PT TOMORROW: AL Central—How secure is Axford’s status as closer?
Apr 22 2014
John Axford (RHP, CLE) had six saves in his first seven chances, but the numbers behind his performance raise a red flag. In his first 8 IP his xERA was 5.39. He had a 1.3 Cmd resulting from a K:BB ratio of 9:7. His BPV was -22. Eight innings is a small sample size, but major league managers make decisions about closers on small sample sizes. Axford lost his job last April with the Brewers and his underlying BPIs were actually better than they have been so far this year. The Indians have a strong alternative to Axford in Cody Allen (RHP, CLE). Allen has posted a 146 BPV in his first 8 IP (10 appearances) on the strength of a 12:4 K:BB ratio. This is no fluke. Last year Allen put up a 121 BPV for the season. He had an...
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