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Chris Young to start Game 4 of the ALCS

The flyball pitcher will try his stuff north of the border.

By Max Rieper
Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

The Royals have announced that Chris Young will get the start in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday. Ned Yost had earlier committed to using four starting pitchers rather than ask his starters to pitch on short rest, but the decision was between Young or Kris Medlen.

Young was 11-6 with a 3.06 ERA in 123 1/3 inning this year and provided four excellent innings of relief in Game One of the American League Division Series against Houston, allowing just a solo home run and striking out seven. However he is a flyball pitcher who has benefited from an extremely low batting average on ball in play (BABIP) that may not play well in the home run-friendly Rogers Centre. Young allowed flyballs on 57.9% of all batted balls, the highest percentage in all of baseball for pitchers with at least 100 innings.

Medlen has not pitched in 17 days and posted a 4.01 ERA, but finished strong with a 3.01 ERA over his last five starts. Medlen had a flyball rate of just 33.1%.

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