a bad thing.
In short, Tommy is an emerging ace. He’ll start throwing CGs more often as he gets older. And if that’s his only “flaw,” he’s in pretty good shape, no?
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
I now twitter as @junkstats and blog about made-up stats and general baseball stuff at JunkStats.
by Jacob Peterson on May 17, 2011 10:59 AM EDT reply actions
He's so good now...
I almost take it for granted.
"Insert witty and/or funny quote here" ~ The Person Who Spoketh Said Quote.
I dont mind our SP’s not throwing complete games this early in the season. Unless he can do it in 100 pitches or less (unlikely), there is no reason to put that much wear on an arm this early in the season. Innings pitched is misleading stat, I dont know if there is a pitches/9 or pitches per inning stat but that could be more telling.
Oh Boy
The Talking Chop jinx lol! Everytime ya’ll post something good about a player(s) they start to slump! Look for a down game from Hanson on his next outing
Tim Hudson
is our best pitcher…with everything on the line, I want him and not Hanson, no offense to Hanson. This talk of “ace” doesn’t really matter. As far as I am concerned, we should shoot to have 5 aces every season. This year, all 5 of our starters have ace-like capabilities and that is the way I like it. Good article about Hanson. He is getting better and better, a welcome sight for Braves fans.
Castrologist
I absolutely loathe the term ace. It’s meaningless, as everyone has their own definition and none of them match. Some of them aren’t even in the same ballpark.
-C
It’s rough to sit through these games and not have someone that can’t hit a Ball?
What about calling them
One-Eyed Jacks?
"Insert witty and/or funny quote here" ~ The Person Who Spoketh Said Quote.
JJ vs. Tommy
I am completely stoked by Tommy’s development also, but I really think JJ is at the same level. It irks me that he has been tagged as injury prone. He had one injury dominated season, but neither of the injuries were shoulder/arm related, and there is a good chance that the hamstring injury at the start of last year contributed to the meniscus tear. He is around 7 months older than Tommy and has comparable if not better numbers outside of the injury year. I know he doesn’t strike out as many batters, but he doesn’t walk as many either. Both have 3rd place ROY finishes, and both are kicking serious ACE this year to date. Unfortunately, both are Boras Boys, so who knows what the future brings. Both also have suffered from lack of run support at various points in their short careers, so the WINZ factor isn’t always there. Tommy may well be the “ace” going forward, but to say that there is really no questioning that just isn’t true IMHO. Nice problem to have if you ask me!
Jurrjens stats in his age 22 and 23 seasons are not better than Hanson’s stats. I personally feel that there are too many people trying to not let Jurrjens get lost in the shuffle, and as a result it is Jurrjens who gets the most love from Braves fans and Hanson is the one that’s underrated/taken for granted.
This is my corn. You people are guests in my corn.
I guess it really depends on which stats you value the most. Hanson’s 22 season stats are “better” than Jurrjens (10 less starts), but Jurrjens 23 season stats are “better” than Hanson’s, at least the way I look at it. Their 22 and 23 years were almost flip flopped, except that Jurrjens threw more innings and faced a lot more batters in his 22 year. My point was that they are at the same level, not that one is better than the other – especially not better enough for one to be the “ace” without question.
As for Jurrjens getting the most love from Braves fans, I just don’t see it, at least not on this site. In the favorite player rankings in the offseason Hanson blew Jurrjens away. Hanson has has a lot more hype over the course of his career (not undeserved).
In they’re cumulative stats for the 22 and 23 year old seasons, Hanson is better. Perhaps Jurrjens isn’t more popular, but there is a very vocal group of Braves fans who are determined to tout Jair Jurrjens, and those who feel strongly that Jurrjens is underrated seem to resent the fact that Hanson got so much hype as a prospect.
That’s just the way I see it. I said the same thing in a comment just below this one, but I saw your reply after I had already made that comment.
This is my corn. You people are guests in my corn.
I just read your post. I agree with you on a lot of that, but don’t really see any indication in the stats that either is better than the other, which was my initial point. I DEFINITELY don’t resent Tommy’s hype. I love his game and think the fact that he and Jurrjens are different types of pitchers is a huge strength for the rotation. Tommy has better stuff than JJ, but I think JJ has better command and his demeanor on the mound really impresses me. I’m a big fan of JJ in part because in 2008 he became the ace of the staff by default as a rookie and handled it amazingly well. The Braves sure have come a long way since the days of Buddy Carlyle and Jorge Campillo being the 2 and 3 starters! Seems like forever ago…
You left out the best part.
He’s a redhead. That often tips the balance on a so-so guy.
LIVE EDT
Tape-delayed for the West Coast
Team Stats, as of 5/17 (AM). Pitching Domination.
ERA: Athletics (2.74), Braves (2.94). Phils (3.13), Giants, Angels, Marlins.
BB/9: Braves (2.62). Phils (2.76). Mariners, Indians, Brewers, Padres.
HR/9: A’s (0.53). Giants (0.53), Braves (0.57). Mariners, Phils, Cards.
LOB%: Angels (76.3%). Mets(!) (76.1). Phils (same). Rays, A’s, Rangers, Braves (74.4).
GroundBall%: Braves (50.8%), A’s (49.8), Pirates (49.5). Cards, Phils, Giants.
xFIP: Braves (3.17). Phils (3.23). Giants (3.40). Brewers, A’s, Mariners, Marlins.
(FIP order: Braves, Phils, Giants, A’s).
WAR: Phils (8.5), Braves (8.3). Giants (6.9). A’s, WSox, Mariners, Marlins.
BABIP: Rays (.262). Braves (.264). Rangers (same). Angels, Indians, Marlins. Phils are at .290.
Fangraphs, on Craig Kimbrel: "His strikeout rates look like they’re coming from a video game"
I said at the beginning of the season...
that there were too many early accolades for that Phillies staff. Calling them ‘the best staff of all-time’ was ridiculous in my mind, before they had actually pitched a game in 2011. Sorry Philadelphia, but your current staff is going to have to do a hell of a lot better for a few years in a row before they are compared to the 90s Braves staffs. Roy Halladay is no Greg Maddux and Cliff Lee is no Tom Glavine. The comparison of the two staffs is laughable.
Hanson is currently our best pitcher, in my opinion, but just barely. Next month, it may be Hudson or Jurrjens…or Beachy…or Lowe…or Teheran. This is a great staff; we should be proud of what Wren (Jurrjens, and yes, Lowe) and a bunch of scouts (Beachy) have put together.
Tommy Hanson might be the most underrated pitcher in baseball, because even the members of the Braves’ fan base underrated Tommy Hanson.
This is the only explanation I can think of for why Braves fans don’t appreciate Tommy Hanson. Hanson was hyped up like crazy before he ever made a big league start, and Jair Jurrjens was in Atlanta pitching very well without getting a fare share of attention. Now people feel like Jurrjens has been slighted, and because of that they have to scream at the top of rooftops to let everybody else know how good Jurrjens is. They see the attention Hanson received as a prospect and resent the fact that he was getting all that love while Jurrjens went virtually unnoticed.
Now, they nitpick in order to find Hanson’s flaws, because they feel like if he’s viewed as our “ace”, then Jurrjens will never get the attention he deserves.
Hanson has produced better than Jurrjens at this point in his career. In his age 22 and 23 seasons Hanson’s FIP was 3.38 compared to Jurrjens at 3.64. Hanson’s WHIP was 1.18 compared to Jurrjens’ 1.29. Jurrjens is an awesome pitcher. I’m a very big fan of his. I love the way he pitches and I like his personality. As good as he is, though, Hanson is better.
This is my corn. You people are guests in my corn.
Ace
Baseball today had a whole three day discussion on this a few weeks ago. If you’re saying ace of this staff as in the guy that the team would roll out for game 7 it would be Hudson. If he isn’t walking everyone like he did against Philly he has the consistently most dominating stuff.
But none of that matters because there is only 8 or 9 legit aces in the league. Halladay, Lee, Lincecum, Felix, Johnson, Haren, Weaver, Sabathia, and Verlander. These are guys that give u consistent 7 or 8 innings of shutting down lineups and are capable of a no hitter or 14 ks or complete games in important games
"So he basically called me a Jew. I was confused because I'm black and Methodist."
by rocket8188 on May 17, 2011 12:55 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Ace?
Hanson is a great and affective pitcher, but for me an ace has to not only be good at throwing the ball over the plate, but be good at stopping the running game (which Hanson is just horrible at) and be smart with his pitches, you know the complete package. I don’t feel like Hanson is there yet
I <3 RUNZ
Maddux could care less if baserunners ran on him. Worked out ok for him.
If we can land [Stephen Drew], I will give FW a bj.
~justincredubil02
by king of games on May 17, 2011 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Bingo...
if stopping guys from stealing is required for an ace, then the best pitcher in all of baseball over the last 30 years wasn’t an ace.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
by Mr. Sanchez on May 18, 2011 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Evidence...
of the meaningless of the word ace.
-C
It’s rough to sit through these games and not have someone that can’t hit a Ball?
About the complete games...
In Hanson’s career, the end of our bullpen has been Soriano/Gonzalez, Wagner/Saito, and Venters/Kimbrel. At least 25 teams would take any of those combos versus what they have now.
If he needed to complete a game, I’m confident he’d be able to.
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