6
2011
Pelf-Awareness
An article by 
I am one of the regulars on a weekly Kult of Mets Personalities podcast, and if you listened to it, you would know that I am the resident Mike “Big Pelf” Pelfrey homer. I root for him probably harder than any other Met. I don’t know why either, but I feel a personal connection to Big Pelf. It’s mostly because I saw him pitch in his major league debut in 2006. I always felt he got the bum’s rush in between 2006 and 2007, and then had his break out season in 2008. It was tough to see who the “real” Mike Pelfrey was in the midst of 2009, with the team just tanking as badly as they did, but then he re-emerged in 2010. I truly felt this was the Mike Pelfrey that I believed in, the Big Pelf who was finally living up to his potential.
But being a huge Pelfrey supporter does not make me one of those apologists. I call myself jokingly a “homer” but I am a realistic optimist when it comes to him. Of course I have a soft spot in my heart for home grown talent and especially for home grown pitchers, but I am realistic in acknowledging that Mike Pelfrey’s start this season is a cause for concern.
What I don’t appreciate is when Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo were let go by the Mets organization that most people were looking to find their next scapegoat. I was surprised when I heard most people wanting to go after Mike Pelfrey, a guy who just won 15 games the year prior. But it was an easy target: after all, we knew he was a head case and here was Mets manager Terry Collins putting the label “ace” on him with the absence of Johan Santana. Now, I know Mike Pelfrey isn’t the “ace” of a rotation with or without Johan Santana, and probably will never be…But outside of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee (of course those two are bad examples since they are on the same team), Tim Lincecum, CC Sabathia and Felix Hernandez, are there truly “aces” like the way we were schooled on them (like the Tom Seavers, Nolan Ryans, Dwight Goodens, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Juan Marichal, etc) left in baseball today?
But that’s not even the question here. What I want to know is the following about starting Mike Pelfrey or keeping him around at all…when he’s playing for an NL East team and he pitches HORRIBLY against NL East teams???
Here’s a newsflash folks: It’s not about his head, it’s not about whether he’s good or not, whether he’s a fly ball pitcher or strikeout pitcher or whatever, it’s the fact that he can’t perform well against any NL East team on the road.
Against NL East teams, here is a sampling of Mike Pelfrey’s career numbers against NL East teams.
.
| Team | Games Started | Wins | Losses | ERA | BA | WHIP | K/9 |
| Atlanta Braves | 15 | 4 | 9 | 5.65 | .331 | 1.744 | 4.6 |
| Florida Marlins | 13 | 1 | 7 | 5.63 | .305 | 1.653 | 5.5 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 15 | 6 | 5 | 5.25 | .297 | 1.5 | 5.2 |
| Washington Nationals | 16 | 4 | 6 | 4.22 | .267 | 1.439 | 4.6 |
Source: Baseball Reference
These are teams he’s going to face the most over a given time season. He has GOT to bring it better than what the numbers show above.
But to add insult to injury, he seems to only perform decently against these teams while at CitiField. Did you know he’s never won a game at Nationals Park in four starts? And he’s got an over NINE ERA against the Phillies in Citizens Bank Park! No wonder Ryan Howard can tee off him there!
.
| Stadium | Games Started | Wins | Losses | ERA | BA | WHIP | K/9 |
| Turner Field (ATL) | 8 | 2 | 5 | 6.75 | .347 | 1.734 | 4.9 |
| Landshark Stadium (FLA) | 6 | 0 | 3 | 5.88 | .297 | 1.663 | 5.3 |
| Citizens Bank Park (PHI) | 7 | 1 | 3 | 9.38 | .379 | 2.147 | 4.0 |
| Nationals Park (WAS) | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4.74 | .268 | 1.459 | 3.3 |
Source: Baseball Reference
Needless to say, those numbers are pretty atrocious, barring any start against any other team. While Pelfrey has been consistently inconsistent at times in his career, the fact is he’s been abysmal against the very teams that he has to absolutely step up his game.
Why are we discussing this now? Clearly, I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt to Sandy Alderson and the crew backing him up in JP Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta. After all, they didn’t make any rash decisions until they were able to see the team perform; they didn’t go wild and crazy with the free agency market and setting the team back even further; they were able to cut ties with those who needed to (Pedro Feliciano ,Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo) and round out the rest of the team and bullpen with some high-reward low-risk types (Chris Young, Chris Capuano, and Jason Isringhausen to name a few).
If I can be pleased that they didn’t jump the gun simply for jumping it, I have to say that I am dismayed at a few things. One is that I’ve been thrown under the bus for suggesting Angel Pagan should have been traded in the offseason. I still believe they could have gotten better value for him then. Two is that for a front office team that is so heavily reliant on stats, the decision should have been a no-brainer: the 20/20 hindsight of trading Mike Pelfrey at his high value.
It’s not even trading him at his high value. Mike Pelfrey, while he has shown some glimmers of hope and talent there over the years, is maddeningly inconsistent against NL East teams. If a schmoe blogger like myself can easily look up some stats on Baseball Reference, chances are they dropped the ball on this. Now, Pelfrey has shown that he’s got issues again, and unless he has a bounceback month (which I won’t totally rule out), the fact is the Mets aren’t going to get any value for Mike Pelfrey whatsoever. At least, to the extent of what they’ve invested in him already.
Look, don’t get me wrong. I love Mike Pelfrey. No one wants to see him succeed more than me (well, maybe I know a few others over at Brooklyn Met Fan who do). I am also of the frame of mind that if he can succeed elsewhere I can put my homerism aside and let him be the best he can be someplace else. His stats suggest that he’s been successful against AL East teams (of all things) and against NL Central teams. Some team wouldn’t have wanted to take a gander at him?
Most of all, I believe that when Mike Pelfrey leaves, he’ll come back to bite us in the ass, Nolan Ryan-style. I can see Big Pelf being a force on another team. To me, sad as I am to admit to it, his time may have come and gone here in New York. I just wish that it didn’t take a month into the season for everyone to realize this.
About the Author: Taryn Cooper
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Great piece. Thanks!
spot on. i’ve felt like this for awhile.pelf’s success will probably happen on another team.he’s too fragile for NYC(mentally).he would be good for a team that needs a 4th starter.
Thanks guys! I’ll be sad to see him go, I think there’s talent there for sure. The fact is, he can’t perform against the teams he needs to, he needs to ship out.
I still think he has Cardinal written all over him. Nice polite midwestern city, good fans, crappy teams in the division, and a Yoda like pitching coach that (if anyone can) should finally get him pitching like his talent says he should.
make a package deal, K Rod and Pelf, since they need a closer too, and (I think) are short of SP
I live in Pelf’s hometown… and believe me, Wichita is the polar opposite of NYC. Laid back. I remember when he was in high school… and college. The promise he showed here… you just don’t understand coop. I am sad to say it, but if Mike’s going to have success as a pro, he’s going to have to do it somewhere else… like Milwaukee or KC… somewhere his every move isn’t being scrutinized.
Hi BK – thanks for reading/responding. I think I do get it. People have told me that he’s “not that good” and I’ve said, no, the talent is there, we’ve seen it last year mostly and 2008. I’m not sure if it’s NY or just the parity (or lack of it) in the NL East, but maybe you are right, I think he shines against the NL Central teams, perhaps that’s where he could go…
“What I don’t appreciate is when Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo were let go by the Mets organization that most people were looking to find their next scapegoat.”
Amen Coop!
It would seem that Met Fans are not happy unless they have someone to call out as the NEXT HEAD to ROLL!
I call them the DeFargeists!
They started and recieved the following heads:
Jerry Manuel
Omar Minaya
Oliver Perez
Luis Castillo
They have since tried to get rid of:
Jose reyes
David Wright
May still get:
Carlos Beltran
Mike Pelfrey
Jason Bay
In two years will be going after:
Sandy Alderson
Terry Collins
Ike Davis
And through all of this have tried without success to get rid of the Wilpons.
Met Fans seem to have a secret dream to be Donald Trump and say YOUR FIRED!
Pelfrey has issues there is no denying. He has to take that next step that he can not seem to take. He shows flashes of Brilliance then flashes of mental sickness and can never put together a consistent performance over a whole season.
I personally think the right Pitching coach could change him and the other problems that we have in the rotation, and another TRUE ACE would help a lot as well.
Santana was the leader of the rotation even when he wasn’t getting run support.
Our Bullpen has been better now that Isringhausen has filled the Veteran leadership void that K-Rod was never capable of handling and he has brought some stability.
Starting pitchers coming around and pitching deeper is only PART of why they have been better of late.
Pelfrey is definitly having problems and I believe they are in his head.
I am not sure how to solve them save getting a coach who reaches him or sending him down to the Minors so he can get his self in order.
Maybe he starts pitching better from here on out.
He was very sick before his last start and almost missed it.
I am very willing to give him a little more time but if his next 3 starts are similar to his last 3 then something has to give with him.
I like the guy and want him to succeed as a Met but we need more from that spot in the rotation than he has been giving us!
Yeah, he seemed to rebound when the Mets parted ways with Rick Peterson, and I mean the guy made “aces” (i use the term loosely – very very good pitchers I mean) out of Maine and Perez, two guys with histories of erratic pitching to put it mildly. It just makes me wonder if Pelfrey is just left to his devices (which Warthen seems to encourage) he might do better. On the flip side, I think his head as you mention does get in the way of him being as successful as he can be…
Well what does Peterson do? He constantly has the pitchers thinking about this, changing that, moving the mechanics all over and making the pitcher THINK about all those things.
Warthen is the Opposite!
It does appear that Pelfrey doesn’t really WANT to think. He merely wants to go out there and throw whatever is thrown down.
Which leaves open the possibility that Warthen may not be the problem but also may not be the answer to Pelf.
What WOULD be an answer is to find a catcher that will think FOR Pelf!
Barajas and Blanco both did last year and consequently he started off the season good. Once Barajas got hurt is when Pelf started having trouble again!
Pelf might do better in a less pressure packed enviornment but I would like to think that someone in between the extremes of Peterson and Warthen might be able to get Pelfrey to think for himself. Until that happens we need to have a catcher for him that can do the thinking that Pelf refuses to do for himself.
Good post Coop.
Before the start of last season I was ready to move on with Pelf then last yr with the season he had I started to think that Pelf maybe finally had turned a corner when over his 1st 14 starts from 4/9 to 6/13 he went 9/W 1/L 2.39/ERA .243/BA then even when he started to slump nearing the All-Start break where over his next 9 starts from 6/19 to 8/4 where he went 1/W 5/L 7.74/ERA .393/BA I felt cause of how he recovered to finish the season where over his final 11 starts from 8/10 to 10/3 he went 5/W 3/L 2.78/ERA .230/BA that maybe he finally figured it out.
So far this year he is proving that my thoughts may indeed have been premature and with every start he is making 2010 look to be a fluke season.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=pelfrmi01&t=p&year=2010
Now look at the dates and compare them to the time barajas got hurt and was out!
You might see why he had the good start and then lost it for awhile.
??? Pelf’s bad stretch started back on 6/19 a full 7 starts before Barajas went on the dl later on July 25th.
Barajas was then traded and played for the Dodgers on Aug 24 and Pelf still continued to pitch well with out him after that.
I don’t see a connection.
Rod Barajas to dl
mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100726&content_id=12652234&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb
Rod Barajas game log
baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=barajro01&t=b&year=2010
Not really MNJ, Sure he had a few shaky outings coming towards the All Star break but it wasn’t until he got snubbed for the All Star team (after July) where he had his worst showings.
It was even speculated that not making the All star team was a blow to his confidence!
And Blanco caught most of his games when he came back to success!
Not debating that July wasn’t a bad month just that Barajas has nothing to do with it which is what you suggested to begin with.
What I was saying (and I don’t have the evidence) Did Barajas catch all those games in July or did Blanco catch most of those games during that bad spell?
Barajas did catch most of his fast starts early. But by the time Pelf started to Sour Blanco was getting a lot more playing time and then Thole after Barajas left for LA.
It was not meant as a fact, just a suggestion to what may have changed in pelfrey if not Pelfrey himself.
But your point is taken.
Personally, I think that if any pitcher, outside of a knuckleballer who actually needs a good catcher, needs a “personal” catcher, they might need to rethink their craft!
Coop — You literally took the words from me. If a catcher makes or breaks whether you’re a low 3 ERA to a high 5 ERA guy… then its an excuse, not a reason
Did the leg work so I hope this helps answer your question.
Pelfrey’s starting catcher in 2010
4/09 – Barajas
4/15 – Blanco
4/20 – Blanco
4/25 – Blanco
5/01 – Blanco
5/07 – Barajas
5/12 – Barajas
5/17 – Barajas
5/22 – Barajas
5/27 – Blanco
6/01 – Barajas
6/08 – Barajas
6/13 – Blanco
6/19 – Blanco
6/25 – Thole
6/30 – Barajas
7/05 – Barajas
7/10 – Barajas
7/19 – Barajas
7/24 – Barajas
7/30 – Blanco
8/04 – Thole
8/10 – Thole
8/15 – Thole
8/20 – Thole
8/27 – Blanco
9/01 – Thole
9/06 – Thole
9/11 – Thole
9/16 – Thole
9/21 – Thole
9/28 – Thole
10/3 – Thole
Barajas = 12 games
Blanco = 9 games
Thole = 12 games
For the month of July Barajas caught every Pelfrey start except the last one on 7/30.
Source: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/2010-batting-orders.shtml
Wow dude! Didn’t mean for you to have to go through all that! LOL
I would say that pretty much shows it didn’t matter who was catchingalthough from the looks of it he was a bit better when Blanco was catching him.
People do expect more of Pelfrey than he might be capable of –> his original scouting report was beaming with potential and his stretch where he completely dominated in 2008 was very impressive – It’s where he caught my attention and made me a Mike Pelfrey fan.
I like Mike Pelfrey and I always have. He’s a good character, he’s got a pitcher’s build and he really doesn’t throw all that bad…”stuff.”
But the proof is right there. He can’t pitch against the NL East. So let’s trade him to the Marlins!
Ok, seriously. His lowest WHIP is against the Nationals and that’s about 1.4 which is…horrific.
The bottom line for me is that however long he is in a Mets uniform, Pelfrey will have my support. And if he’s traded off, I’ll wish him well – the best of luck and…move on.
Good piece, Coop!
Cooooop!
Here’s my view on Pelfrey honestly.
I like him, there’s no reason not to but I think if the plan for this organization is to think about the future then I think he’s a no brainer to feel out offers.
I think Pelf’s biggest problem is that every other year he is pegged as the Mets “ace”, and so every other year he seems to flop because expectations are so ridiculously high for him and he doesn’t have the talent to reach those levels.
It’d be like the Giants losing Lincecum and Matt Cain being asked to be the Ace of the staff. Cain’s better than Pelfrey, but you know what I mean.
Pelf doesn’t have ace stuff. He just isn’t a #1 pitcher. Look around the league at #1′s.
Sabathia, Lester, Price, Weaver, King Felix, Lincecum, Halladay, Verlander, Ubaldo, Kershaw, Josh Johnson, Carpenter just to name some off the top of my head
Pelf isn’t in any of those guys’ league. It’s not even debatable. But yet he’s asked to be.
Pelfrey is better served if he’s the 3rd best pitcher on your staff. He relies so heavily on the defense behind him and his park to save him. He doesn’t control the game, an ace has to manage the game through strikeout stuff.
Nobody in the league is afraid of Mike Pelfrey. If your “#1″ doesn’t scare anybody, then you’re either a terrible team OR he’s not a #1.
I don’t think its about his mindset, I think its about his skill set
I agree with your point on EXPECTATIONS.
I think people seem to want more than he may be capable of.
Mind set vs Skill Set. Thanks Mr Wilpon, erm, I mean Jessep (lol – j/k). Seriously, I think that hits the nail on the head – Pelfrey’s “skill set” would shine in another environment and right now, his weaknesses are magnified being on this particular team I believe. The whole Collins labeling him the “#1″ guy was simply due to experience, and not necessarily because he’d “earned” it. I even said on the podcast “Part of me thinks – I’m so proud of him! the other part is – it’s not like Collins had much of a choice there!”
2009: 5k per 9
3.2 BB per 9
10 H per 9
2010: 5k per 9
3 BB per 9
9 H per 9
2011: 5k per 9
4.2 bb per 9
13 H per 9
I honestly feel like his 2010 season was more luck than talent. I think his 2009 year is a more accurate assesment of his talent. Regardless, he’s not a #1 and he’s a questionablr #2.
Good pitcher, but the pressure handed to him is based on the talent around him… not the city he plays in
His BBs and WHIP were too high for my liking too but you know what, he put the mets in a good position to win each time. Which again, is not “ace” or “#1″ worthy, but perhaps indicative of what we should expect from him. He’s like a better and less annoying version of Steve Trachsel (and I was one of the few fans who actually LIKED Trashball, I mean, Trachsel lol)
I have always stuck up for Pelf, and though I find myself more patient watching met games this year, I am very impatient with Pelf. The time has to come when you stop biting your glove like a LL’er, or licking yourself like a dog. The minute he pushes his hat up onto the back of his head, I know he is through. He may last an inning or two longer but he is toast. I also get the sense this year that he has no idea what he is doing out there. Every game Pelf has another approach. By now it should have all been figured out, I think. He should have an identity as a pitcher. Instead, he is a basket case. A basket case who won 15 games last year. Some team has to think they can turn him around. Maybe NY is just too much for him. And I would not care if he went somewhere and succeeded,becuse I like the guy and because I no longer believe he can do that here. Just so we get something fairly good for him.
I say Mets should talk to him and his agent to go to AAA to wk on his pitches that he should be using under a calmer environment then allow him to return after say 3-4 starts depending on his results. I also think that Mets put a lot on his shoulders and that he wanting to do whatever team needed just took ball and did what he could.
The fact that he won those games last year w/o a complete team just shows that he can win at this level. I am hoping that he figures it out, hopefully in minors, and stay with Mets cause now that Mejia is hurt who do we have to show for all these years of drafting and developing pitchers other than Gee, Parnell and now Beato?
Here is something that I would like the Fans to look at the next time Pelf faces the Phillies and Halladay or Lee. (And JDon your post reminded me of this thought that I had during the last game)
Look at the pace that Halladay and Cliff Lee work and then look at the pace that Pelfrey works.
Two of the most consistent pitchers in baseball vs one of the most inconsistent from inning to inning.
If you look you will see how both Halladay and Lee get the ball, step on the rubber and make the next pitch.
Watch Pelfrey and he takes a walk around the mound, Wipes his forehead, Plays with his cap, Takes a long time before he even loks for the signs and then repeats that over and over again.
It looks as if he is hesitant to make a pitch. Halladay and Lee look like that can’t wait to make the next pitch.
While whatever mstake or issue they had on the last delivery is still fresh in their mind they make the next pitch and adjust accordingly.
Pelfrey seems to lament what happened or fret for awhile after a mistake and then goes and makes the same damn mistake because he is putting what happened out f his mind!
This is why I constantly say pelf’s issues are MENTAL more than Talent.
He has the talent and shows this on those occassions where there is no pressure or when the team stakes him to a error proof margin of a lead.
Pelfs best games are all those where the team scores early and stakes him to that early lead.
But in games that are scoreless or close he seems to struggle.
That is in his head not his arm or his ability.
And when you see him pitch next to the Lee’s and Halladays of the world you truly see the difference in approach!
They are ACES…Pelfrey could be if he could only get his head screwed on straight. The pitches are there, the attitude is not!
Your example is noted, but it’s totally wrong.
Halladay and Lee work fast because they know any pitch they throw can get a hitter out. They don’t have to worry about whether their curve is working for example.
Pelf relies on the guys playing behind him, so he pitches to keep the ball in the park. Halladay and Lee pitch to get you out.
when I say you’re wrong, I mean about the mental part.
He’s never as a big leaguer had nasty stuff. He just doesn’t.
If you want to say its mental because he’s not SMART enough to pitch with average stuff then yeah I’ll take that. Glavine had average stuff towards the end of his career but he knew how to use it.
Pelfrey’s problem is he isn’t any better than a 4.00-5.00 pitcher. He just isn’t. No catcher, pitching coach or shrink will change that.
Well isn’t KNOWING that part of the Mental?
Pelfrey relies on the guys behind him because he doesn’t approach the batter with any plan.
And even a guy who relies on the guys behind him should pitch at a faster pace so those guys behind him stay alert and the guys he pitches too don’t have as much time to think about whwere the next pitch is going to be located.
Pelf is a guy who basically runs a whip of 1.5
Right now he is running a whip over 2.
I actually expect a string of decent starts from him at this point.
thank you and good night.
see ?
pelf has good stuff,but he just doesn’t know how to pitch,(setting up hitters).he needs his hand held every step of the way.he’s been here awhile,but it’s just not clicking for him, and he is terrible against the NL east.he may have to move on if he hopes to gain any success.