The Continuing Saga of the Midseason Grades

Starting pitchers:

John Smoltz

His NL rank in various stats:

IP - Sixth
Ks - Sixth
ERA - 12th
Wins - 25th

Is having as good a year as the highly publicized Glavine, and his K rate has actually increased over last year, despite going away from his splitter. He's a horse.

Grade: A-


Tim Hudson

He'll never be worth the contract he signed, and if he doesn't get more consistent the fans may begin blaming him for signing it. People are silly that way. It's strange, and frustrating, how Hudson seems to lose his command for weeks at a time, then puts it together and looks unbeatable. I give him about a 90% chance of pitching better in the second half, but for now...

Grade: C-


Horacio Ramirez

Has a worse ERA than Hudson (4.65 to 4.56), but there's no doubt that HoRam has been the better pitcher. The numbers are skewed by that ugly start against the Reds, but six of his nine starts have been stellar. Maybe he's doing it with mirrors, or maybe his discovery that the strike zone also has an INSIDE corner will make an enduring difference in his results. All I know is, he shut down the Yankees in New York, and looked like he knew he could do it.

Grade: B


John Thomson

Actually led the NL in ERA for a while, but only because he was blowing up after two-out errors. I've always felt he was underrated, and I still do -- only now, he's become an underrated reason that we suck. Rowland's Office rightly ridicules him for his penchant for goofy injuries. On the plus side, he sweats more than Mark Wohlers in the throes of performance anxiety.

Grade: D


Kyle Davies

Struggled badly in eight starts before going on the 60-day DL with a strained groin. Must be some strain. I'm hesitant to grade him too harshly -- he's still a baby, and I've got high hopes for him. But he was having a hell of a time getting out of just about any inning. But I'll give him a break (I'm sure he's relieved).

Grade: Inc.


Chuck James

So far, so good. He's going to give up his share of HRs, so he'll have to keep the walks to a minimum. Considering the relative merits of our outfield and infield defenses, inducing a large number of flyballs would seem a prudent strategy. He's fun to watch, and keeps things moving -- only Smoltz when he's on a roll pitches as quickly.

Grade: A


Jorge Sosa

All together now:

Grade: F