As a relief pitcher, Kris Medlen was tremendous – posting a 2.48 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched through July 25 while holding opposing hitters to just a .232 batting average.
Since the Atlanta Braves moved him to the starting rotation in late July, Medlen has had an unprecedented run. Medlen has made seven starts, picking up the win in six of them. The Braves have won all seven of his starts, which extends their streak to having won 18 straight of Medlen’s starts.
Medlen has allowed just three earned runs during his recent stretch as a starter, giving him a ridiculous 0.54 ERA – and this coming from a reliever-turned-starter who was forced into the starting rotation due to the shambles that has become the Braves’ rotation. Jair Jurrjens has had well-documented struggles this season, Randall Delgado was sent down, Julio Teheran isn’t ready yet for the major leagues, and there have been injuries as well – Tommy Hanson was hurt and Ben Sheets is hurt now.
Medlen is baffling hitters even more than he did as a reliever – he has allowed just 36 hits in 49.2 innings as a starter, which comes out to a .210 opponents’ batting average. He has walked just five batters and recorded 50 strikeouts, which comes out to a ridiculous 10.00 strikeout to walk ratio. In today’s outing, Medlen threw a complete game, allowing no earned runs and just one hit, while striking out 12 batters.
He is currently working on a streak of 37.2 consecutive scoreless innings, which dates back nearly three weeks and covers five different starts. Medlen has been such a godsend for the Braves that it seems logical to put him into the Cy Young discussion this year. If people are more than willing to cast their votes for relievers like Craig Kimbrel (49 innings pitched) and Aroldis Chapman (64.1 innings), what’s the problem with voting for Medlen, who has now pitched 104 innings?
For the year, Medlen has a 7-1 record, 1.56 ERA, and 0.96 WHIP. He’s striking out nearly five times as many batters as he’s walked, and he has been taken deep just twice all season. And it’s now been 98 days since Medlen has given up multiple earned runs in the same outing.
I don’t know how it’s going to factor in when you compare him to starting pitchers that will have accumulated over 200 innings for the season. But if Medlen continues to pitch as well in the final month of the season for the playoff-bound Braves, he’s absolutely going to pick up some Cy Young votes.
