Stephen Strasburg has captured all of the headlines and imagination recently, and he should – his first outing was special in an incomprehensible way. He’s the poster child for the youth movement on the mound these days, but he’s far from the only young guy who is doing some damage against opposing teams. Young pitchers are really paying off at the betting window as well – eight of the 25 most profitable starters who have had at least seven starts this season are under the age of 25, and two more are 25. It seems like it used to take a few years for pitchers to find their stride and settle into the role of strong starter, but guys these days are just jumping out of the gates. Beyond the profitable pitchers there are young guys tearing it up – Tim Lincecum had two Cy Youngs by 25, and David Price is leading the AL in wins at 25.
Here’s a look at five youngsters who have been very kind to bettors so far this year:
Brett Cecil, Toronto – Cecil’s only in his second year – he has 10 starts this year after 17 last season. He was a solid 7-4 last year, but he’s taken a big step forward. This year he is the fourth most profitable pitcher in the majors behind Carlos Silva, Ubaldo Jimenez and Michael Pelfrey. The Jays are 8-2 when Cecil starts. He has seven quality starts including a current streak of five in a row, and the team has won his last six outings. His ERA has dropped more than two runs per game, and his WHIP has dropped from 1.65 to a stunning 1.00. The best part for bettors is that Cecil has been fearless and under-appreciated this year – he has been an underdog winner in six of his ten starts.
Phil Hughes, New York Yankees – Hughes was heavily hyped when he made his debut in 2007, but it has taken until this year for him to look like a top level starter. The Yankees looked like they were going to give up on him a couple of times and ship him away, so it’s to their credit that they held on. Now Hughes has been a dramatically better pitcher for handicappers – and the team in general – than ace CC Sabathia has been. Hughes is sporting an 8-1 record, and the team is 9-2 when he takes the mound. He plays for the Yankees so it’s no surprise that he hasn’t been an underdog or even anything close to one, but you don’t mind paying big prices for a pitcher when they are taking care of business like Hughes has been doing.
John Ely, Los Angeles Dodgers – There were a pile of questions heading into this season about pitching for the Dodgers, but Ely and others have eased those concerns and turned this squad into a first place team. Ely made his major league debut this season. After a stumble in his first game he settled in and threw six straight quality starts. Now the team is 6-2 in his eight starts. What’s been most impressive about Ely is his composure – his k/BB ratio is a stellar 3.9/1, and he just doesn’t seem to get flustered like a lot of pitchers his age can. Ely doesn’t have top of the rotation stuff, but there’s no reason he couldn’t be a very useful starter for years to come.
Tommy Hanson, Atlanta – Hanson emerged as a star last year after he made his debut a year and a day before Strasburg did – he was 11-4. This year he hasn’t missed a beat. He’s actually been even better. Last year the team was just 12-9 when he started. This year they are 10-3. His ERA is up a touch from last year, but the point is to win games, and he’s doing a very good job of doing that. He’s a big part of the reason why the Braves are a first place team. The biggest compliment you can pay Hanson is that it is very easy to forget that the guy has only had 34 career starts. He’s like a solid veteran already.
Trevor Cahill, Oakland – The youngster on this list, Cahill is only 22. Despite barely shaving, though, the guy is in his second full year as a starter after getting drafted out of high school. His first season was a bit rough – a 10-13 record, and a 4.63 ERA in 32 starts. This year he’s clearly more comfortable, and that’s paying off with some very nice results. He’s 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA, and the A’s are 6-3 when he starts. The guy couldn’t be doing a better job for his team – his last eight starts have been quality ones. No one s talking about this youngster, but if he keeps this up then they are going to start.
