
Vince Velasquez remains solid
One of the least talked about storylines this season has been the development and improvement of Vince Velasquez. After a disappointing injury-plagued season in 2017, Velasquez needed to take a major step forward this year, and he has.
More from That Balls Outta Here
- 11 Free-agent deals the Philadelphia Phillies wish fell through
- Phillies-Mets owners’ rivalry grows after shocking Carlos Correa deal
- Could Rich Hill become ‘Jamie Moyer 2.0’ in Phillies rotation?
- Does Bailey Falter have a future in Phillies’ rotation?
- Prospect Andrew Baker could help Phillies bullpen in 2023
Overall this year, Velasquez has a 4.05 ERA, 3.71 fielding-independent pitching, and 1.255 WHIP in 129 innings. His numbers are dragged down significantly by his 10-run clunker June 8 in Milwaukee. If you remove that start, he has a 3.43 ERA this season. That is a radical jump from his 5.13 ERA last year.
Velasquez has been especially strong since that 10-run outing. In 13 appearances since then, he has a 3.09 ERA and 1.127 WHIP.
Sunday was another solid outing for Velasquez. It certainly wasn’t his best as he allowed three walks and three hits in five innings. He gave up two runs on a home run by Kendrys Morales, who now has eight home runs in his last seven games.
All things considered, he delivered a good enough performance to get the job done, earning his ninth win of the season.
Velasquez has put things together at the right time with games really mattering. As long as his start against the Brewers remains an outlier for the season, the calls for him to move to the bullpen should be silenced.