There has been growing buzz that Hochevar has "figured it out" or "turned a corner" or whatever.
"This is who he is," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Since the All-Star break, he's been unbelievably good."
Some points to consider:
- This is the lowest his ERA has been since May 19th.
- Last five starts: 33.2 IP, 2.41 ERA (9 ER), 26 Ks, 10 BBs. .237 BABIP,
- There's much chatter about his W-L record, which is irrelevant and in fact counter-productive to talk about. Obviously.
- Absent evidence that something actually changed, looking at Luke in the context of a hot streak is going to be deceiving. Just as looking at someone after a rough patch would be. We need to hedge everything one way or the other.
- That being said, if something did change after the All-Star break, then maybe that is a reason to be hopeful.