Cardinal advent calendar, Day 19: Mitchell Boggs
| B-Ref name | mit bog |
| Contract Status | Under team control for 2010 |
| 2009 stat | Had the biggest speed difference between his fastball (92.9 mph) and his changeup (81.9) on the staff |
| Career stat | Was Baseball America Triple-A All-Star in 2008 |
| 2010 Projection | 4.78 FIP (Bill James) |
| Quote | "Last year, I was more worried about doing the right thing when I went to go get my postgame meal than focusing on pitching. You want to be accepted and do things right, because there’s a way to do things here. Having that experience last year and knowing what to do off the field, now I can focus on doing what I need to do to be successful on the field. I feel like if I do the things that I am capable of doing, then I will be all right." — 4/25 |
After starting the season in Memphis, Boggs was quickly called up to the majors when Chris Carpenter went on the DL on April 15. He pitched one game in relief, then took four turns in the starting rotation from April 25 to May 14. He began with a bang in his first two starts, shutting down the Cubs with three strikeouts and one walk over 5 2/3 innings, then struck out nine Nationals five days later. But he walked seven over nine innings of his next two starts and returned to Memphis. Overall, though, he improved his control in his sophomore season, lowering his BB/9 from 5.8 to 5.1 and increasing his K/9 from 3.4 to 7.1. He later made a couple of returns to fill in for Todd Wellemeyer and Kyle Lohse when those pitchers went on the DL and impressed enough down the stretch to earn a spot on the team’s playoff roster, edging out veterans Wellemeyer and Brad Thompson … Despite a respectable 4.19 ERA, had a bloated 4.67 xFIP.
