"A few weeks ago, we took a look at some of the hitters from each league that stepped up their production big-time after the All-Star break. It's important to note these performances, because often when a player finishes strong, it can catapult them into the following season, especially when it comes to younger players.
Let's now examine a handful of pitchers that saw their stats trending in the right direction in the second half:
Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Giants
1st Half: 3.87 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 92/27 K/BB ratio in 104 2/3 IP
2nd Half: 2.52 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 99/19 K/BB ratio in 100 IP
Bumgarner kicked off his season in a rough way, as he posted a 6.17 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in April. But, aside from a massive one-game blowup against the Twins in June, he was really fantastic after that. Following the All-Star break, only six pitchers had more strikeouts than Bumgarner, and those pitchers were named Sabathia, Verlander, Gallardo, Greinke, Lee and Kershaw. Of that group, only Gallardo and Lee walked fewer hitters than the young lefty.
Given that Bumgarner turned just 22 in August, it's not hard to get excited about what he could bring to the table going forward. We're talking Kershaw-like upside.
Derek Holland, LHP, Rangers
1st Half: 4.68 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 82/41 K/BB ratio in 109 2/3 IP
2nd Half: 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 80/26 K/BB ratio in 88 1/3 IP
You need to only look at the four shutouts Holland posted this year (a number bested only by Cliff Lee) to know about how good he can be when he's on. During the second half, he had much fewer ups and downs than he did prior to the All-Star break. He also carried that over into a nice showing in the playoffs, highlighted by a breathtaking performance in Game 4 of the World Series where he tossed 8 1/3 scoreless innings.
If Holland's second half and playoff performance is any indication of what can be expected from the 25-year-old southpaw going forward, then we are in for a treat. His home ballpark won't do him any favors, but Holland is good enough to overcome that factor to become a top-shelf fantasy hurler.
Mike Leake, RHP, Reds
1st Half: 4.28 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 69/24 K/BB ratio in 94 2/3 IP
2nd Half: 3.33 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 49/14 K/BB ratio in 73 IP
Leake's rough start to the season got him booted from the Reds' rotation and eventually optioned to Triple-A Louisville. He really settled in upon his return, though, and was a fixture in an otherwise up-and-down Reds' starting five for the remainder of the year. It's especially encouraging that Leake thrived down the stretch, as he struggled with fatigue issues in his rookie season and eventually had to be shut down."
