5 MLB Pitchers Who Have Taken a Huge Step Back in 2017
Matt Moore, SP, San Francisco Giants
Remember when Matt Moore won 17 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013? Yeah, not many people probably do, but he was looking like one of the many young Tampa Bay hurlers that every team would eventually want to get their hands on. After getting through some struggles following Tommy John surgery, it appeared as if the left-hander had gotten himself back on track in 2016.
Through 130 innings, he had a 4.08 ERA and 7.3% walk rate, which was actually the most control he'd shown in the majors up to that point. He produced a 1.1 fWAR with the Rays before they decided to trade him to the San Francisco Giants for Matt Duffy and prospects, and proved to be a mostly useful asset down the stretch. Despite watching his walk rate spike to 11.1%, his strikeout rate also jumped up four percentage points, and he produced 1.1 fWAR in just 68.1 innings of work.
From what it looks like right now, though, the Rays knew the perfect time to sell high on their former top prospect.
Through 154 innings this season, Moore has stumbled to a 5.49 ERA and 4.78 SIERA to go along with a 34.8% hard-hit rate and 42.0% fly-ball rate allowed. He's enjoyed the friendly confines of AT&T Park to a degree (4.40 ERA and .315 wOBA allowed), but it's also put some extra focus on how much he's struggled away from the Bay (6.88 ERA and .396 wOBA allowed).
What's even more interesting is that the southpaw has experienced a ton of problems with facing left-handed hitters. Righties have posted a .321 wOBA against him, but that number spikes to .446 when hitters are in the other batter's box.
Furthermore, lefties have recorded a 29.6% line-drive rate against Moore this season, which is on track to easily be a career high.
The Giants likely acquired Moore with the thought of him being a long-term investment -- he can be controlled through 2019 via club options -- but it's hard to look past how badly he's pitched overall this year. Still, he has pitched better since the All-Star break (5.01 SIERA in first half, 4.33 in second half), and that could be enough to justify giving him another chance in 2018, where he'd be due to earn $9 million.
Either way, he'll have plenty to prove after inconsistent results in recent years.
