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With the All Star Break approaching July 11th through the 13th the first half of the season will be complete which means the second half of the baseball season is right around the corner. With this in mind we at ASA have taken a look at the top money pitchers in baseball along with some of the pitchers that struggled through the first part of the season. We have also looked at some of the pitchers who are rolling into the all star break hot that should continue to thrive through the second half of the season.
STAYING FOR THE SEASON- Here are 3 pitchers that have been throwing the ball extremely well keeping themselves atop the money list.
Livan Hernandez +$1230
Looking atop of baseball’s pitching money leaders it’s tough to imagine who heads up the list. Livan Hernandez of the surprising Washington Nationals leads the Majors with a +$1230 profit based on $100 per wager. The Nationals are 15-4 winning 78% of the time when Hernandez has taken the mound. Hernandez has compiled 12 wins and only 3 losses this year while keeping his ERA right around 3.00 the first half of the season. Many people see the Nationals as a surprise but we foresee similar results when Hernandez takes the mound after the All Star Break. Since the year 2000 Hernandez has won 10 or more and already 12 wins this year. We expect Hernandez to keep on rolling through and after the break.
Jon Garland +$997
Jon Garland is developing as one of the better pitchers in baseball. The White Sox and Garland are 13-3 winning 81% of the time when the young right hander steps to the mound. This makes Garland the 2nd best money pitcher in baseball right behind Hernandez. Garland has established a career low 3.29 ERA through the first half of the season throwing the ball the best he has in his young career. In his 6th season in the League Garland has gone from winning just 4 games in 2000 to 13 wins this year at the All-Star break. We look for Garland to continue throwing the ball well which will not only keep him but also the White Sox atop the money stats.
Chris Carpenter +$749
Since joining the Cardinals in 2004 Chris Carpenter has done nothing but good things for St Louis. Carpenter currently ranks 6th among baseball’s pitchers in money statistics this year and is 13 & 4 on the season. The Cardinals are 14-4 when Carpenter has started, winning 77% of the time he pitches. Carpenter has already thrown 3 complete games in the first half of the season while having a 2.51 ERA which is good for 4th in the National League. Carpenter finished last year +$895 while winning 15 games and only losing 4. We see Carpenter along with the other two pitchers mentioned above to continue winning thanks in part to offenses that scores runs. The Cardinals have been nothing but a good fit for Carpenter, so look for Carpenter to keep winning games and keep himself atop the money list.
STRUGGLERS- Below are two pitchers that are struggling and not living up to pre-season expectations.
Carlos Zambrano -$501
Last year Zambrano ranked 16th among all Major League Baseball pitchers with a profit of +$760 when betting $100 per game. This year however has been much different for Zambrano and the Cubs where he is -$501. The Cubs have a record of 8-9 when Zambrano goes to the mound and because of his success last year with 16 wins Chicago has been favored in most of his starts this year which translates to larger money losses. Thus, while the Cubs are one game below .500 when he starts, Zambrano is minus five full games on the money side of things. The slump the Chicago offense has been in of late does not bold well for Zambrano and the rest of the Cubs starting staff heading into the second half of the season. The Cubs are a team that goes on streaks and as of right now they seem to be “ice cold” which could make for a long season for Zambrano and the rest of the team.
Carl Pavano -$691
The story of the year for the Yankees has been their pitching. Carl Pavano came to New York with very high expectations after winning 18 games for the Marlins last year. Last year Pavano was the 9th ranked money pitcher profiting +$895 on a $100 bet per game. The Marlins won 22 of the 31 games when he was on the mound last year as he was definitely the ace of the staff. This year Pavano’s ERA is up by more than a run and he has given up a total of 129 hits in only 100 innings of work. Pavano has also been experiencing soreness in his right shoulder which is not a good sign heading into the second half of the season. Partly due to the fact that he pitches for the Yankees, Pavano is definitely overvalued. Thus, while the Yanks are one game below .500 with Pavano on the mound, he is minus nearly seven full games when it comes to money. Last year in Florida Pavano was a pitcher that wasn’t expected to win every night out but now that he is a Yankee a loss is nothing but misery for the big right handed hurler.
HEADING IN HOT- Here are two pitchers that may not be on top of the money list but they are giving their teams great chances to win games and might be solid “play ons” in the second half of the season.
Jeremy Bonderman of Detroit +$466
Bonderman has pitched really well for the Detroit Tigers but does not win consistently thanks to the lack of offense. The Tigers are 11-7 when Bonderman takes the hill, winning just over 60% of the time when he starts. This right handed pitcher heads into the All Star Break winning 5 of his last 6 starts. In those 5 wins he has a combined ERA of 2.20 and he gave up only 30 hits in 39 innings of work. He has also thrown 2 complete games this season one against the Yankees and one against the Twins, two teams that have potent offenses to say the least. With some help from Detroit’s offense Bonderman should have a successful second half of the season building on his money making statistics.
Rich Harden of Oakland +$363
Harden is not the only person on the A’s experiencing success in their last few games. The Oakland A’s are back on the map thanks to good pitching and timely hitting. Rich Harden has helped the A’s get back on track by going 3-0 and only giving up 1 earned run in his last 3 starts. In these 3 starts Harden has only given up 7 hits in 17 innings of work. Harden and the A’s are heading into the All Star Break in good spirits which will only boost their confidence and keep them both winning games.
ASA Inc is heading into the All-Star Break on a nice winning streak and we expect to keep this money making machine in gear. Be sure to check out our Daily products here on VI or take advantage of our Seasonal Package and save yourself some money in the process. Best of luck!
