Factor12 Rating Leaders: Week 3

The Factor12 Rating (F12) is an analytic measurement utilizing league average performance to compare the value of all MLB pitchers on 60ft6in.com.

Justin Verlander continued his dominating start to the 2012 season by throwing up a line of 6IP / 4H / 0ER / 3BB / 8K against the Texas Rangers this week.  The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner currently holds the number one position on the F12 list with a 33.341, or 32.6 percent above league average.

Gio Gonzalez

Kyle Lohse holds steady in the second position.  The St. Louis Cardinals’ right-hander has pitched outstanding baseball over his first four starts of the season.  Lohse has thrown a line of 27.33IP / 16H / 3ER / 2BB / 16K, while sporting a 0.99 ERA.

Gio Gonzalez has dominated opposing hitters in his last three starts.  The left-hander has thrown 20 IP / 6H / 0ER / 4BB / 21K.  If not for a sub par outing in his first start of the season against the Chicago Cubs, Gonzalez would be the current Factor12 leader.

Stephen Strasburg continues to amaze the baseball world.  The 23 year-old right-hander has pitched 25 innings, allowed zero home runs, walked six batters, and struck out a batter per inning.  The sky is the limit for the Washington Nationals ace.

Duane Below is the most surprising entry to the F12 Top12 in 2012.  The Detroit Tigers left-hander makes the top 5, edging out Jake Peavy, with an impressive pitching line of 12IP / 7H / 0ER / 0BB / 9K.  Pitchers completing less than the average yearly innings (i.e. 12.61 in 2012) have their F12 Rating weighed by the percentage of innings completed in relation to league average.

***The Factor12 Top 12 in 2012 through games on April 26th: