July 8, 201511 yr Way too lazy to do the research but I wonder if sinkerballers (legit ones, not fake Blackburn types) take a little longer to fully develop as k pitchers. His k rate for the year is still only slightly higher than the previous two, but it is really creeping up fast. This is the Gibson that was expected when he was drafted.
July 8, 201511 yr He has shown he was capable of producing K's in the minors, hopefully this is a sign he is finally settling into the Majors. Being groundball heavy and capable of K's is a deadly combination and as Dave already mentioned, Brandon Webb comparisons start coming to mind. He may be developing into the pitcher the Sox thought they were getting when they signed Porcello to that crazy extension (though Porcello is still more than a year younger than Gibson). Not to get ahead of myself with a little more than a months worth of stats but it is a very encouraging sign.
July 8, 201511 yr He just looks very confident. He's smart, comes in with a game plan and pretty much executes it. He's really looking good.
July 8, 201511 yr It's a bit odd because Gibson hasn't had a large uptick in swinging strikes, I don't believe. He's always gotten a decent number of swings and misses, actually, despite his low K rate last year and early this year. He is throwing more first-pitch strikes. So getting ahead of hitters early may be putting him more often in a pitcher's count where he can try and get batters to chase the slider or change-up. His stuff is also looking better, with an uptick in fastball velocity and an improved change-up. Here are some crazy stats: prior to today, with the bases empty, he had 8.2 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. With runners on, a 3.1 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9. A piece of that relates to his attempts to induce double plays, but still...
July 8, 201511 yr Here are some crazy stats: prior to today, with the bases empty, he had 8.2 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. With runners on, a 3.1 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9. A piece of that relates to his attempts to induce double plays, but still... Wow. I'd guess it's more than just a piece, those numbers sure look deliberate. I think Glen Perkins needs to have that pro strikeout discussion with him again, because those numbers with the bases empty look pretty freakin great. Let's try that approach for every at bat.
July 8, 201511 yr His minor league career K rate was just over 8 per 9. Not quite sure 1K an inning is sustainable, but there's no reason to think that he cannot keep a K/9 in the 7-8 range. That would be Brandon Webb back when he was good. We have a nice group of young pitchers in May and Gibson complementing Hughes for 3 spots. The real issue long term is Santana, Nolasco, Milone, Berrios, Duffy, Rogers, and (hopefully) Meyer.
July 8, 201511 yr This is why i so strongly disagree with the May demotion to the bullpen. Kid just needs time to develop. Gibson has been growing steadily because he's been allowed uninterrupted consecutive starts the past two years.
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