Felix Hernandez, starting pitcher, Seattle Mariners
Generally, it’s best to be patient with pitchers in April. A bad outing (or even inning) in April will have a significant impact on the numbers, but may not be terribly reflective of how well a pitcher is going.
But with Hernandez, we can’t be so dismissive.
The strikeouts have been there for King Felix. He’s struck out 12 hitters over 11 innings pitched. But he’s also allowed five earned runs and 15 hits over those 11 innings for a 4.09 ERA 1.36 WHIP, and a 4.36 FIP.
It could just be that Hernandez suffered through a few bad starts. Those aren’t at all uncommon in the early portion of the season. But the way things have been going for Hernandez, we can’t just make that assumption.
Given the recent trajectory of Felix Hernandez's career, we can't ignore a slow start to 2017 pic.twitter.com/kJTzbYKNHE
— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) April 11, 2017
King Felix’s numbers last year were already pointing to a pitcher in decline. That’s far from uncommon for pitchers in their 30’s, which Hernandez is now.
So, a sluggish start was not what anyone in Seattle wanted to see. He’s only two starts in, but the opportunity to begin 2017 all over again would be a welcome one for King Felix.