Mike Matheny does not appear to be buying in to the quick to the devastating reliever approach taken by some teams:

“I know what they want,” Matheny said in the dugout Sunday. “Every one of them wants 200 (innings). Realizing, that’s something that wasn’t a strong suit for us last year is something definitely on their mind. (It’s) pretty sound statistically that winning teams need those guys. Starting pitchers are going to have to be horses. So that’s my hope.”

The buzzwords swarming around the Cardinals entering this season have been “athleticism” and “excitement” and “improved” defense and baserunning. Those are the necessary mechanics, the sprockets and piston that make the team run better, cleaner. But all of it is really meant to improve the real engine behind their aspirations: starting pitching.

“Very rarely do you see it otherwise. Teams that win that don’t have their starters consistently throwing up big innings (are rare),” Matheny said. His 2016 team finished two games shy of a playoff berth last season by slugging. “That is a bad philosophy. Historically with our organization, it’s pitching first.”

That didn’t seem to be the case in the post-season. Of the 70 starts made in that tournament, 29 pitchers were done before recording five innings. That equals 41.4%, the highest percentage in the 15 years recorded in the Day by Day Database. Teams are doing well going to the bullpen early as the reliever corps are deeper than ever.

Help support the Day by Day Database with a donation to the Baseball Musings Pledge Drive.