Thorburn: A look at position players pitching in 2015
From Doug Thorburn at Baseball Prospectus on November 6, 2015:
There were an incredible number of position players who took to the mound in 2015, totaling 24 players by my count. It was suggested that I jump in on the mechanics of this intriguing subset of players, a homework assignment that I was stoked to receive. The group of players is so big that I had to split them up, so for round one we’ll tackle players who are at least semi-regular starters on the diamond, as most of the position-player-turned-pitchers are part-time players near the bottom of the roster. The following group of seven players each had at least 250 plate appearances in 2015, and each faced at least three batters in his stint from the stripe.
A note before we get started: all of the Repetition grades would receive an N/A due to the limited sample, so for each of these players we will forgo the formality and stick with a four-pronged Mechanics Report Card. Each player’s letter grades will be based mostly on the four baselines, with an adjustment made for peripheral aspects that are not on the card, but the overall grade that’s assigned to each pitcher is largely of his Repetition.
Going in chronological order, here are the regulars and semi-regulars who faced at least three batters this past season.
Read the full article here (subscription required): http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=27843
Originally published: November 6, 2015. Last Updated: November 6, 2015.