Madison Bumgarner: Breaking Down the Youngest Ace on the San Francisco Giants

Madison Bumgarner was at his best last night, dominating the Houston Astros as the Giants cruised to a 6-3 victory.  He fanned 12 batters, 10 of whom went down swinging. 

Bumgarner had it all working, as he spotted his fastball and blew hitters away with his wipe-out slider.

At just 22 years of age, Bumgarner is already an ace. Let’s take a look at exactly why he has been so effective in his young career.

The Slider

Bumgarner has increased his use of the slider in each of his three professional seasons. This year, about 34 percent of Bumgarner’s pitches have been sliders, and the pitch has never been more devastating.

As his career has progressed, Bumgarner has changed the way he throws the pitch. Its velocity now sits around 87 miles per hour, three miles per hour faster than he threw it in 2010.

In short, the slider is Bumgarner’s nastiest offering, and he is using it more frequently than ever.  Batters can’t seem to lay off the pitch, and its sharp downward action has resulted in a lot of swinging strikeouts. 

Just ask the Astros how it looked last night.

Efficiency

Bumgarner doesn’t beat around the bush. When he’s on the mound, he attacks hitters with strikes, and that strategy has proved effective.

Over the span of his young career, Bumgarner has averaged just over two walks per nine innings pitched—a fantastic figure.  This year, he has lowered that number to an astounding 1.84 BB/9.

Even more impressively, his strong punch-out total puts his K:BB ratio at an elite level. At slightly over 4-to-1, he ranks just behind Justin Verlander and just ahead of Roy Halladay and Clayton Kershaw. 

Bumgarner’s ability to throw quality strikes and limit pitches out of the zone keeps his pitch count low, allowing him to work deeper into games.  His efficiency is a key component of his status as an ace.

Price Is Right

Though he’s only 22 years old, Madison Bumgarner has the maturity and repertoire of a seasoned pro. Maybe that’s why the Giants rewarded him with the richest contract ever given to a player with barely a year of service time. 

While it may sound crazy to say that a deal which guarantees such a young player $35 million is actually a bargain, a closer look at Bumgarner proves that he is more than worth it.

The lefty's current deal will keep him under contract until age 29. Considering his polished delivery, early success and year-over-year improvement, the Giants have an absolute steal of a deal with Bumgarner.

With such a team-friendly contract, Bumgarner’s greatest value to the Giants may be the fact that he won’t tie up money that the team can use to address other needs.

Mad Bum is proving to be a reliable ace already, and at such a young age, the sky is the limit.