16 April 2018

Dylan Bundy's Fast Start

The Orioles (5-11, -35 run differential) have been lousy. Dylan Bundy, though, has been outstanding. After four starts, he's thrown nearly 26 innings while posting an ERA of 1.40 and a FIP of 1.97. In each start, he's gone at least 5.2 innings, allowed two earned runs or fewer, and struck out at least six batters. That puts him in rare company in Orioles team history.

In the Expansion Era (since 1961), Bundy tops the list of Orioles starting pitchers with consecutive starts of at least 5.2 IP, 2 ER or fewer, and at least 6 strikeouts to begin a season (via Baseball-Reference's Play Index):

Results
Rk Name Strk Start End Games IP ER BB SO
1Dylan Bundy2018-03-292018-04-15425.24731
2Steve Johnson2012-08-082012-08-25212.04416
3Rich Hill2009-05-162009-05-22211.14612
4Garrett Olson2008-04-292008-05-05213.03613
5Dave Schmidt1987-06-091987-06-14213.11212
6Ken Dixon1985-04-201985-04-25215.22513
7Dave McNally1968-04-171968-04-22218.02213
8Tom Phoebus1966-09-151966-09-20218.00515
9Dave McNally1963-04-201963-04-27217.03315
10Dylan Bundy2017-04-052017-04-0517.0108
11Ubaldo Jimenez2016-04-072016-04-0717.0109
12Mike Wright2015-05-172015-05-1717.1006
13Ubaldo Jimenez2015-04-112015-04-1117.0018
14Bud Norris2013-08-012013-08-0116.0228
15Scott Feldman2013-07-032013-07-0316.0206
16Miguel Gonzalez2012-07-062012-07-0617.0126
17Chris Tillman2012-07-042012-07-0418.1027
18Wei-Yin Chen2012-04-102012-04-1015.2216
19Zach Britton2011-04-032011-04-0316.0136
20Jeremy Guthrie2011-04-012011-04-0118.0016
21Bruce Chen2005-04-092005-04-0916.0206
22Rick Bauer2004-09-292004-09-2916.0017
23Dave Borkowski2004-07-052004-07-0518.1216
24Jason Johnson2002-04-032002-04-0317.2116
25Jason Johnson2001-04-052001-04-0518.1116
Rk Name Strk Start End Games IP ER BB SO
26Sidney Ponson2001-04-042001-04-0417.12110
27Pat Hentgen2001-04-022001-04-0218.2116
28David Wells1996-04-031996-04-0317.0136
29Rick Krivda1995-07-071995-07-0715.2227
30Mike Mussina1993-04-071993-04-0718.0119
31Ben McDonald1992-04-091992-04-0919.0019
32Rick Sutcliffe1992-04-061992-04-0619.0016
33Eric Bell1987-04-121987-04-1216.1127
34Mike Boddicker1985-04-101985-04-1016.0146
35Mike Boddicker1983-05-171983-05-1719.0018
36Jim Palmer1978-04-151978-04-1519.0017
37Mike Flanagan1977-04-191977-04-1919.0226
38Rudy May1976-06-181976-06-1818.1236
39Grant Jackson1971-06-221971-06-2216.2017
40Dave McNally1971-04-071971-04-0719.0216
41Dave McNally1970-04-071970-04-0719.02313
42Jim Palmer1969-04-131969-04-1319.0038
43Mike Cuellar1969-04-101969-04-10110.0036
44Tom Phoebus1968-04-101968-04-1017.1126
45Pete Richert1967-06-031967-06-0318.0226
46Frank Bertaina1967-05-181967-05-1816.0146
47Moe Drabowsky1966-08-121966-08-1218.2037
48John Miller1966-05-101966-05-1016.1217
49Jim Palmer1966-04-131966-04-1319.0186
50Steve Barber1964-04-171964-04-1715.2247
Rk Name Strk Start End Games IP ER BB SO
51Dick Hall1962-07-281962-07-2819.01012
52Steve Barber1962-04-151962-04-1519.0167
53Jack Fisher1961-04-141961-04-1416.2207
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 4/16/2018.

Coming out of the gate, Bundy has been wonderful. It's a shame the O's haven't taken advantage; after Sunday's loss in Boston, they're now 1-3 in his starts and have scored just seven runs in those four games.

If Bundy is going to catch the O's leader for most consecutive starts with 5.2 IP, 2 ER or fewer, and 6+ strikeouts (not just to start the season), he still has three more to go:

Results
Rk Name Strk Start End Games IP ER BB SO
1Erik Bedard2006-06-212006-07-28750.061154
2Erik Bedard2007-07-072007-07-31535.041247
3Dave McNally1966-07-031966-07-27540.281237
4Dylan Bundy2018-03-292018-04-15425.24731
5Kevin Gausman2017-07-192017-08-04427.22932
6Mike Mussina1995-07-231995-08-07431.04825
7Ben McDonald1993-09-011993-09-17433.151029
8Steve Stone1980-06-121980-06-26436.041333
9Ubaldo Jimenez2017-07-262017-08-06318.24721
10Zach Britton2012-08-242012-09-04321.23424
11Jake Arrieta2011-05-042011-05-15319.05821
12Erik Bedard2007-06-152007-06-27320.04126
13Erik Bedard2005-04-232005-05-04323.01325
14Mike Mussina2000-08-212000-08-31321.01221
15Scott Kamieniecki1997-07-301997-08-15320.23720
16Mike Mussina1995-09-211995-10-01327.01721
17Ken Dixon1986-07-021986-07-11326.02626
18Mike Flanagan1979-08-091979-08-20330.02529
19Jim Palmer1977-09-121977-09-20326.03520
20Jim Palmer1977-04-121977-04-24327.01420
21Mike Cuellar1973-07-111973-07-19329.03627
22Jim Palmer1972-08-191972-08-28327.01826
23Jim Palmer1972-05-051972-05-15325.06425
24Jim Palmer1971-04-291971-05-09325.05624
25Dave McNally1968-07-051968-07-15324.24721
Rk Name Strk Start End Games IP ER BB SO
26Tom Phoebus1968-07-031968-07-13326.02930
27John Miller1966-08-261966-09-05322.051322
28Milt Pappas1964-08-251964-09-02325.02226
29Steve Barber1963-04-171963-04-25326.23925
30Chuck Estrada1962-06-191962-06-29324.03721
31Kevin Gausman2017-09-132017-09-19215.01213
32Wade Miley2017-04-202017-04-25215.03719
33Kevin Gausman2016-08-282016-09-03213.00217
34Kevin Gausman2016-08-032016-08-08213.04313
35Dylan Bundy2016-08-022016-08-07213.02216
36Kevin Gausman2016-07-182016-07-23213.22413
37Chris Tillman2016-06-082016-06-14214.11216
38Chris Tillman2016-05-132016-05-18213.12513
39Chris Tillman2016-04-272016-05-03213.21618
40Wei-Yin Chen2015-09-192015-09-26212.23214
41Chris Tillman2015-07-102015-07-18214.02214
42Ubaldo Jimenez2015-05-112015-05-16214.04215
43Wei-Yin Chen2015-05-092015-05-15214.03314
44Chris Tillman2014-09-142014-09-20213.23312
45Kevin Gausman2014-09-062014-09-12214.02614
46Miguel Gonzalez2014-08-292014-09-03216.01214
47Chris Tillman2014-08-032014-08-08213.22113
48Miguel Gonzalez2014-05-102014-05-20213.04213
49Chris Tillman2013-08-242013-08-29215.03217
50Chris Tillman2013-07-212013-07-26215.02615
Rk Name Strk Start End Games IP ER BB SO
51Jason Hammel2013-05-222013-05-27214.24214
52Steve Johnson2012-08-082012-08-25212.04416
53Jason Hammel2012-06-162012-06-22217.00218
54Jason Hammel2012-04-192012-04-25213.02417
55Brian Matusz2010-09-272010-10-02213.01417
56Jeremy Guthrie2010-07-172010-07-23213.23112
57Rich Hill2009-05-162009-05-22211.14612
58Garrett Olson2008-04-292008-05-05213.03613
59Erik Bedard2007-08-152007-08-21214.02219
60Jeremy Guthrie2007-06-202007-06-26214.13215
61Erik Bedard2007-05-202007-05-25214.03620
62Daniel Cabrera2006-08-192006-08-25216.00517
63Daniel Cabrera2006-04-282006-05-03214.03312
64Daniel Cabrera2005-09-062005-09-12212.22317
65Erik Bedard2005-05-212005-07-18213.00414
66Daniel Cabrera2005-05-032005-05-09216.01619
67Rodrigo Lopez2004-09-212004-09-26216.01414
68Erik Bedard2004-08-062004-08-11212.02813
69Rodrigo Lopez2003-07-012003-07-06213.22014
70Sidney Ponson2003-05-032003-05-09215.02315
71Mike Mussina2000-09-242000-09-30213.11122
72Mike Mussina2000-06-112000-06-16214.24312
73Mike Mussina1999-09-241999-09-30213.00218
74Juan Guzman1999-06-231999-06-29212.23715
75Mike Mussina1999-06-181999-06-24218.04119
Rk Name Strk Start End Games IP ER BB SO
76Scott Erickson1998-07-051998-07-11216.22515
77Scott Erickson1998-05-211998-05-26215.23517
78Mike Mussina1997-08-281997-09-02214.04119
79Scott Erickson1997-07-271997-08-01217.00215
80Mike Mussina1997-06-251997-06-30217.02221
81Jimmy Key1997-06-081997-06-13213.22415
82Mike Mussina1997-05-031997-05-08213.13315
83Mike Mussina1997-04-171997-04-22215.02113
84Rocky Coppinger1996-09-211996-09-26215.12413
85Mike Mussina1996-04-281996-05-04214.23515
86Ben McDonald1995-05-311995-06-05217.04215
87Mike Mussina1994-06-211994-06-26216.01214
88Mike Mussina1993-08-311993-09-05216.24414
89Jamie Moyer1993-08-181993-08-24217.01315
90Ben McDonald1992-09-291992-10-04216.01415
91Arthur Rhodes1992-09-151992-09-23215.22613
92Mike Mussina1992-09-051992-09-11217.03417
93Arthur Rhodes1992-07-241992-07-29217.02415
94Ben McDonald1991-09-081992-04-09216.02216
95Ben McDonald1990-09-071990-09-12217.03413
96Bob Milacki1989-05-281989-06-02216.12412
97Oswaldo Peraza1988-08-021988-08-06216.02516
98Eric Bell1987-07-171987-07-23217.22321
99Dave Schmidt1987-06-091987-06-14213.11212
100Mike Boddicker1986-09-211986-09-26214.13614
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 4/16/2018.

It's easy to take for granted just how good Erik Bedard was for a few years during the Orioles' Dark Ages, but he was superb in 2006 and 2007.

If you're curious, out of all teams, Randy Johnson had the most such starts to begin a season during the Expansion Era, with nine. And the longest run of such starts spanning multiple seasons was by Pedro Martinez, with 15 (1999-2000), and in any single season by Randy Johnson, with 14 (1999).

1 comment:

CBreezyThreezy said...

Do you think Bundy starting strong last year and this year is a function of him getting increasingly stretched out and being fresh at the beginning of the season?

Do you think he will take a big dip around the All-Star break as we've seen before?