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| Photo Credit: Associated Press |
When people think about the Miami Marlins rotation, they automatically think of Jose Fernandez–and rightfully so. He roared through the minor leagues, got promoted to the big leagues at age-20 and left an indelible mark on the National League, recording a 2.19 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 2013.
With his injury in 2014 and Henderson Alvarez‘ injury this year, however, it has been Stony Brook grad Tom Koehler, a 29-year-old, who has stepped up and stabilized the rotation over the past two years.
Despite not entering the big leagues with any hype, Koehler has been as reliable of a starter as there is in the big leagues. With last night’s seven shutout innings against the San Diego Padres, Koehler lowered his ERA to 3.16 and improves to 8-6 on the season.
Since the beginning of 2014, he leads the Marlins in wins with 18. Last year he threw 191 innings and this year he is on pace to surpass that slightly. He has also lowered his WHIP from 1.30 last year to 1.20 this year. He lowered his H/9 from 8.3 to 7.6 and trimmed his BB/9 from 3.3 to 3.2.
He was drafted in the 18th round of the 2008 draft, and while he was not fast tracked through the minor leagues like Fernandez, he has been every bit as important to their rotation.
