2011 Season Outlook: San Francisco Giants’ Matthew Thomas Cain
Matthew Thomas Cain is not an anomaly that has descended upon Baseball. But he is not another unordinary entity either whom you invariably see in the rapidly expanding list of pitchers. However, let’s not hazard an unnecessary risk of underestimating or
mocking the pitchers who are positively looking forward to registering their names into the list of “players with talent”. So without much ado or inappreciable digression, run your eyes over this assertive player’s career.
He is bracing himself for something higher with each passing year. With just over 21 innings of one unearned and 13 hits in three starts, Cain is remarkably poised to hit his most successful season this year. If the performances alone do not make a point,
put a glance at his fortunes that have increased double-fold owing to his exceptionally good efforts. Cain, now 26, most probably, will stir a debate over his performance if traditionally accepted performance deterioration is juxtaposed with increasing age.
As his team - San Francisco Giants - is safely among the top 10, Cain is giving his best to maintain this record. He has gradually improved his command to 2.46 in 2010 which was 3.76 and 3.02 in the respective years of 2008-09. Equally important are his
share of improvement with K’s-per-walk from 2.04, 2.34 to 2.90.
While his ERA has seen a slight fluctuation - 4.15, 3.65, 3.76, 2.89, 3.14 and 3.45 starting from 2006 onwards up until 2010, he has not shown much inconsistency in this regard with understandably concerted efforts to work on this aspect of his game. His
IP, throughout these 6 years – with 190.2, 200.0, 217.2, 217.2 and 231 respectively, are but an example of laudable consistency keeping it 1095.2 as a whole.
With an unexpected drop in his GO/AO in 2008, remaining 0.69, from the start of his career, Cain has been no different in his feat. In 2006 it was 0.76, 0.86 in the following year and an impressive 0.93 in 2008 while 0.73 and 0.77 in 2009 and 2010 respectively
maintaining an average of 0.77.
Getting his contract in 2006 with an ostensibly trifling $328,000, his revenues continue to rise as he signed an impressive deal of $2.9 million with his more than willing San Francisco Giants in 2010. As his fame has seen an upward trend, his game has not
witnessed any downside either. Without any shadow of doubt, he is flourishing as an excellent and affluent player. With the upcoming Major League, there is a fair amount of excitement about the feat Cain is expected to evince.
He may have missed the title of a “precocious talent” in the beginning of his career, Cain, however, is confirming his status with a consistent performances. Though elbow inflammation is the most common problem that plagues a pitcher of his stature, Cain
is apparently doing pretty well.
Look for Cain to come out strong in the beginning of the 2011 MLB regular season. He is one player that the Giants will be looking to for top of the line performances and pitching finesse. Cain helped the Giants last year win the World Series and he will
be looking to repeat the same type of performance throughout the regular season to get the team into the playoffs. If he manages to stay healthy, Cain is on target to becoming one of the best in the League.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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