Spencer Arrighetti

Arrighetti's rookie season had a little bit of everything for everyone, including his fans and his detractors. He had four different contests in which he struck out 10 or more batters, capped off by a 13 strikeout performance against Boston. Four other times, he allowed five or more earned runs, including seven in just 1.1 innings against Detroit. He twice allowed three homers in a contest, and yet struck out 27.1 percent of the batters he faced. However, it was that inconsistency that led to him winning just seven of his 28 starts for a team that won its division. The rookie lived and died off his curveball and sweeper, which collectively held opposing hitters to a .151 batting average, while the league hit .296 off the rest of his offerings. Arrighetti showed signs of progress in the second half, as three of the four aforementioned big strikeout games came after the break, and a reduction in his walk rate helped reduce his ERA two and a half runs from the first half. As long as his nonbreaking pitches are this hittable, homers will continue to be an issue for him in Houston, but reducing the walks can help offset some of that damage. That 21.4 percent K-BB percentage in the second half of the season is something to admire since his overall numbers somewhat mask that late-season goodness.