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Garrett Richards, 2014
Stats: 13-4, 2.61 ERA, 168 2⁄3 IP, 164 SO, 138 ERA, 2.60 FIP, 1.038 WHIP, 3.22 SO/BB
Baseball Reference WAR: 4.4
FanGraphs WAR: 4.3
Combined WAR: 4.35
Garrett Richards spent the first eight seasons of his big-league career with the Angels. His stuff was really good, but he pitched in only 28 games over his final three seasons. Prior to the injuries, his best season came in 2014.
This season was Richards’ first season as a full-time starter. Through his first three years, he appeared in 84 games but only started 29 of them. In 2014, he appeared in 26 games, starting all of them.
Ironically, Richards was a lot better away from Angel Stadium. In 15 starts on the road, he went 8-2 with an ERA of 2.11. He allowed fewer hits and walked fewer batters, and also struck out 1.5 more batters per nine innings.
Somehow, Richards didn’t win pitcher of the month for June. In five starts, Richards went 4-0 with a 1.05 ERA. He struck out 35 in 34 1⁄3 innings, while posting a WHIP of 0.90. In all five starts, Richards never allowed more than four hits.
His great stretch continued into July. Through his first four starts in July, Richards was 3-0. He posted an ERA of 1.48 while holding opponents to an average of .154. So, over the course of nine starts, Richards went 7-0 with a 1.25 ERA, while opponents hit .158 off him.
His August looked to be just as good. In his four starts, Richards posted an ERA of 1.85. However, his season would come to an end on August 20 in Boston after he injured his knee.