Home Cookin’: Surprising Pitching Splits

Split stats. They can often be the saviour of your fantasy baseball team. When it comes to line up changes, it is beneficial to know which players have more success in one situation versus another. It can often help pad your stats and better yet, avoid negative hits to your ERA or WHIP.

Making sure to get a starter into your rotation when he has shown consistent success (or a lack thereof) in his home park can be the difference in saving your week. We’ve all heard about “park factors” and know the dangers of starting a pitcher in Colorado, Arlington or the Bronx.

But are the “facts” and “factors” true for everyone? The sample size for the season may seem small, but most players are one sixth of the way through their season, so it’s time to start spotting some trends.

Aaron Harang (SD) – Okay, I know what you’re thinking… his home park is the best pitchers park in baseball so his home stats are going to be great. Not the case. With a 5.48 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 9BB/14K, home cooking is not sitting well with the new Padre. Give me his road 2.28 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 1BB/13K any day of the week.

Ricky Romero (TOR) – Okay, you can pick to either start Romero at the home run band box which is the Rogers Centre or start him on the road. You’ll probably want him on the road, right? You’d be wrong. At the old Sky Dome he is off to a great start with a 1.74 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 3BB/22K. On the road? 4.42 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 10BB/19K. Yikes.

Erik Bedard (SEA) – Pitching in Safeco would be a boon to any pitcher, right? Not Bedard. He sports an ugly 9.00 ERA, 2.33 WHIP and 6BB/8K in the friendly confines of his home park. On the road? Try 4.32 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 5BB/12K.

Jeff Niemann (TB) – Pitching in Tropicana Field sure beats some of the other parks in the AL East. Not for Niemann. At home – 6.62 ERA & 1.53 WHIP. On the road – 3.72 ERA & 1.03 WHIP.

Jhoulys Chacin (COL) – When talking about Coors Field the rule of thumb is to always expect the pitcher to get hit hard while pitching there. Not the case for Chacin. On the road he’s thrown up a 6.55 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 5BB/7K. At scary Coors Field? 1.17 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 4BB/19K.

Matt Garza (CHC) – Everyone was excited at the idea of Garza switching to the NL. Pitching in Wrigley Field, not so much. The notorious hitters park has seen Garza perform at a 1.89 ERA clip so far. His mark on the road? 5.95.

Before you go and make assumptions based upon park factors and generally held theories, take a minute to dig a little deeper. It just might save your fantasy season.