Has anyone taken the time to notice that perhaps the least heralded member of the Philadelphia Phillies vaunted rotation might actually be their best performing pitcher right now? Well, Jockstrap Journalism noticed. That’s right, people (and marine mammals)…midway through June, Cole Hamels’ numbers a hold their own against any pitcher in the National League, even the other Phillies. Right now, Hamels is 9-2 with a 2.49 ERA and 0.92 WHIP—numbers that have him in the earliest of early runnings for National League Cy Young Award.
As the weather has warmed, so too has Hamels. He’s 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA and 0.61 WHIP so far in the month of June, and Hamels hasn’t lost a start since the beginning of May—that’s more than a month for those of you that are otherwise calendar deprived. We live in difficult times, cast adrift in a world devoid of calendars and maps (thanks, South Carolina). Even without access to these modern amenities, Hamels seems to have found his way, having fully righted his ship after an appalling start to the season that left him saddled with a 20.25 ERA after one start. Yah, he seems to have recovered just fine.
Can he sustain this level of success over a full season? Well, his FIP (2.28) and xFIP (2.51) both say, “why the hell not?” Hamels is touting an 8.94 K/9, slightly better than his career mark, and he’s cut his walks to a career-best 1.75 BB/9. When the word “career” starts appearing with abundant frequency in order to irradiate, it may in fact be an indicator that a career year is developing. This could legitimately be Hamels’ way of taking a run at something special.
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