It’s become so routine at this point that you almost accept it as a given each time he takes the ball: Javier Assad was really dang solid once again yesterday.
Facing a struggling Astros team that nevertheless still has a lineup of star bats, Assad threw 5.2 innings of one-run ball, walking one and striking out five. That one run came on the strength of some nothingburger hits, and it was a pretty much stress-free outing.
It remains the case that Javier Assad does not overwhelm batters (or viewers) with elite velocity or stuff, but he has pretty good velocity, and pretty good stuff, paired with exceptional execution, good command, and enough diversity of usage to keep hitters off balance. If anyone ever asks you what that vague term “pitchability” means, just point to Assad. He’s got it in spades.
Speaking of which, the latest outing for Assad continues a stretch of performance that is better than a lot of people (especially outside the Cubs’ sphere) realize.
Going all the way back to June 20, 2023 – an arbitrary cut-off, but also about when he really cemented himself as *the* swing-man on staff – Javier Assad sports a razor thin 2.15 ERA over 108.2 innings pitched. Know how many pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched during that time have a better ERA? NONE OF THEM.
That’s right. Going back to June 20 of last year, Javier Assad has the best ERA in baseball at 2.15. The next few are Kyle Bradish at 2.24, Blake Snell at 2.39, and Gerrit Cole at 2.53.
Assad’s teammate, Justin Steele, for context, has a 3.26 ERA over 105.0 innings during that same stretch (20th in baseball). Jameson Taillon, at 3.64 over 111.1 IP, is 29th.
Now, is there some good fortune baked into that Assad ERA? Probably. Assad’s 88.8% left-on-base rate is far higher than others on the list and also far higher than you would expect to be a matter of skill. Similarly, the .240 BABIP is probably a touch lower than would be earned over a larger sample. But it’s not ALL luck, as Assad does have a good strikeout rate, a good walk rate, a good groundball rate, and a good barrel rate. Not unlike his pitching makeup: he just does everything pretty darn well. Not eye-popping, but strong overall. And the end result of lots of good things is one pretty great thing.
And it’s not like you’re expecting Assad to be the literal best pitcher in baseball. Heck, if he simply pitches like an above-average starting pitcher from here for the next several years, that’s a massive development win for both him and the organization.