Splitsville: Chase Wright v1.1

"Splitsville" is a series of articles on the Yankees' prospects that we'll be doing throughout their minor league careers. In version one/chapter one (v1.1) of Chase Wright, we'll look how he did against the right-handed hitters versus the lefty hitters, how he pitched on the road versus at home, and more.

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The Slow Track: Left-handed pitcher Chase Wright was drafted over four years ago in the third round of the 2001 MLB Draft. Since then, Wright has made it a habit of repeating levels. That was once again the case in 2005 as Wright pitched in his third season of low-A ball, this time with the Charleston Riverdogs. With a career 5.58 ERA in 25 games as the low-A level entering 2005, Wright finally appears set to advance.

Unhittable At Home? Chase Wright's overall splits at home versus on the road in 2005 were remarkably similar. He was 5-2 on the road and 5-2 at Joseph P. Riley Park. His ERA was slightly higher on the road (4.09) compared to his home ERA of 3.49, but even his walk and strikeout ratios were close.

However, Wright inexplicably seemed a lot more unhittable at home. While opposing South Atlantic League batters hit .280 off of him away from Joseph P. Riley Park, they could only muster a .211 average against him in the friendly confines. It is an interesting disparity because Joseph P. Riley Park has gotten a reputation as a hitter's park and outside of Phil Hughes, none of the other Riverdogs' pitchers did better at home.

Bring On The Lefties: As one would imagine, the left-handed Wright favors facing left-handed batters, at least, by judging from his 2005 splits. While opposing right-handed batters hit .255 against him this past season, lefties struggled to hit .206 off of him. 9 of his 10 home runs allowed in 2005 were served up to right-handed batters.

In fact, right-handed batters collected extra-base hits in 35% of his hits allowed to them this season, but lefties amassed just 23% of their hits off of Wright for extra bases.

But one concerning statistic between his splits between the two sets of batters. With a 4.31 walk ratio overall, Wright was very consistent in his walk ratios between left-handed and right-handed batters. However, despite the better success against lefties, Wright's strikeout-to-walk ratio was just a hair over one-to-one (1.08 to be exact) against them. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was closer to two-to-one (1.91) against right-handed batters.

Jeckyll & Hyde: It was a tale of two seasons for Chase Wright in 2005. After beginning the year just 5-3 with a 5.27 ERA in his first 13 starts, it appeared he was the same pitcher that entered the season with a career ERA of 4.84. However, something clicked in the second half of the season as he went 5-1 in his last 12 starts with a stellar 2.38 ERA, arguably becoming the Riverdogs' best pitcher down the stretch.

So which pitcher is he? Wright has shown some success before, albeit in the short-season leagues. But it was never like his second half with Charleston. Wright and the Yankees are hoping that the former third-round pick has turned the proverbial corner and that his hot finish to the 2005 season is just a small step towards greater things to come down the road.

It Didn't Matter: Whether he was pitching out of the wind-up or out of the stretch, it didnt' matter to Chase Wright in 2005. His splits are amazingly consistent in both scenarios, which is an uncommon trait for a pitcher in the South Atlantic League.

Opposing South Atlantic League batters hit .243 off of him when the bases were empty this past season and just .241 with runners on base. His average with runners in scoring position was only slighter higher than that, .248. If Wright can continue this type of consistency as he continues to progress through the Yankees' farm system, he'll jump back on to the prospect scene in a hurry.

Doesn't Go Deep: There is a lot to like about Chase Wright's turnaround season in 2005. For the first time in a while, Wright became the dominant pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting when they drafted him in the third round of the 2001 MLB Draft. But if there is one alarming statistic among his splits, it would be the fact the Wright seemingly got tired later in his starts.

Wright's combined ERA in the sixth and seventh innings of his starts - he pitched into the sixth inning in 17 of his 25 starts - was 6.04 this past season. Conversely, Wright's combined ERA in the first three innings of his starts this year was 2.71, showing clearly that Wright tired as the games wore on. As a result, if this trend continues, Wright could be moved into the bullpen as a long reliever in the future.

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