Brewers Best of 2012: Pitching Season

As we wind down the year that was (Jesus, I am tired of saying variations on that) we also wind down the Best of 2012 series – only two more left before we completely shed the shackles of last season and get to work on 2013.

This edition brings in the Milwaukee Brewers pitcher who had the best overall season in 2012. Away we go.

Yovani Gallardo

Not really a big shock here. For the last four years, Yo has been unquestionably the best pitcher on the Brewers – and probably one of the better pitchers in the division.

He kept up that reputation in 2012 with a 16-9 record in a league-leading 33 starts. He again eclipsed the 200 strikeout mark – the fourth time in as many years. Gallardo led all pitchers in WAR with 2.8, and had one of the lowest BABIP with .296, eclipsed only by Shaun Marcum among starters. He also threw the most ground balls of his career – 47.7% of his pitches in play – and the lowest number of fly balls at 31.5%.

That turnaround definitely helped him late in the 2012 season, where Yovani went a perfect five for five in the month of  August, and picked up eight wins 11 starts from July through to the end of September, without taking a loss. Not only was it a crucial time for the Brewers in general, but it was also imperative that someone on the pitching staff be able to perform well consistently for this team. Yovani Gallardo, like years past, was the guy to do it.

Going into 2012, we all assumed that Zack Greinke was going to be the ace of this staff – and history would hardly serve against his case – but after losing the former Cy Young winner to the Angels mid-season, Yovani Gallardo needed to step up once again. And he did. Yo is far from a household name among baseball fans outside of the state of Wisconsin, but ask any Brewer fan you know who you want on the mound in a big game, and there’s no doubt what name you get in response.

And that, among many other things, is the reason that Yovani Gallardo gets our nod for the Best Pitching Season in 2012 for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Do you have a name we should have considered? Let us now what you think in the comments below or shout it at us over Twitter. We’re pretty friendly and probably won’t get all upset about it.