Ross Stripling (34, San Francisco) was the type of player that every team would need, but he was the type of player who didn’t shine much. He was always where the team wanted him to be, sometimes as a starter and sometimes in the bullpen, but he wasn’t sure where he was.
He didn’t perform badly, but he was always an underrated player. After making his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, he had a decent record of 23-25 with a 3.68 ERA in 143 games (59 starts) for 5 years at the Dodgers, but was traded to Toronto. He moved back and forth between the starters and the bullpen in Toronto, but nobody considered him a key member.
However, a big opportunity came to Stripling last year ahead of the free agent (FA) season. Stripling, who went down to the long relief bullpen again because he could not break through Toronto’s thick starting rotation, took the mound as a substitute starter whenever Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto) was injured. And when Ryu Hyun-jin underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) and was completely out of line, he was officially included in the rotation.
It was the first opportunity in his life to digest a stable starting rotation. Stripling did not miss the opportunity. He recorded 10 wins, 4 losses, and an average ERA of 3.01 in 32 games (24 starts) for the season, and achieved his first double-digit multiplier in his career. The value in the FA market has also gone up. It was an unfortunate surgery for Ryu Hyun-jin, but for stripling, the timing has come.
Toronto, which wanted a better starting pitcher, gave up on renewing the contract with Stripling, and after the season, Stripling signed a two-year total of $25 million (about 33.3 billion won) with San Francisco, a big deal that was unthinkable even two years ago. earned Stripling’s 2022 salary was $3.79 million, which was not high for those subject to annual salary adjustment.
It is difficult to run right now, but San Francisco, which cannot give up grades, hoped that stripling would give prospects time to grow. Having played for a long time in the National League West, I thought he knew his strengths well. However, when I open the lid, the results are not so good.
Stripling is staying at 7.24 ERA and 2 losses without a win in 9 games (5 starts) of the season. His first appearance of the season was as a starter, but he soon moved to the bullpen, and the beginning of the season is tangled in a messy schedule, such as starting again.
He has yet to have a quality start (less than 3 earned runs in 6 or more innings of start) this season. He has been sluggish in both the starting and bullpen, and the San Francisco bench’s troubles are deepening. Entering May, he played 3 out of 4 games as a starter, but his monthly earned run average reached 7.56, which is sluggish.메이저놀이터
Stripling is not a player whose pitch itself is outstanding. However, he is good at controlling speed even with normal speed, and steals the timing of batters by throwing various breaking balls. However, this year, he is having difficulty using the decisive ball as the hitting rate of breaking pitches has increased significantly. In particular, the changeup, which showed its power last year, has become flat or driven high, allowing a lot of long hits. Whether a reversal is possible or whether it will go back to the old shaving iron is up to you.