2k14: Henderson Alvarez

[revo]

I just got Rotolab and was reviewing the projections for 2k14 when I saw Henderson Alvarez's 1.14 WHIP from last year. I thought that was some kind of mistake! My last recollection of him was a soft-tosser who whiffed like 3 batters per 9 innings. Well, the 1.14 was accurate, and then I noticed that his HR rate plummeted in his first season in Miami, dropping from 29 jacks served up in 187 IP to just 2 in 110 last year. His BA Against also plunged from .290 to .237, and his BABIP was somewhat normal. OPS Against was just .636 in 2013. His K% even skyrocketed to a relatively lofty 5.0/9 innings. So what happened here? Did he learn a new pitch? Was it simply the change in leagues from AL East to the NL East (and pitcher haven in Miami?)

[Silentmist]

I just got Rotolab and was reviewing the projections for 2k14 when I saw Henderson Alvarez's 1.14 WHIP from last year. I thought that was some kind of mistake! My last recollection of him was a soft-tosser who whiffed like 3 batters per 9 innings. Well, the 1.14 was accurate, and then I noticed that his HR rate plummeted in his first season in Miami, dropping from 29 jacks served up in 187 IP to just 2 in 110 last year. His BA Against also plunged from .290 to .237, and his BABIP was somewhat normal. OPS Against was just .636 in 2013. His K% even skyrocketed to a relatively lofty 5.0/9 innings. So what happened here? Did he learn a new pitch? Was it simply the change in leagues from AL East to the NL East (and pitcher haven in Miami?)

If I recall correctly, Alvarez was supposed to be a really good young sinkerball pitcher coming up in Toronto. If he's learned to locate that sinker with any regularity that would explain his vast drop in long balls. He also struck out a reasonable amount of batters coming up through the minors.

He's also only 24 years old.