Brandon McCarthy

2013

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2012

McCarthy was surprisingly healthy and effective aside from a recurrence of a stress reaction in his shoulder that sidelined him for five weeks. His 170.2 innings eclipsed his previous career high by 70 innings, and his suddenly improved control resulted in just 25 walks and a 1.131 WHIP on the season. He was consistent all season long, never posting an ERA above 3.90 in any single month, and credits a new two-seam fastball for his improved control and groundball-inducing ways. You'd be foolish to pay for last years' stats given McCarthy's injury history, but don't dismiss him entirely when you start looking for a solid staff-filler in deeper leagues.

2010

McCarthy was limited to 17 starts, missing three months due to a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder. He showed enough at times to be offered arbitration in December, and he figures to be a frontrunner for one of the spots at the back of the Texas rotation. The career warts of too many walks and too many long balls are still present (not to mention too many injuries), and his continued health problems and limited major league success make him a risky fantasy play even if he emerges with a rotation spot at the end of spring.

2009

Elbow problems limited McCarthy to just five starts all season, and he did a poor job of throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the park when healthy. A late-season mechanical adjustment under the watchful eyes of Nolan Ryan has McCarthy looking forward to 2009, so watch those early spring starts to see if he's rediscovered the form that resulted in him being traded straight up for John Danks a few winters back.

2008

McCarthy, acquired in an offseason deal from the White Sox, flopped in his first extended look as a major league starter. A poor 59:48 K:BB rate was the source of most of his problems, but he also battled blister and shoulder issues as well. He doesn't do a very good job of keeping the ball on the ground either, which can be a problem at Rangers Ballpark. Regaining his control should be his first priority, and he's expected to be a full-time starter again in 2008.

2007

Despite putting together his worst professional season, with a 1.30 WHIP and less than eight strikeouts per nine innings, McCarthy was still a fan favorite last year to be moved to the rotation. He did so in May and lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, allowing a pair of home runs. The fans bellowed again after the White Sox were out of the race and McCarthy dominated Cleveland for five-plus innings, striking out eight. Since that was his last outing of the season, it will be what most remember. Traded to Texas in the offseason, he'll finally join the rotation, but his stats may suffer by moving to a hitters' park.

2006

He hit some potholes on the road to the White Sox staff, but a midseason arm angle adjustment put McCarthy back on track just in time to fill in for an ailing Orlando Hernandez down the stretch. His home run rate even at Triple-A sticks out like a sore thumb, but the trade for Javy Vazquez puts him in a swing man role to begin the season anyway, giving him a chance to work out those kinks (or at least find a way to minimize the damage he'll suffer because of them).

2005

McCarthy exploded onto the prospect radar screen in 2004, zooming through three levels straight up to Double-A as a 20-year-old, striking out better than a batter an inning at each stop, and posting an insanely filthy 202/30 K/BB ratio overall in 172 IP. He should start the year back at Double-A, but we'd be shocked if he ended it there. Assuming the White Sox don't let his workload get out of hand, they have a stone stud on their hands. Despite the usual pitching prospect caveats, keeper league owners should do everything they can to get hold of him.

2003