|
Game
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
HR
|
BB
|
SO
|
Sv
|
ERA
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
23 Apr
@
|
2.0
|
9
|
9
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
10.80
|
|
18 Apr
@
|
4.0
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
0
|
9.00
|
|
13 Apr
vs
|
4.0
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
4.50
|
|
|
10.0
|
20
|
17
|
12
|
3
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
10.80
|
How Good Is Zach Thompson?
Zach Thompson delivered when his name was called after seven seasons of chasing the Major League dream.
Prior to the start of the 2021 season, if you asked the average Marlins fan about Zach Thompson, you’d probably get a nonchalant “Who?”
It’s understandable. Thompson progressed through the White Sox development system over the course of six seasons (2014-2019).
Before opting for free agency amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he had a 4.04 ERA in 504 MiLB innings.
Thompson, 27, had pitched to a 6.60 ERA in 15 innings at AAA Jacksonville when he was originally summoned by Miami in the first week of June.
He demonstrated himself to be considerably more than a standard “deep arm” after 75 innings of facing major league hitters.
Thompson went 3-7 with a 3.24 ERA (127 ERA+) and 3.69 FIP in 75 innings pitched, striking out 66 batters.
He pitched in 14 games as a starter and 12 as a reliever. Thompson’s fastball spin (92nd percentile) and hard-hit rate (82nd) make him a classic example of how pitchers with less-than-stellar stuff can get the job done.
While not overpowering in the traditional sense, Thompson finished in the 10th and 30th percentiles in fastball velocity and K-rate, respectively.
In 2021, the right-key hander’s pitch, a cut fastball that he’ll deploy against both right and left-handed hitters, produced remarkable results, holding batters to a.186 average and.284 slugging percentage.
Thompson’s ERA as a reliever was 3.18, but his WHIP of 1.588 was significantly higher than his 1.147 figure in 63 2/3 innings as a starter.
While his fastball spin produced excellent results, his breaking ball, which finished in the 24th percentile in the curveball spin, did not.
The Burleson, Texas native shone in high-leverage situations, restricting batters to a.188/.208/.219 slash line across 35 plate appearances (6-for-32, 8 K).