2021 Gemini Pitchers
It’s always nice to end a feature on a high note, and that’s what this Gemini pitching staff allows us to do. I know that’s somewhat surprising for a last place team, but with enough injuries and a weak enough offense, even a star-studded group of hurlers can end up in the bottom of the league. Here’s our final in-depth look of 2021: the pitchers of the Gemini Twins!
Gemini’s top fantasy pitcher Zack Wheeler led the majors in innings pitched – not surprising, considering innings are one of the best ways to rack up points. Wheels also tied for the lead in complete games (3) and shutouts (2), and considering that my reverse-chronological trip through FABL history has reached the mid-1980s, it’s a little strange for me to see such low numbers in these categories. Jose Berrios saw his strikeout-to-walk ratio jump more than two full points upon being traded from the (real-life) Twins to the Blue Jays midseason. Freddy Peralta could be an ace for some fantasy staffs, but he had to settle for third on both Gemini and the Brewers.
Actually, everyone above would get knocked down a peg in a hypothetical offseason tournament, because there’s no pitcher in baseball who would supplant Jacob deGrom for the honor of starting Game 1. No other pitcher in baseball eclipsed the coveted 100-points-per-game threshold, which was probably made possible by the fact that injuries limited him to less than 100 innings last year (given regression to the mean, and all that). Speaking of injuries, Shane Bieber finished 10th in overall 2021 fantasy points, but 4th in PPG, which would put him in line for a spot in the rotation.
It’s fitting that Gemini’s mascot is the Twins, because several teams enjoyed two Gemini starters in their rotations. Aaron Nola paired with Wheeler in Philadelphia, in a season that fell short of the personal highs he set in 2018. Steven Matz broke out in Toronto’s rotation, aside Berrios. Shane Bieber’s real-life teammate Aaron Civale finished 6th on the sign in PPG. (They were also joined by prospect Logan Allen, far down the depth chart.) Eric Lauer joined Freddy Peralta in Milwaukee. And Joey Lucchesi made some starts beside deGrom on the Mets. The top prominent Gemini pitcher to not have a fellow sign-mate in their 2021 rotation was Yusei Kikuchi of the Mariners. (I’m not counting Nick Margevicius and his negative 2021 point total.)
Atlanta actually had three Gemini pitchers play significant roles, but none was a top-of-the-rotation arm. Lefty Drew Smyly and Huascar Ynoa were relegated to bullpen duty in the playoffs, with the former pitching in three games across the final two rounds, and the latter limited to a single division series appearance. Touki Toussaint didn’t pitch in the 2021 postseason after making 10 regular season starts, but he still appears to have a bright future. I guess technically Andrew Heaney and Luis Gil did pitch together on the Yankees, but considering Hean-dog was released before the end of the season, it’s hardly fair to count them as teammates.
Joe Ross (brother of Tyson) pitched well for the Nationals, averaging just over 40 points-per-game. Garrett Richards had almost as many relief appearances as starts in his first season with the Red Sox. Vince Velasquez is another Geminian who was briefly on the Phillies, although he finished the season with San Diego. (It’s also worth mentioning Matt Moore’s comeback attempt in Philadelphia.) While Joe Ryan and Jose Berrios both have the real-life Twins on their 2021 resumes, they never actually played together, as Ryan was acquired from the Rays in the Nelson Cruz deal. Speaking of the Rays, Shane Baz burst onto the scene in a big way last season, and promises to play a significant part in the Tampa Bay rotation for many years to come.
Legendary closer Craig Kimbrel led Gemini relievers, even though he lost his saves-getting role when he was traded from the Cubs to the White Sox. Matt Barnes was the primary ninth-inning option in Boston, earning his first All-Star appearance in the process. Paul Sewald was one of three 2021 Mariners with at least 10 saves, but even that unsettled situation was enough to land him in GEM’s top three. Skipping one spot to focus on primary saves-getters, we have another Phillie in Hector Neris, who never skips a day of bunting practice.
The top Gemini reliever with fewer than 10 saves in 2021 was Chad Green, who made his bones as a shutdown setup option for the Yankees. He and Garrett Whitlock could have been teammates in an alternate universe, but the latter was picked up by Boston in last year’s Rule 5 draft. Joe Kelly never has put up breathtaking fantasy stats, but that’s probably because he’s frequently used as a “get out of trouble” pitcher, coming into the game with runners already on base. Brad Boxberger and Steve Cishek were closers in the early parts of their careers, but they’ve both settled into journeyman status. Jimmy Nelson also had a recent role change, but his was from starting to relieving. Blake Parker on the other hand has held the middle relief line for many seasons.
Moving over to the left-handed side of the bullpen, Andrew Chafin was traded from the Cubs to the A’s at the 2021 deadline, and it’s no surprise that Oakland declined their affordable contract option over him in a blatant cost-cutting maneuver. Jose Alvarado is yet another Gemini on the Phillies pitching staff – I can’t help but wonder if they have an astrologer in the front office. Veteran Tony Watson had a brief foray with the Angels to start 2021, before returning to the Giants, where he spent the previous three seasons. Thanks to the pandemic, Garrett Crochet skipped the minor leagues entirely, jumping directly from college to the majors in 2020. Another grizzled veteran, T.J. McFarland came over to the Cardinals for the playoff push, and ended up pitching in the NL Wild Card Game.
Gemini had four primary relievers who also earned a handful of starts last year. The most accomplished of these is Collin McHugh, who had one of each type of appearance for the Rays in the 2021 playoffs, after serving as a starter for the majority of his career with the Astros. Michael King is more of a spot starter, as he’s unlikely to earn a full-time rotation role with the deep-pocketed Yankees. On the contrary side, rookies Aaron Ashby and Jordan Holloway likely have starting in their future for the Brewers and Marlins, respectively.
Looking farther down the depth chart, we have some recognizable names to mention. Lefty Andrew Miller is a longtime union rep, so I’m sure he’s been busy during the lockout. Sean Newcomb is a former Braves prospect who has settled into a relief role. Kyle Barraclough has done some strong bullpen work in the past. Pedro Strop was a big part of the 2016 World Series winning Cubs. As far as starters, Jordan Zimmermann announced his retirement, after a brief comeback bid in Milwaukee’s bullpen. And Mike Fiers had his 2021 season ruined due to injury, but he’ll always be fondly remembered by whistleblowers and Astros haters everywhere.
I was hoping that the lockout would be finished by the time this project ended, but the standoff between the owners and the players is still going strong. So next time, I’ll take an astrology-minded look at labor relations in MLB.