2007 MLB Free Agents: Starters

Let’s look at the stat leaders among the 2007 free agent starting pitcher class.

Want someone who’s plain tough to hit?  Good luck with that.  With BABIPs adjusted to the league average, here are the best free agent pitchers in hits per nine innings.  The following group allowed fewer than a hit per inning.

Jason Schmidt
Ted Lilly
Barry Zito
Mike Mussina
Gil Meche
Roger Clemens
Byung-Hyun Kim
Andy Pettitte
Vicente Padilla

Best control?  Here are the rankings.

Carlos Silva
Greg Maddux
Jeff Weaver
Woody Williams
Roger Clemens
Jamie Moyer
Jason Johnson
Aaron Sele
Brian Moehler

Home run prevention?  These guys rank the best in a stat I call Expected Home Runs per Nine.  I adjusted the normal HR/9 with a standard HR per flyball rate.

Randy Wolf
Jason Johnson
Mark Mulder
Jamey Wright
Greg Maddux
Andy Pettitte
Shawn Chacon
Miguel Batista
Sidney Ponson
Roger Clemens

These are your best bets to miss bats.  Strikeout rate leaders:

Roger Clemens
Ted Lilly
Mike Mussina
Jason Schmidt
Gil Meche
Byung-Hyun Kim
Andy Pettitte
Vicente Padilla
Randy Wolf

Here are the free agent starters with the best command (K/BB).  Brad Radke excluded.

Roger Clemens
Greg Maddux
Jeff Weaver
Andy Pettitte
Rodrigo Lopez
Jason Schmidt
Vicente Padilla
Carlos Silva
Chan Ho Park

Looking for a horse?  These guys averaged more than six innings per start.

Jason Schmidt
Barry Zito
Jamie Moyer
Jamey Wright
Chan Ho Park
Miguel Batista
Greg Maddux
Mike Mussina
Andy Pettitte
Vicente Padilla
Rodrigo Lopez
Woody Williams