For the first no-hitter in Rockies history. Jimenez is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and few even know who he is. He is, IMO, the one pitcher in baseball most likely to throw a perfect game. He has a 100 mph fastball, a 90+ slider, and a wicked changeup. The movement on his pitches is incredible.
On the season he is 3-0, a 1.4 ERA, 20 K’s and only 10 BB’s.
I’m also surprised that the OP thinks that Ubaldo is the most likely pitcher to throw a perfect game, given his career walk rate. No-hitter, sure, but perfect game? I don’t think in this lifetime.
Is your namesake’s first one overrated? He did have 5 walks, and all. I don’t think it is. I don’t think this one is overrated either. Sure, I agree that a perfect game is far better than a no hitter. And, each extra base runner takes the luster off a bit. But, getting 27 outs without allowing anyone to reach base on a hit an entire game is an impressive feat, even if it is accompanied by a bunch of walks.
My husband has been in Denver since Saturday. That night he went out to a sort of upscale diner-type place, and the bartender said he had two tickets but had decided to come into work instead, and was trying to give them away. He didn’t take them.
His career walk rate isn’t bad, and it keeps improving. He gave up all six BB’s in the first five innings, but his pitching coach noticed that he gave up all of them while pitching from a full windup. He pitched the last four innings from the stretch and didn’t give up a walk. His control is fine.
That would have been a tough game to catch, since it was played in Atlanta.
It depends on what you consider “bad,” but 4.06 BB per 9 innings is not “good” by any stretch of the imagination. And in 2008 he walked more guys than anyone in the league except for Oliver Perez. I would say that was pretty bad.
He has only improved from 2008-2009, and the early return this year is regression, though time will tell for sure.
Actually, Jimenez has been better throughout his career from the windup. “Far more effective,” if you believe mlb.com. If it takes 6 walks next time to realize it’s time to switch, the damage has probably already been done. I don’t deny that he’s got electric stuff, but I don’t see how you can make an argument that he’s not extremely erratic.
His walks per 9 innings went from 4.7 in 2008 (his rookie year) to 3.5 last year. That’s a massive improvement. I don’t think you can base much on his numbers for the three games this year, but if you do, you’re looking at a Cy Young/MVP season. Winning every game and maintaining a 1.29 ERA will get you that. Do that and nobody will be worrying about his walks.
His rookie season was 2007. He pitched 82 innings and walked 4.06/9, then 4.7 to 3.5 and then back up to 4.29 this year, so you really have no idea if he’s improving yet. And I did add the caveat that this year’s sample size is too small and that time would tell for sure. All I said was his control is too crappy to pitch a perfect game, I don’t care if he wins a Cy Young or not. Are you like his mother or something?