Video: What to Expect From Dodgers' Walker Buehler in 2020
We can debate whether Walker Buehler is the ace of the Los Angeles staff until we're Dodgers blue in the face. Uh, wait a minute. No we can't. Buehler is the Dodgers' ace.
The verbal gymnastics required to explain another Clayton Kershaw another Opening Day nod are silly. Buehler should’ve been named the game-one starter in Spring Training 1.0, he ought to be in 2.0, and IF a starter is needed out of the pen in the postseason, it oughta be him.
Buehler is the club's best big-stage pitcher, is what he is. He thrives in the role. Witness the 2.72 earned run average, the 0.883 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 36 1/3 career postseason innings. And that's including the rough five-inning, five-earned rookie start in the 2018 National League Division Series versus Atlanta. Subtract that and the October ERA is 1.74. If the Dodgers had more players who could up their game to his level in October, they’d have won a World Series already.
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A few additional numbers for your reference, beginning with the right-hander's 2019 stats:
14-4 W/L, 30 G, 30 GS, 182 1/3, 66 ER, 153 H, 37 BB, 215 Ks, 3.26 ERA, 1.042.
Career stats:
23-9 W/L, 62 G, 53 GS, 329 IP, 114 ER, 259 H, 82 BB, 378 Ks, 3.12 ERA, 1.036.
Baseball Reference preseason projection:
11-5 W/L, 162 IP, 62 ER, 49 H, 43 BB, 186 Ks, 3.44 ERA, 1.093, 1 SV.
Steamer's preseason projections:
14-9 W/L, 32 G, 32 GS, 194 IP, 3.27 ERA, 3.10 FIP, 1.038.
My preseason projections (published March 3):
16-7 W/L, 30 G, 30 GS, 177 IP, 228 K, 3.31 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 1.041.
My 2.0 projections (as of July 3):
5-2 W/L, 10 G, 8 GS, 66 IP, 75 K, 3.31 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 1.041.
Don't forget to watch the video at the top of the page.
And remember, glove conquers all.
Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter.
