McGowan still not clicking
For all the promise he showed after his call-up in May of last season, could Dustin McGowan be any more ordinary this year? Sure, the Jays' pitching as a whole this season has at least allowed the team to tread water, but after his efforts towards the end of last season, McGowan left me wanting more in '08. Am I the only one that's underwhelmed?
McGowan and Shaun Marcum both turned heads last season, and of the pair, McGowan was considered a sure thing to repeat his performance. And why not? Players around the league marveled about his overpowering stuff last year, the best of which was on display when he carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning against Colorado in late-June. Marcum, on the other hand, relied on breaking pitches and command, both of which seemed to fail him as the season wore on. So you'd expect McGowan to come back stronger in '08, no? Think again. After last night's loss to Seattle, McGowan sits at 6-7 with a 4.36 earned run average. Marcum? 5-4 and 2.65, the latter number amongst league leaders. Marcum, however, is beginning to show signs of wear and tear -- he was placed on the disabled list two weeks ago with a right elbow strain.
Back to our subject, though: McGowan has been strong as ever at home in '08, but a different pitcher altogether on the road. In seven home starts, he's 4-2 with a 2.20 ERA; on the road, he's 2-5 with a 6.17 ERA. Is it a mental thing, then? That's the way it would seem.
At 26, McGowan is still young, but he's starting to show an early onset of A.J. Burnett syndrome. Like Burnett, he has electric stuff, but doesn't seem to be able to harness it. Still, with nowhere to go but up in this suddenly-hopeless season, it's worth waiting to see whether or not McGowan is all he's hyped up to be. Let's just hope he doesn't turn into another guy who gets by solely on potential. Even if he does, though, he can rest assured someone will be waiting to give him a $55 million contract.
