Phillies 2016 Grades: Rotation
By Matt Veasey
JERAD EICKHOFF
At the 2015 MLB trade deadline the Phillies sent lefty ace Hamels and power lefty reliever Diekman to Texas for a big six-prospect package. It is very possible that Eickhoff was the least well-known of those prospects, with the least expected of him.
The Phils gave him a somewhat unexpected call-up to the big leagues late last summer. He responded with eight solid starts the rest of the way, putting himself in line for a rotation spot this year.
Coming into spring training, Eickhoff was the one player that I was most interested to watch. Was his performance at the end of last year for real, or would he prove to have been a flash-in-the-pan?
Eickhoff has answered any questions emphatically this year. Quite simply, he has rivaled Hellickson as having been the Phillies most consistently reliable starting pitcher all season long.
The now 26-year old righty has put together an 11-14 record that could be better were it not for often feeble offensive support from the lineup.
His other numbers are excellent: 191.1 innings over 32 starts, allowing just 183 hits with a 159/41 K:BB ratio. He has produced a team-high 19 Quality Starts as well.
He has a 3.72 ERA, a 1.171 WHIP, and an ERA+ at the 111 mark. The one knock on him may be a penchant for the longball. Eickhoff has yielded 30 home runs this season.
Eickhoff will enter spring training solidly in the Phillies starting rotation, where he is likely to join Velasquez, Thompson, and at least one veteran free agent signing. The Phils would love to see either Nola or Eflin there joining them.