Something is still amiss with Karsten Whitson.
The former first-round MLB Draft selection, who was sidelined for more than a month with an injury that was only described as “arm fatigue,” hasn’t been himself this season, even when healthy.
His numbers are down across the board. He has tossed just 10.2 frames in five outings, including just three Saturday. Whitson’s ERA (5.91) has more than doubled from his freshman season (2.40), and most noticeably, the pitcher who made a living ringing batters up a year ago hasn’t been doing it this year. In the short time we have seen Whitson on the rubber, the once-dominant righty has struggled with locating his pitches, and batters have taken advantage of it.
Whitson’s season has perfectly encapsulated Florida’s own issues this year. While there are plenty of factors that have played into the Gators’ struggles — errors in the field, failing to execute with men on base — starting pitching has been the most shocking.
Florida is actually on pace to commit fewer errors than a year ago, and we all knew coming into the season that the Gators had issues with situational hitting and manufacturing runs last year. But what no one expected was for UF’s starting pitching to take a step back after a stellar 2011 campaign.
With all three weekend starters returning — and all three projected as first- or second-round selections when they’re draft eligible — the pitching rotation was supposed to be one of Florida’s biggest strengths.
Somehow, that hasn’t been the case.
The Gators’ weekend rotation of Whitson, Brian Johnson and Hudson Randall had a combined 2.63 ERA in 301.1 innings of work last season. So far this year, those three have a collective 3.96 ERA in 102.1 frames.
When you factor in sophomore Jonathon Crawford, who tossed just 3.2 innings as a freshman but has been thrust into a much larger role this year due to Whitson’s, and now Randall’s, injuries, the rotation’s ERA is 3.98.
Although Johnson has been the most consistent, his individual ERA is still up, as are those of Whitson and Randall. Meanwhile, the trio isn’t going as deep into games as it did a year ago, and all three have dealt with injuries to some extent.
In 2011, Whitson averaged just more than five innings per start, Randall went six and a half per outing and Johnson lasted just about five frames each time out. Those numbers have dropped to just more than two innings for Whitson, just more than six for Randall and just less than five for Johnson.
With innings down and ERA up, it’s no wonder the Gators have had to mount come-from-behind victories in 16 of their 28 wins this season.
Florida is still going to make it to Omaha, Neb., this summer, but unless the rotation starts turning in vintage performances like Johnson did with six scoreless innings Sunday, the Gators’ chances won’t look so good. In college baseball, the teams that go the distance have a dominant starter (See: Cooper, Blake in 2010 and Roth, Michael in 2011). Given the draft prospects of Whitson, Randall and Johnson, Florida should have three of those to rely on.
But as Whitson’s condensed season illustrates best, something is off with the Gators’ starting rotation.
Contact Tom Green at tgreen@alligator.org.
