Joe Blanton

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2002
A-:  1-1-0, 3.14 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 14.1 IP, 1.3 BB/9, 9.4 K/9
A+:  0-1-0, 7.50 ERA, 2.33 WHIP, 6.0 IP, 9.0 BB/9, 9.0 K/9

Blanton pitched well in a brief stint in short season ball, then made a briefer appearance in the California League.  Baseball America listed him as Oakland’s ninth best prospect after the season.

2003
A:  8-7-0, 2.57 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 133.0 IP, 1.3 BB/9, 9.7 K/9
AA:  3-1-1, 1.26 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 35.2 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 7.6 K/9

A little surprisingly, the A’s sent Blanton to low A for most of the season.  He dominated there and continued to do so in a seven-game stint in AA, showing outstanding control throughout.  BA rated him the team’s second best prospect after the season.

2004
AAA:  11-8-0, 4.19 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 176.1 IP, 1.7 BB/9, 7.3 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 5.63 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 8.0 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 6.8 K/9

Blanton had a good but not great year in the extreme hitting environment of the Pacific Coast League, good enough that BA put him at #43 on their top 100 prospect list after the season.  He continued to show great control.  Oakland called him up in mid-September, but he made just three relief appearances.

2005
MLB:  12-12-0, 3.53 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 201.1 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 5.2 K/9

Blanton spent the season in the Oakland rotation, making 33 starts.  He benefited from a low BABIP of .248, resulting in an ERA that was a lot lower than his xFIP of 4.58.  He didn’t miss a lot of bats.

2006
MLB:  16-12-0, 4.82 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 194.1 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 5.0 K/9

Blanton suffered a lot of BABIP regression, increasing all the way to .335.  He had a low HR/9 of 0.79, which probably accounts for his xFIP increasing to 4.83.

2007
MLB:  14-10-0, 3.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 230.0 IP, 1.6 BB/9, 5.5 K/9

Blanton’s BABIP finally settled in at .299 and he had a very solid year, probably the best of his career.  He led the AL in starts (34) and also hits allowed (240).  He walked very few hitters and also allowed few HRs, with a 0.63 HR/9.

2008
MLB (Oak):  5-12-0, 4.96 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 127.0 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 4.4 K/9
MLB (Phi):  4-0-0, 4.20 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 70.2 IP, 3.9 BB/9, 6.2 K/9

Blanton wasn’t as effective as the previous year — apart from the ERA, his xFIP jumped from 3.93 to 4.64.  He made 20 starts with the A’s, then 13 more with the Phillies after being sent over in a deadline deal.

2009
MLB:  12-8-0, 4.05 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 195.1 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 7.5 K/9

The Phillies got 31 starts from Blanton.  He had more or less a standard Blanton season, except he suddenly started striking out a lot more hitters and he also started having gopher ball problems, with a HR/9 of 1.4.  The move to the Phillies’ home park probably contributed to the problem, although his home/road split was minimal.

2010
A:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 2.0 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
AA:  0-1-0, 5.62 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 8.0 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 5.6 K/9
MLB:  9-6-0, 4.82 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 175.2 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

Blanton missed time early in the season with a strained oblique, but still made 28 starts for the Phillies.  He continued to post a higher K rate, along with the same 1.4 HR/9.  If you go by xFIP, he was much more effective than his ERA indicates, posting a 3.87 mark.

2011
A:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 1.0 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 0.0 K/9
MLB:  1-2-0, 5.01 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 41.1 IP, 2.0 BB/9, 7.6 K/9

Blanton was in and out of the rotation early in the season with elbow issues and eventually missed four months, starting in mid-May, with inflammation.

2012
MLB (Phi):  8-9-0, 4.59 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 133.1 IP, 1.2 BB/9, 7.8 K/9
MLB (LAD):  2-4-0, 4.99 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 57.2 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 8.0 K/9 

With the Phillies, Blanton continued much as he had the previous year, including a career-high K/9 and HR/9 (1.5).  His xFIP of 3.38 was far better than his ERA.  In mid-August, the Phillies sent him to the Dodgers in a waiver deal.  He continued pretty much the same, with a lower K/9 of 1.1, possibly due to getting out of Citizens Bank Ballpark, and with an xFIP (3.41) that remained far below his ERA.  He became a free agent after the season and the Angels signed him to a very questionable two-year contract.

2013
MLB:  2-14-0, 6.04 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 132.2 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 7.3 K/9

Blanton struggled with the Angels, with opponents battering him for a .314 average and two longballs every nine innings.  The Angels finally removed him from the rotation in late July and he pitched sporadically in relief the rest of the year.

2014
AAA:  1-0-0, 5.23 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 8.7 K/9

Despite his having a year left on his contract, the Angels released Blanton late in spring training.  Oakland signed him to a minor league deal a few days later, but after two starts for them in AAA he announced his retirement.

2015
AAA (KC):  3-2-0, 3.89 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 39.1 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 6.9 K/9
MLB (KC):  2-2-2, 3.89 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 41.2 IP, 1.5 BB/9, 8.6 K/9
MLB (Pgh):  5-0-0, 1.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 34.1 IP, 2.4 BB/9, 10.2 K/9

After working out over the off-season with Zach Duke, Blanton decided to try a comeback.  The Royals signed him to a minor league deal, with a $1M salary in the event they called him up.  In mid-May they did just that and he got into 11 games as a reliever while also making four starts.  He had an ERA of 5.30 as a starter and 2.74 as a reliever, with similar splits in his peripherals.  His BB and K rates were very good.  In late July, though, the Royals designated Blanton for assignment.  They sent him to the Pirates for cash the next day.  The move seemed surprising at the time, given that Blanton was effectively replacing Vance Worley, who appeared to be very similar only younger.  As it turned out, Blanton was brilliant with the Pirates.  Unlike many relievers’ W/L records, his 5-0 record with the Pirates accurately reflects his pitching in a number of close games.

Blanton will be a free agent after the season.  The Pirates undoubtedly would love to bring him back, but whether he’d sign for an amount they’d find acceptable is hard to say.