Francisco Liriano: Top-20 Starting Pitcher in 2016
By Bill Pivetz
Francisco Liriano found the fountain of youth in Pittsburgh. He had three great seasons with the Pirates, and 2016 should be no different.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be one of the top teams in the National League for years to come. The team has a great core of hitters, superstar starting pitcher and solid closer which will help lead the team to a lot of wins. As with most teams, the Pirates have a good group of contributors in both the rotation and lineup. One of those contributors is veteran pitcher Francisco Liriano.
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Liriano had some good seasons with the Minnesota Twins, one of them being the 2006 season. He underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of that season and missed all of 2007. He did not post an ERA under 3.50 for the rest of his time in Minnesota. He then struggled in 11 starts with the Chicago White Sox before moving to the bullpen.
It wasn’t until he arrived in Pittsburgh that he performed like he did in that All-Star 2006 season. In his first season with the Pirates, he went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 2.92 FIP and 162 strikeouts in 26 starts. The ERA, WHIP and FIP were the best since 2006.
The following season was more of the usual from Francisco Liriano. In the first half of the 2014 season, he went 1-7 with a 4.72 ERA. Things changed after the break, as he went 6-3 with a 2.20 ERA in his final 14 starts. The Pirates rewarded him with a new three-year deal.
Francisco Liriano pitched well again in the first year of that new contract. He made 31 starts (most since 2010) and went 12-7 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 3.19 FIP and 205 strikeouts (career high). Liriano had a 2.93 K/BB ratio, the best since 2010. It does help when three of the four divisional opponents finish in the top-14 in team strikeouts.
The 32-year-old pitcher finished as the 25th-best pitcher on the Player Rater. With some of the pitchers ahead of him big question marks, Liriano has a great chance to move up into the top 20. Playing at PNC Bank Park helps, as it ranks in the bottom half among all stadiums in run and hit rate during the 2015 season.
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Francisco Liriano has shown no signs of aging. Last season might arguably be his best season. He had a career-high in innings pitched, strikeouts and starts. The NL Central is a fun division to watch, and Liriano and the Pirates are part of the reason why.
Projections: 12-7, 3.40 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 187 strikeouts
Draft: Round 12