What is Wrong With Ben Sheets?

[Oldcity]

He's no CC?

 

Sabathia Career: 117 ERA+, 2.57 K/BB, 7.47 K/9, 2.91 BB/9, 1.255 WHIP

 

Sheets Career: 115 ERA+, 3.89 K/BB, 7.66 K/9, 2.03 BB/9, 1.207 WHIP

 

Extremely similar, and you could make the case that Sheets has better numbers.

[TooLiveBrew]

There is absolutely no way Sheets gets $5M less in AAV, unless Sabathia gets around $30M & signs after Sheets -- he'd set the market value higher for Sheets if he got that much.

[brewers4eric]

Ben's velocity on his fastball has varied since the all star break, and it seems like he has had some difficulty locating it over his last few starts. Teams that have faced him a number of times usually have a decent approach, they'll lay off his curve and hope for a mistake with his fastball. Through all the injuries and bad Brewer teams I've loved the guy, but it almost seems like he is cursed to never win more than a dozen games in a Brewer uniform. Hopefully he'll break the curse this season.

[JohnBriggs12]

He's no CC?

 

Sabathia Career: 117 ERA+, 2.57 K/BB, 7.47 K/9, 2.91 BB/9, 1.255 WHIP

 

Sheets Career: 115 ERA+, 3.89 K/BB, 7.66 K/9, 2.03 BB/9, 1.207 WHIP

 

Extremely similar, and you could make the case that Sheets has better numbers.

I must have missed it. What year did Sheets win the Cy Young? And just how many of those 7.66K/9 innings of Sheets included the opposing pitcher? I'm sure a lot more than CC's.

 

You can't compare raw numbers of pitchers compiled in different leagues. Still, over the last 3 seasons which are more relevant to next contracts, Sabathia is 42-26 with a 3.21 ERA, 16 CG, 6 shutouts in 608 innings while Sheets is 28-17 with a 3.57 ERA, 5 CG, 1 shutout in 393 2/3 innings.

 

I'm not denegrating Sheets. He's going to get $15-16 million per year over 4-5 years. But Sabathia is going to get $20-21 million over 6 years minimum.

 

Not to be overlooked besides the issue of durability is the fact that Sabathia is 2 years younger than Sheets.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

If Sheets would only get that range, he'd already have been re-signed. You're lowballing him, to be sure. Jeff Suppan is slated to make $12M next season, do you legitimately think that Sheets will only get $3M more on the open market?

[Oldcity]

I must have missed it. What year did Sheets win the Cy Young?

 

Cy Youngs are based largely off the pointless win statistic, but if you want to look at it that way, CC has never had a season that approaches Ben's 2004.

 

Not to be overlooked besides the issue of durability is the fact that Sabathia is 2 years younger than Sheets.

I didn't overlook it. I was only arguing that their numbers are similar. Sabathia will get more than Sheets because of his age and durability, but not really because his numbers are better to this point.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Sheets is also averaging 3.2 runs per game of support from his offense in his last 5 starts so he's not getting much help either.

[RoseBowlMtg]

Going back Sheets last 7 games:

 

IP, H, ER

7, 9, 5

5.2, 8, 1

6, 5, 3

5, 9, 2

7, 4, 2

5.1, 11, 6

6, 6, 2

 

3 quality starts (6,5,3/ 7,4,2/6,6,2

 

2 almost but better than minimum quality starts: (5.2,8,1/ 5,9,2)

 

2 bad starts: (7,9,5/ 5.1,11, 6)

 

Let's look at those two games:

 

7,9,5 7 games ago vs Colorado

 

box score

Colorado: 00011210x

Milwauke: 000000000 3 hits Sheets pitched perfect for 3 innings then Col got to him slowly. 2 runs in 5 innings looks worse when yoo've scored 0

 

5.1,11,6 Cubs game

 

box score:

Cubs: 000105001

Milw: 000000001

 

Similar to other loss where Sheets gave up first run in 4th and got hit in the 6th where he got 0 run support.

 

Even in Sheets 2 poor games he pitched well and if the Brewers were hitting might have hit some they could have gotten him out.

[LouisEly]

He can't handle not being the guy. I know there are no numbers to prove this, but it's just a gut feeling.

 

Kind of like the statement that Prince can't handle not being the guy with Braun around. No stats to prove it (someone did post Fielder's ABs after a Braun HR, and it was very interesting), but a lot of observations...