That may be a more appropriate way to look at it.   If Harris was 55/65 splits, I'd have brought him up last season.    What's worse is that I'm a "If 1-2 points is that big of a deal, he's not a BL player" when someone ******* about demotion penalties.    Maybe 7 points isn't that big of a deal in some cases.    Harris does well in my pitcher formula(good enough to be a BL pitcher) but I overlooked him due to the VL of 48.

Well, and realistically, if there's one of the "big" ratings for pitchers that would make the most sense to ignore a few points, vL would intuitively seem to be it, due to the general distribution of RH vs. LH hitters.   I'm doubting these guys would stick if their splits were reversed.

Just a little while ago someone asked why their fantastic starter was getting rocked in Burlington ... Then we're defending guys with splits in the 30s and 40s? I don't know what to believe anymore!

You have a tendency to overreact to a few innings/AB.   I don't think anyone is implying that our 40ish VL guys are going to throw no-hitters or even be better than SP5 or LRA.   I think we, and I know I am, are saying that the cut/dry cut-offs we use might be a bit overestablished. 

Yep, pretty much.  After Barker, I've definitely been much more inclined to give a shot to guys who have what I would consider one "fatal" flaw.  I'm not going to start scouring the world for these types, but I'm also not going to just dismiss them either.  Barker is 2.5+ seasons in now and has basically put up world average numbers in that time frame.  And he's cheap and would likely stay cheap if he hits the FA market because no one is going to go nuts bidding on a guy with a 40s split - you need guys like that to fill out a roster.

Posted by AlCheez on 3/23/2012 10:44:00 AM (view original):
http://www.wisjournal.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=3068230 - Nicholas Barker, very similar pitcher to Harris with a longer history.  I kept him sitting in AAA forever cause I didn't like that vL split, had to use him one season due to injury and he performed well enough to stay.  Obviously not a stud, but whatever he's doing against LH, he's still been decent overall.  Not going to front end a rotation like he could if he had better splits, but someone you can live with in the back of the rotation.

I don't know if we overrate splits, but I think maybe we're took quick to look at one number being too low as a posion pill. 

Update on this - Barker probably has 2 starts left this season, and he's 15-5, with a 3.33 ERA in 210 innings.  His career ERA is now 3.86 in 742 innings.   He's got a good defense behind him, but hardly a magic cure-all based on how much of the rest of the staff is doing.

Harris started the season in AAA.    90 IP, 1.50 and 5.20 just doesn't cut it in the bigs.

Barker is definitely a big league pitcher.  His only apparent weakness is his vL split, but his P1 makes up for that.

Harris is similar, although I would expect an ERA near where it is because his P1 doesn't make up for his vL split quite as much.

My own low split guy. Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Deivi Guerrero  Pitching in the home park of Durham, 19-5, 3.69
His P1 makes up for his vL split.  Splits are important, but pitches are a close second.