TCU Frogs in the Pros: April Stats 2019

OK, I know. It’s May, and you’re missing pro baseball updates. A lot of them. Unfortunately it seems the airport with two small children isn’t the best place to try and sort through baseball stats. But now I’m back and I’m excited for what our TCU Baseball Pros are doing. Here’s your April update, and don’t worry—May stats are coming soon.

Jake Arrieta (P/Philadelphia Phillies) -

Arrieta’s late signing last season caused a bit of a rough start to his first season with the Phillies. This season, he seems to be off to a much stronger start. He had a strong showing in April, with just 1 loss in the last half of the month.

On April 12, Arrieta pitched 7 innings and allowed just 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 8. The Phillies won 9-1, with Arrieta pitching a total of 108 pitches and earning a stellar WHIP of .86 for the game.

April 17 brought the Phillies home to face the Mets, who have had a good season and currently sit in 3rd in the NL East. Arrieta pitched a fantastic 8 innings this time, shutting out the Mets for 6 of them. He gave up 2 runs (1 home run) on 6 hits. He struck out 3 and walked 2. The Phillies won 3-2.

The Phillies faced the Mets in New York on April 22. Arrieta struggled more than his previous outing, lasting 6 innings and allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits this time. He managed to walk 1 and strike out 7 in a game that ended with a 5-1 loss for the Phillies.

The Phillies returned home for another game against the Marlins. Arrieta pitched 5 innings, struggling in the top of the 6th when the Marlins hit 4 singles in a row to start the inning. He allowed 9 total hits, and 5 runs, while walking 2 and striking out 5. The Phillies’ offense came through, allowing Arrieta a little wiggle room and earning a 12-9 win.

Arrieta ended April at 3-2, with a 3.82 ERA. Watch for our updates this month to see how he does in the month of May. You can see his full stats here.

Matt Carpenter (1B/3B/St. Louis Cardinals) -

St. Louis fans drive me crazy. There is a never-ending barrage of tweets by fans berating Carpenter for his mistakes, while praising him like a hero when he hits a home run or makes a big play the following day. You would think, by now, they would know that a player’s season can change with just one series. Alas, they apparently do not. Fans have taken to social media to discuss possible contract options for Carpenter since last season, as his previous 6-year contract comes to an end. On April 10, Carpenter’s new contract was announced, with a 2 year, $39 million extension, with an $18.5 million vesting option for 2022. So whether fans like him or not, he’s in St. Louis to stay, for now. He celebrated the new contract with a well-deserved rest day on April 11.

Carpenter had a rough start at the beginning of last season, and this season seems to be taking the same track. That being said, Carpenter had an amazing end to his season last year. Here’s a quick reminder of his 2018 season:

March - 2 H, 1 RBI, 1 HR

April - 11 H, 9 RBI, 1 HR

May - 27 H, 11 RBI, 5 HR

June - 31 H, 15 RBI, 8 HR

July - 31 H, 21 RBI, 11 HR

August - 27 H, 16 RBI, 9 HR

September - 16 H, 8 RBI, 1 HR

Carpenter hit a home run on April 14 on the road against the Reds. The Cardinals won 9-5. His third home run came on April 17, in Milkwaukee. The Cardinals won the game 6-3. A few days later, the Cards were back home to face the Mets when Carpenter was hit on the knee by a pitch in the bottom of the 6th. He left the game mostly as a precaution and returned to the lineup the following day. While Carpenter’s stats aren’t spectacular right now, he’s still got a good eye for the ball—he walked 18 times in April.

Carpenter had 18 runs on 21 hits by the end of April, with 3 home runs and 5 RBI. He had a .193 AVG for the month. You can see his full stats here.

Andrew Cashner (P/Baltimore Orioles) -

Cashner was on the mound against the Red Sox in Boston on April 13. He pitched through 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, including 1 home run. He walked 3 and struck out 2. The Orioles won 9-5.

On April 18, Cashner was in Tampa Bay. He pitched through another 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, including 1 home run. He walked 1 while striking out 6, the most he struck out for the month of April. The Orioles won 6-5.

Cashner was home against the White Sox on April 23. He pitched an outstanding game, lasting through 7 innings and limiting the White Sox to just 1 run on 5 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 5. The Orioles won 9-1.

So here’s the thing with Cashner: The Orioles are still terrible. But when he pitches, their bats are coming alive. This is exactly what Baltimore wanted out of him—they wanted a leader on the mound that would build the team’s confidence and get them wins this season. Last season, Cashner tried to carry the team on his back through each of his starts, but they just couldn’t make anything happen offensively. This season, that’s changed. And while they’re still in last place in the AL East, Cashner has shown that he’s not to be underestimated for the value he can bring to a team. He may not be the most consistent, and he may not pitch no-hitters (or even make it to the 7th inning stretch very often), but the team’s stats for his starts speak for themselves. He’s limiting batters to more ground balls this season (56) versus this time last season (37). He’s thrown fewer fastballs this season (47) vs last season (61) and allowed fewer home runs this season (5 versus 7 in 2018).

Cashner ended April 4-0, with a 4.18 ERA. You can see his full stats here.

Riley Ferrell (RP/Miami Marlins) -

Ferrell is still rehabbing what is now being called bicep tendinitis. He reportedly threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on April 30th, but he’s been added to the 60-day DL, so he won’t be eligible for any games until later in May. We hope to see him back on the mound soon.

You can check out Riley’s full stats here.