John Gibbons: Are pitchers better at home than on the road?
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Don’t ask Gibby!
So, what does Gibby say about why some pitchers perform better at home than on the road?
“I don’t know, don’t ask me!”
The problem, according to Gibbons, is that nobody knows why pitchers are better at home than on the road.
Here’s Toronto’s starting rotation at home this season:
| Home Games | Win/Loss Record | ERA | Innings Pitched | Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alek Manoah | 0-2 | 8.50 | 18.0 | 18 |
| Kevin Gausman | 0-0 | 2.05 | 22.0 | 34 |
| Jose Berrios | 2-1 | 2.22 | 24.1 | 26 |
| Chris Bassit | 2-1 | 2.16 | 33.1 | 33 |
| Yusei Kikuchi | 2-0 | 2.87 | 15.2 | 24 |
And here’s the rotation on the road:
| Road Games | Win/Loss Record | ERA | Innings Pitched | Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alek Manoah | 1-2 | 3.33 | 27.0 | 17 |
| Kevin Gausman | 2-3 | 4.09 | 33.0 | 43 |
| Jose Berrios | 1-3 | 6.67 | 28.1 | 26 |
| Chris Bassit | 3-1 | 4.37 | 22.2 | 15 |
| Yusei Kikuchi | 3-0 | 4.50 | 26.0 | 16 |
With the exception of Alek Manoah, Blue Jays’ starting pitchers’ ERAs nearly double on the road compared to home games this season. Manoah seems like the exception to the rule, but it actually makes sense when you consider Manoah is the pitcher struggling the most among Toronto’s starters in 2023.
Gibbons says he has seen it all with pitchers. One year they will be better at home and the next year they will be better on the road.
“You scratch your head going why, why, why?”
Well, Berrios is better in Toronto
Jose Berrios’ ERA suffers the biggest hit on the road among Blue Jays pitchers this year, something Gibby has taken full notice of.
“I think Berrios pitches better in Toronto than he does on the road and Toronto’s a tough place to pitch.”
Gibbons recognizes the irony of Blue Jays pitchers performing better at home despite Rogers Centre historically being ranked as one of the top-10 most hitter-friendly stadiums in the majors.
The retractable roof and higher walls around the outfield makes wind less of a factor on the ball at Rogers Centre and as a result, hitting from the left or right side of the plate does not yield an advantage.
Rogers Centre is also one of just five Major League ballparks still using artificial turf rather than grass. That leads to balls bouncing more unpredictably, resulting in an increase in extra-base hits.
Home cooking
Last off-season, the Blue Jays started a major $300 million upgrade to Rogers Centre, which among other things, made the outfield dimensions asymmetrical, which is ideal for pitchers.
But, even if the new outfield makes it better for pitchers, Rogers Centre still ranks among the most hitter-friendly stadiums in the majors. So, if the stadium is better for hitters, why are Toronto pitchers better at home than on the road according to Gibbons?
“It’s definitely gotta be, maybe that home cooking if they’re better at home.”
And what about pitchers who are better on the road?
Check out the video for the answer to that, Gibby might get in trouble for that one.
When it comes down to it, Gibbons says it will be a mystery forever as to why some pitchers are better at home than on the road.
“Bottom line is, just win games, baby.”