Earlier this year, Alex Fast at The Pitcher List introduced a highly useful new metric called CSW rate. It stands for “called strikes + whiffs” and the formula is straightforward (called strikes + whiffs, divided by total pitches, yielding CSW%). It tracks better with SIERA (skill interactive ERA) than whiff rate and swinging strike rate, and stabilizes after about ten starts. It’s also more predictive for future years than swinging strike rate and whiff rate. Unsurprisingly, it’s more predictive for starters than relievers, but it’s effective for both. I highly recommend reading the original article. Today, we’ll review what CSW% can tell us about this year’s Cardinals staff and the free agent class.
Evaluating Cardinals and Free Agent Pitchers Using Called Strikes and Whiffs
