The 2018 Houston Astros’ pitching staff wasn’t quite the best in modern baseball, but it was pretty darn close. The staff recorded more strikeouts than any team in history (10.4 K per nine innings, for a total of 1687). Their 130 ERA+—30% better than the average pitching staff, adjusted for scoring environment and opponents—was the eighth-best since the game integrated in 1947. They became the first team since the 1919 Cincinnati Reds to record a sub-1.1 WHIP. And even in an age of historically heavy bullpen use, the bulk of this success came from their rotation. The Astros’ starters pitched more than those of any team in baseball other than the Cleveland Indians—5.
What Does Lance McCullers's Elbow Injury Mean for the Astros' Pitching Staff?
