What Happened to the Rangers Pitching Staff?

The Texas Rangers are not having their best season by any stretch of the imagination. Other than a ten game win streak a few weeks back, this team has been nothing short of a disappointment . The talent is there, so what in the world is going on? Although it is not all on the pitching coach, I believe that some of it can be on him. The change came (in my opinion) when the great Nolan Ryan left for Houston and the team parted ways with Mike Maddux.

During the time that Mike Maddux was the Rangers pitching coach, the Rangers ERA was 4.06. Since he left, it is 4.33, and the seven years previous to his arrival it was 5.00. The pitching staff under Ryan/Maddux had ERA’s under 4.00 four different times. Before and after that time, the Rangers as a franchise has to go back to 1983 for the last under 4.00 ERA. Maddux had the pitching staff there for four years in a row. The team flurished under Maddux leadership.

Some examples, Colby Lewis had to go play in Japan to try and resurrect his career, and when he came back to the states, he was really, really good under the direction of Mike Maddux. He has the most wins of any Rangers pitcher in the post season.

Derek Holland had his best years under Maddux as well. Matt Harrison, Tommy Hunter, CJ Wilson all were better under Maddux. Since Maddux moved to Washington, they have had one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. Their team ERA is 4.07, and they have three starters with ERA’s under 3.30. Sounds familiar, right?

Don’t get me wrong, he has an excellent pitching staff in Washington. But the numbers are very similiar to his time in Texas. So is he the only reason the Rangers pitching is not so great in 2017? No, but he is part of the reason.

The mindset has changed form “pitch as long as it takes to get the win” to “pull him out around 100 pitches”. Pitchers kow they are coming out at a certain point. The bullpen is a mess, and it may still be even if Maddux was still here, but I don’t think it would be. He had a way of getting the best out of all his pitchers.

I may be crazy, in fact you may think I am crazy, and you may be right. When I look at the numbers, and when I look at the pitching staff duri g games, I for one, sure miss Mike Maddux and his Vulcan death grip.