15. Stolmy Pimentel
2014 Statistics
70 IP/4.89 ERA/3.22 FIP/5.91 SO9/2.31 BB9
2015 ZiPS Projections
4.28 ERA/4.12 FIP/5.26 SO9/2.86 BB9
Why this Ranking?
So I guess this was pretty bad time, huh? It has been reported that Cumpton is going to see Dr. James Andrew due to an elbow pain. I thought about taking him off of this list, but figured until we know for sure what is going it would be unfair to do so. Obviously if the worst happens you could slide Casey Sadler into the top 15.
The irony of a possible Cumpton injury is that the only reason he is on this list is the possible injuries of starting pitchers. There is good reason to believe that the Pirates will have some SP injuries. Looking at the possible rotation, two fifths of the pitchers are now well into their thirties and another is coming off of a season ending injury. The Pirates will need spot starts throughout the season and Cumpton has proven himself in that role the last two years.
Cumpton has never been a flashy guy, (except his first major league inning) but all he has done is come up from Triple-A and get people out. For awhile, it appeared to not be sustainable, however, some of his MLB peripherals have been better than his actual results. While many will not blink at a possible long term injury to Cumpton, I see it as a true concern. Depth has played a major role in the success of the Pirates pitching staff the last two years. And that is why Cumpton was ranked 14 on this list.
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