(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
It is only natural for all rookies to have their fair share of slumps. Perhaps the fact that Rick Porcello is just 20 years old is all the more reason to give him the pass. Prior to this season, his experience included just Single-A Lakeland and Seton Hall Preparatory School.
We all know just how great Rick can/will be, and with that being said, we also anticipated several speed bumps along his path to greatness. His limited pitch count and inexperience were sure to hinder him this season in many experts' opinions.
However, on May 27, Porcello was 6-3 with a 3.48 ERA. His limited pitch count had yet to be an issue and he was receiving a hefty amount of early season ROY buzz.
Since that start on May 27 against Kansas City, the young Porcello has struggled. He hasn’t been terrible, and it has just become very evident that the long season is starting to tax his very young arm.
In his last seven starts since then, Porcello is just 2-3, while his ERA has slowly risen to 4.14. The chart below illustrates the woes pretty clearly.
| DATE | OPP | IP | H | ER | BB | K | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/5 | @Min | 4.0 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | L |
| 6/29 | @Oak | 4.1 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | L |
| 6/24 | ChC | 5.0 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | |
| 6/18 | @StL | 5.2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | W |
| 6/12 | @Pit | 7.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | W |
| 6/7 | LAA | 5.0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |
| 6/2 | Bos | 4.1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | L |
While I’m not suggesting sending him down, I believe its about a quarter past time to start skipping him in the rotation. Perhaps just once every three starts or once a month, but honestly though, something needs to be done.
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