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As Jordan Freemyer wrote on Thursday, Jhoulys Chacin is in the midst of one of the greatest pitching seasons by a Rockies player ever. His 5.5 rWAR (including 0.3 with the bat) not only make him the most valuable player on the team, but it also makes him the 3rd most valuable player in the National League this year.
The 25 year-old has a 11-6 record this year with a 3.18 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, but it's in the advanced stats where he has truly shone. Chacin's 3.11 FIP (fielding independent pitching), which measures Chacin's performance only on the things he can directly control, indicates that he's earned that low ERA. His 138 ERA+, which adjusts performance for ballpark, indicates that Chacin has been 38% better than league average this year. In any case, Chacin has been everything the Rockies could have hoped for in 2013.
His opponent today will be Scott Feldman, who was acquired from the Cubs right before the trade deadline. In seven starts with Baltimore, Feldman has hardly distinguished himself - in 41.2 IP he has a 5.18 ERA and has been 18% worse than league average (82 ERA+).
Lineups
8/18 @Rockies lineup vs O's Fowler CF Dickerson LF Tulo SS Cuddyer 1B Helton DH Arenado 3B Blackmon RF Torrealba C LeMahieu 2B Chacin P
— MLBLineups (@mlblineups) August 18, 2013
vs.
8/18 @Orioles lineup vs @Rockies McLouth LF Machado 3B Davis 1B Jones CF Markakis RF Roberts DH Flaherty SS Casilla 2B Teagarden C Feldman P
— MLBLineups (@mlblineups) August 18, 2013