Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies
Through 50.2 innings of work, Kyle Freeland has been worth exactly 0.0 fWAR thanks to a 5.68 ERA (4.83 SIERA), 19.6% strikeout rate, and 9.3% walk rate. His strikeout and walk numbers aren’t terribly different from last year (20.5% and 8.3%, respectively, in ’18), but what is dramatically different is his strand rate (82.8% to 65.8%) and his home runs allowed per nine innings (0.76 to 2.13).
Entering Wednesday’s action, only Dylan Bundy (2.43) had given up more dingers per nine innings among qualified starters.
There are a number of things in his batted-ball profile that don’t look great, as his fly-ball rate (40.1%), pull rate (43.7%), and hard-hit rate allowed (41.8%) are all at career-worst levels.
He’s been allowing homers everywhere he pitches, though (five at home, seven on the road). What’s interesting is that he’s really struggled at home (7.36 ERA in 22.0 innings) when compared to being on the road (4.40 ERA in 28.2 innings). Coors Field isn’t exactly a pitcher’s haven, but Freeland has conquered it in past years (3.72 ERA in ’17, 2.40 ERA in ’18).
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