Biographical

Portrait of Rich Hill

Rich Hill PMets

Mets Player Cards | Mets Team Audit | Mets Depth Chart

2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 39)
IP ERA WHIP SO W L SV WARP
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Birth Date3-11-1980
Height6' 5"
Weight221 lbs
Age44 years, 8 months, 13 days
BatsL
ThrowsL
0.82015
3.22016
3.42017
2.12018
1.52019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.
Multiple stints are are currently shown —Click to hide.
YEAR Team Lg G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA- WARP
2005 CHN MLB 10 4 23.7 0 2 0 25 17 21 3 103 9.5 6.5 1.1 8.0 0% .301 1.77 5.14 9.13 107 4.72 101.7 0.2
2006 CHN MLB 17 16 99.3 6 7 0 83 39 90 16 98 7.5 3.5 1.4 8.2 0% .248 1.23 4.62 4.17 107 4.28 87.2 1.7
2007 CHN MLB 32 32 195.0 11 8 0 170 63 183 27 102 7.8 2.9 1.2 8.4 0% .271 1.19 4.24 3.92 93 3.49 72.2 4.8
2008 CHN MLB 5 5 19.7 1 0 0 13 18 15 2 108 5.9 8.2 0.9 6.9 0% .208 1.58 5.79 4.12 131 7.91 168.6 -0.5
2009 BAL MLB 14 13 57.7 3 3 0 68 40 46 7 104 10.6 6.2 1.1 7.2 0% .337 1.87 5.25 7.80 118 6.78 145.5 -0.8
2010 BOS MLB 6 0 4.0 1 0 0 5 1 3 0 116 11.3 2.3 0.0 6.8 0% .357 1.50 2.29 0.00 73 2.78 62.8 0.1
2011 BOS MLB 9 0 8.0 0 0 0 3 3 12 0 109 3.4 3.4 0.0 13.5 0% .214 0.75 1.56 0.00 25 1.72 40.1 0.3
2012 BOS MLB 25 0 19.7 1 0 0 17 11 21 0 106 7.8 5.0 0.0 9.6 0% .333 1.42 2.58 1.83 90 3.82 87.6 0.2
2013 CLE MLB 63 0 38.7 1 2 0 38 29 51 3 101 8.8 6.8 0.7 11.9 0% .361 1.73 3.85 6.28 91 2.86 68.4 0.8
2014 ANA 0 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 101 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0% 1.000 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.0 0.0
2014 NYA 0 14 0 5.3 0 0 0 6 3 9 0 96 10.1 5.1 0.0 15.2 0% .500 1.69 2.03 1.69 67 2.02 49.5 0.2
2015 BOS MLB 4 4 29.0 2 1 0 14 5 36 2 112 4.3 1.6 0.6 11.2 0% .197 0.66 2.24 1.55 82 2.84 66.3 0.8
2016 LAN 0 6 6 34.3 3 2 0 22 5 39 2 88 5.8 1.3 0.5 10.2 38% .244 0.79 2.10 1.83 80 2.89 64.0 1.0
2016 OAK 0 14 14 76.0 9 3 0 55 28 90 2 100 6.5 3.3 0.2 10.7 51% .290 1.09 2.49 2.25 77 2.75 60.9 2.3
2017 LAN MLB 25 25 135.7 12 8 0 99 49 166 18 90 6.6 3.3 1.2 11.0 39% .261 1.09 3.73 3.32 89 3.35 71.3 3.4
2018 LAN MLB 25 24 132.7 11 5 0 108 41 150 20 96 7.3 2.8 1.4 10.2 40% .268 1.12 3.93 3.66 96 3.92 87.5 2.1
2019 LAN MLB 13 13 58.7 4 1 0 48 18 72 10 91 7.4 2.8 1.5 11.0 52% .275 1.13 4.05 2.45 84 3.39 69.5 1.5
2014 TOT MLB 16 0 5.3 0 0 0 7 6 9 0 96 10.1 5.1 0.0 15.2 0% .000 1.69 2.03 1.69 58 2.02 49.5 0.2
2016 TOT MLB 20 20 110.3 12 5 0 77 33 129 4 96 6.3 2.7 0.3 10.5 47% .275 1.00 2.37 2.12 78 2.79 61.8 3.2
CareerMLB284156937.3654207753731004112987.43.61.19.640%.2791.223.893.81943.7981.218.0

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA-
2002 BOI A- NWN 6 5 14.0 0 2 0 15 14 12 0 9.6 9.0 0.0 7.7 0% .341 2.07 5.22 8.36 0 0.00 0.0
2003 LNS A MDW 15 4 29.3 0 1 0 14 36 50 0 4.3 11.1 0.0 15.4 0% .280 1.71 3.74 2.76 0 0.00 0.0
2003 BOI A- NWN 14 14 68.3 1 6 0 57 32 99 5 7.5 4.2 0.7 13.0 0% .344 1.30 3.21 4.35 0 0.00 0.0
2004 DAY A+ FSL 28 19 109.3 7 6 0 88 72 136 9 7.2 5.9 0.7 11.2 0% .296 1.46 4.30 4.03 0 0.00 0.0
2005 CHN MLB NL 10 4 23.7 0 2 0 25 17 21 3 103 9.5 6.5 1.1 8.0 0% .301 1.77 5.14 9.13 107 4.72 101.7
2005 PEO A MDW 1 1 8.0 1 0 0 5 0 12 0 104 5.6 0.0 0.0 13.5 0% -.417 0.63 0.45 1.13 35 2.28 44.9
2005 WTN AA SOU 10 10 57.7 4 3 0 42 21 90 9 16 6.6 3.3 1.4 14.0 0% -.270 1.09 3.44 3.28 75 3.45 67.9
2005 IOW AAA PCL 11 10 65.0 6 1 0 53 14 92 11 67 7.3 1.9 1.5 12.7 0% -.347 1.03 3.71 3.60 65 2.27 44.8
2006 CHN MLB NL 17 16 99.3 6 7 0 83 39 90 16 98 7.5 3.5 1.4 8.2 0% .248 1.23 4.62 4.17 107 4.28 87.2
2006 IOW AAA PCL 15 15 100.2 7 1 0 62 21 135 3 98 5.6 1.9 0.3 12.1 0% .273 0.83 1.81 1.80 46 1.28 27.0
2007 CHN MLB NL 32 32 195.0 11 8 0 170 63 183 27 102 7.8 2.9 1.2 8.4 0% .271 1.19 4.24 3.92 93 3.49 72.2
2008 CHN MLB NL 5 5 19.7 1 0 0 13 18 15 2 108 5.9 8.2 0.9 6.9 0% .208 1.58 5.79 4.12 131 7.91 168.6
2008 DAY A+ FSL 3 3 12.3 1 2 0 12 11 14 0 109 8.8 8.0 0.0 10.2 0% .364 1.87 4.34 8.05 110 6.57 134.4
2008 IOW AAA PCL 7 7 26.0 2 4 0 22 28 32 4 105 7.6 9.7 1.4 11.1 0% .295 1.92 6.48 5.88 120 5.77 118.1
2008 CUB Rk AZL 3 3 9.3 1 1 0 5 5 11 0 97 4.8 4.8 0.0 10.6 0% .238 1.08 3.64 2.90 95 2.71 55.5
2009 BAL MLB AL 14 13 57.7 3 3 0 68 40 46 7 104 10.6 6.2 1.1 7.2 0% .337 1.87 5.25 7.80 118 6.78 145.5
2009 FRD A+ CRL 1 1 3.0 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 107 3.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 0% .143 0.33 2.35 3.00 79 2.39 50.2
2009 NOR AAA INT 3 3 13.3 1 1 0 5 9 14 1 101 3.4 6.1 0.7 9.5 0% .143 1.05 4.27 1.35 99 2.60 54.8
2010 BOS MLB AL 6 0 4.0 1 0 0 5 1 3 0 116 11.3 2.3 0.0 6.8 0% .357 1.50 2.29 0.00 73 2.78 62.8
2010 MEM AAA PCL 23 4 46.0 4 3 0 35 30 47 5 94 6.8 5.9 1.0 9.2 0% .265 1.41 5.42 4.30 0 0.00 0.0
2010 PAW AAA INT 19 6 53.0 3 1 0 45 29 55 3 92 7.6 4.9 0.5 9.3 0% .307 1.40 4.10 3.74 0 0.00 0.0
2011 BOS MLB AL 9 0 8.0 0 0 0 3 3 12 0 109 3.4 3.4 0.0 13.5 0% .214 0.75 1.56 0.00 25 1.72 40.1
2011 PAW AAA INT 10 0 16.0 1 0 1 8 5 18 1 4.5 2.8 0.6 10.1 0% .189 0.81 2.92 1.13 80 2.34 47.8
2012 BOS MLB AL 25 0 19.7 1 0 0 17 11 21 0 106 7.8 5.0 0.0 9.6 0% .333 1.42 2.58 1.83 90 3.82 87.6
2012 GRN A SAL 2 2 2.0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 117 9.0 0.0 0.0 22.5 0% .667 1.00 -1.43 4.50 28 1.84 38.3
2012 SLM A+ CAR 3 3 4.0 0 0 0 1 1 8 0 99 2.3 2.3 0.0 18.0 0% .200 0.50 0.88 0.00 37 1.57 32.7
2012 PME AA EAS 1 0 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 9.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 0% .333 1.00 1.19 0.00 81 3.96 82.5
2012 PAW AAA INT 8 0 8.0 1 0 0 3 2 10 1 3.4 2.3 1.1 11.3 0% .125 0.63 3.03 1.13 76 2.50 52.0
2012 RSX Rk GCL 2 1 1.3 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 119 0.0 13.5 0.0 20.3 0% .000 1.50 3.43 13.50 92 2.74 57.0
2013 CLE MLB AL 63 0 38.7 1 2 0 38 29 51 3 101 8.8 6.8 0.7 11.9 0% .361 1.73 3.85 6.28 91 2.86 68.4
2014 ANA MLB AL 2 0 0.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 101 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0% 1.000 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 0.00 0.0
2014 NYA MLB AL 14 0 5.3 0 0 0 6 3 9 0 96 10.1 5.1 0.0 15.2 0% .500 1.69 2.03 1.69 67 2.02 49.5
2014 PAW AAA INT 25 0 39.0 3 3 2 29 17 45 0 6.7 3.9 0.0 10.4 0% .299 1.18 2.50 3.23 72 3.38 71.4
2014 SWB AAA INT 4 0 4.0 0 0 0 2 1 10 0 4.5 2.3 0.0 22.5 0% .400 0.75 -0.91 0.00 72 5.83 123.4
2015 BOS MLB AL 4 4 29.0 2 1 0 14 5 36 2 112 4.3 1.6 0.6 11.2 0% .197 0.66 2.24 1.55 82 2.84 66.3
2015 PAW AAA INT 5 5 32.3 3 2 0 27 9 29 3 86 7.5 2.5 0.8 8.1 0% .282 1.11 3.58 2.78 95 4.44 97.5
2015 SYR AAA INT 25 0 21.7 2 2 0 12 21 32 1 5.0 8.7 0.4 13.3 0% .262 1.52 4.39 2.91 85 4.48 98.4
2016 LAN MLB NL 6 6 34.3 3 2 0 22 5 39 2 88 5.8 1.3 0.5 10.2 38% .244 0.79 2.10 1.83 80 2.89 64.0
2016 OAK MLB AL 14 14 76.0 9 3 0 55 28 90 2 100 6.5 3.3 0.2 10.7 51% .290 1.09 2.49 2.25 77 2.75 60.9
2016 STO A+ CAL 1 1 3.0 0 0 0 4 0 6 0 77 12.0 0.0 0.0 18.0 71% .571 1.33 -0.30 3.00 47 2.38 52.6
2017 LAN MLB NL 25 25 135.7 12 8 0 99 49 166 18 90 6.6 3.3 1.2 11.0 39% .261 1.09 3.73 3.32 89 3.35 71.3
2017 RCU A+ CAL 2 2 5.7 1 1 0 3 4 5 0 99 4.8 6.4 0.0 7.9 46% .231 1.24 5.33 6.35 112 4.15 88.3
2018 LAN MLB NL 25 24 132.7 11 5 0 108 41 150 20 96 7.3 2.8 1.4 10.2 40% .268 1.12 3.93 3.66 96 3.92 87.5
2018 RCU A+ CAL 1 1 4.7 0 1 0 4 0 10 0 92 7.7 0.0 0.0 19.3 70% .400 0.86 -0.54 0.00 39 1.08 22.9
2019 LAN MLB NL 13 13 58.7 4 1 0 48 18 72 10 91 7.4 2.8 1.5 11.0 52% .275 1.13 4.05 2.45 84 3.39 69.5
2019 RCU A+ CAL 1 1 4.0 0 0 0 2 0 8 0 83 4.5 0.0 0.0 18.0 50% .333 0.50 -0.34 0.00 37 1.62 33.3

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr%
2008 335 0.4537 0.3493 0.8376 0.5461 0.1858 0.8675 0.7647 0.1624
2009 1104 0.4982 0.3886 0.8392 0.5418 0.2365 0.8859 0.7328 0.1608
2010 72 0.5139 0.4028 0.8966 0.5676 0.2286 0.9048 0.8750 0.1034
2011 130 0.6077 0.3846 0.6000 0.5063 0.1961 0.6500 0.4000 0.4000
2012 347 0.6081 0.3862 0.8060 0.4739 0.2500 0.8800 0.5882 0.1940
2013 770 0.4896 0.3740 0.7326 0.5119 0.2417 0.8031 0.5895 0.2674
2014 114 0.4298 0.3421 0.5897 0.5102 0.2154 0.7200 0.3571 0.4103
2015 434 0.6244 0.4654 0.7228 0.5830 0.2699 0.7468 0.6364 0.2772
2016 1811 0.5699 0.4246 0.7191 0.5388 0.2734 0.7590 0.6150 0.2809
2017 2223 0.5511 0.4431 0.7127 0.5788 0.2766 0.7814 0.5362 0.2873
2018 2101 0.5735 0.4660 0.7508 0.6183 0.2612 0.8054 0.5769 0.2492
2019 917 0.5900 0.4678 0.7389 0.5989 0.2793 0.8056 0.5333 0.2611
Career103580.55310.42960.74490.56650.26020.80040.59490.2551

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2014-07-26 2014-08-02 Minors 7 0 - Not Disclosed -
2012-06-09 2012-09-01 60-DL 84 75 Left Forearm Strain Flexor Pronator Mass - -
2012-03-26 2012-04-27 15-DL 32 18 Left Elbow Recovery From Surgery Tommy John Surgery 2011-06-09 -
2011-06-02 2011-09-29 60-DL 119 106 Left Elbow Surgery Tommy John Surgery 2011-06-09
2009-07-28 2009-10-05 60-DL 69 64 Left Shoulder Surgery Labrum 2009-08-07
2009-03-29 2009-05-16 15-DL 48 36 Left Elbow Strain -
2009-03-01 2009-03-29 Camp 28 0 Left Elbow Stiffness with Mild Swelling -
2008-09-01 2008-10-05 15-DL 34 24 Low Back Strain -
2008-08-31 2008-09-01 Minors 1 0 - Back Strain - -
2008-08-01 2008-08-31 Minors 30 0 - Back Strain - -
2008-06-22 2008-07-16 Minors 24 0 Left Lower Leg Strain Calf - -
2008-05-17 2008-05-30 Minors 13 0 Low Back Strain -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2023 PIT $8,000,000
2022 BOS $5,000,000
2021 TBA $2,500,000
2020 MIN $3,000,000
2019 LAN $18,666,667
2018 LAN $16,666,666
2017 LAN $12,666,667
2016 OAK $6,000,000
2015 WAS $
2014 BOS $
2013 CLE $1,000,000
2012 BOS $725,000
2009 BAL $445,000
2008 CHN $445,000
2007 CHN $400,000
YearsDescriptionSalary
15 yrPrevious$75,515,000
15 yrTotal$75,515,000

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
13 y 127 dACES1 year/$8M (2023)

Details
  • 1 year/$8M (2023). Signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent 12/27/22. Award bonuses: $325,000 for Cy Young ($150,000 for second in vote, $100,000 for third). $50,000 each for All Star, WS MVP. $25,000 each for Gold Glove, LCS MVP. Acquired by San Diego in trade from Pittsburgh 8/1/23.
  • 1 year/$5M (2022). Signed by Boston as a free agent 12/1/21. Performance bonuses: $250,000 each for 110, 120 innings. $500,000 each for 130, 140 IP. $750,000 each for 150, 160 IP.
  • 1 year/$2.5M (2021). Signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent 2/12/21. Acquired by NY Mets in trade from Tampa Bay 7/23/21.
  • 1 year/$3M (2020). Signed by Minnesota as a free agent 1/7/20. Performance bonuses based on games started and innings pitched: $1M each for 5 GS or 25 IP, 7 GS or 35 IP, 9 GS or 45 IP. $1.5M for 11 GS or 55 IP. $2M for 13 GS or 65 IP. $3M for 15 GS or 75 IP. Award bonuses: $100,000 for Cy Young ($75,000 for second in vote, $50,000 for third, $25,000 for fourth-sixth). $100,000 for WS MVP. $50,000 for LCS MVP. $25,000 each for All Star, Gold Glove.
  • 3 years/$48M (2017-19). Re-signed by LA Dodgers 12/16. $2M signing bonus. 17:$12M, 18:$16M, 19:$18M.
  • 1 year/$6M (2016). Signed by Oakland as a free agent 11/15. Acquired by LA Dodgers in trade from Oakland 8/1/16 with $2,032,787 remaining on contract.
  • 1 year (2015). Signed by Washington as a free agent 2/27/15 (minor-league contract). Released by Washington 6/24/15. Signed by Boston as a free agent 8/14/15 (minor-league contract). Contract selected by Boston 9/8/15.
  • 1 year (2014). Signed by Boston as a free agent 2/1/14 (minor-league contract). May opt out of contract if not on Major League roster 5/15/14. Contract selected after being acquired by LA Angels in trade from Boston 7/1/14. DFA by LA Angels 7/5/14. Released by LA Angels 7/9/14. Signed by NY Yankees as a free agent 7/16/14 (minor-league contract). Contract selected by NY Yankees 8/5/14. DFA by NY Yankees 8/29/14. Sent outright to Triple-A 9/1/14. Contract selected by NY Yankees 9/2/14.
  • 1 year/$1M (2013). Signed by Cleveland as a free agent 2/7/13 (minor-league contract). Salary of $1M in majors. Contract selected by Cleveland 3/11/13.
  • 1 year/$725,000 (2012). Re-signed by Boston as a free agent 12/30/11 (minor-league contract). Salary of $0.725M in majors. May opt out in spring if not on major-league roster. Contract purchased by Boston 2/21/12. Non-tendered by Boston 11/30/12.
  • 1 year (2011). Signed by Boston as a free agent 1/31/11 (minor-league contract). Contract purchased by Boston 5/5/11. Non-tendered by Boston 12/12/11.
  • 1 year (2010). Signed by St. Louis as a free agent 1/26/10 (minor-league contract). $0.575M salary in majors (opted out). Signed by Boston as a free agent 6/30/10 (minor-league contract). Contract purchased by Boston 9/13/10. Sent outright to Triple-A by Boston 10/8/10.
  • 1 year/$445,000 (2009). Acquired by Baltimore in trade from Chicago Cubs 2/2/09. Signed by Baltimore 3/8/09. Sent outright to Triple-A by Baltimore 10/30/09.
  • 1 year/$445,000 (2008). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs.
  • 1 year/$400,000 (2007). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/07.
  • 1 year (2006). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/06.
  • 1 year (2005). Contract purchased by Chicago Cubs 6/05.
  • Drafted by Chicago Cubs 2002 (4-112) (Michigan). $302,000 signing bonus.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT W L SV G GS IP H BB SO HR BABIP WHIP ERA DRA VORP WARP
90o 23.1 0 0 23 23 128.7 90 36 140 14 .243 0.98 2.79 2.94 3.5 0.4
80o 21.4 0 0 22 22 122.5 91 36 133 14 .255 1.04 3.13 3.3 -1.4 -0.1
70o 20.3 0 0 21 21 118.1 92 37 129 14 .263 1.09 3.37 3.57 -4.7 -0.5
60o 19.3 0 0 20 20 114.4 92 37 125 14 .271 1.13 3.59 3.8 -7.3 -0.8
50o 18.4 0 0 20 20 111.0 93 37 121 14 .278 1.17 3.79 4.01 -9.6 -1.0
40o 17.6 0 0 19 19 107.7 93 37 117 14 .285 1.21 3.99 4.23 -11.8 -1.3
30o 16.6 0 0 19 19 104.1 93 37 113 14 .292 1.26 4.21 4.47 -14.1 -1.5
20o 15.6 0 0 18 18 100.1 94 37 109 14 .301 1.31 4.47 4.75 -16.5 -1.8
10o 14.2 0 0 17 17 94.5 94 37 103 14 .313 1.39 4.84 5.14 -19.5 -2.1
Weighted Mean18.4002020110.9923712114.2761.163.773.99-9.3-1.0

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Rich Hill

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2019-03-08 16:00:00 (link to chat)Not sure if you do or know Scoresheet leagues...last NL keeper decision: Pablo Lopez, Stripling or Rich Hill?
(sportsguy21792 from Cube by the window)		I asked the Scoresheet guys, and the best bet is Rich Hill for skill and rotation spot certainty. Assuming you can deal with the trip to the injured list. If you're looking further ahead, then Stripling gets a vote. (Kevin Jebens)
2019-02-06 21:00:00 (link to chat)I was surprised by the Kikuchi ranking, so I’d really love to hear the thought process of his realistic ceiling, as a Good 4th Starter. Even if he is a Rich Hill comp (limited but valuable innings), wouldn’t 110-125 very good innings calculate to a #3-ish at least?
(SGz from LA)		I don't think he has quite the stuff (or the command of it) to be Rich Hill on a rate basis. Kikuchi is a good arm, but not a special one—he's way more Kenta Maeda than Yu Darvish, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with being Maeda. He's pretty good! -BS (Dynasty 101 Chat w/ Ben Carsley and Bret Sayre)
2018-07-24 20:00:00 (link to chat)Okay but really, where did JB Wendelken find two full ticks on his fastball? He hasn't even thrown his change-up this year, and that was his best pitch before TJS.
(Actually from Atlanta)		Pitchers can make these huge leaps forward when they find a mechanical change or a new pitch that just slaps. I'm not a scout, and I don't know what change Wendelken made (if any, besides having TJ surgery). Sometimes Rich Hill starts throwing his curve a lot more and becomes RICH HILL or Mike Scott learns a splitter and becomes MIKE SCOTT.

Granted, those are the exceptions. In Wendelken's case, his continued success probably relies on his ability to keep the walks down, which is no guarantee. Strikeout stuff is strikeout stuff, though, and he definitely has strikeout stuff. (Scooter Hotz)
2018-02-13 20:00:00 (link to chat)Hey Mike - Deciding between my 4th keeper SP in a deep scoresheet league. #1-3 are Kershaw, Kluber, Martinez. Last spot can go to either Chase Anderson or Rich Hill. Do you lean one way or the other? Or throw them both back? Thanks!
(earpbartman from West Chester, PA)		I like Hill. (Mike Gianella)
2017-10-24 20:00:00 (link to chat)Dodgers have Kershaw, Hill, Darvish and Wood. Astros have Keuchel, Verlander...and then what?
(Rich R from O-hi-O)		Lance Freaking McCullers. I know he's not reliable, but at this point in the season, I think that the right-handed master of the curveball (McCullers) might actually be a better postseason starter than the left-handed master of the curveball (Rich Hill). No, he's not likely to make it past Inning Five in his start, but he's proven pretty freaking great recently. (But yeah, the Dodgers have a pitching advantage.) - Bryan G. (World Series Chat)
2017-10-24 20:00:00 (link to chat)Hey there, Matt -- during your research and writing for the Annual this year, what's your favorite fun fact you've discovered that you'd like to share?
(Not Bryan from Not In This Chat)		Something I learned about Blake Snell:

Only one starting LHP has a higher average perceived velocity on his four-seamer than Snell, and only one has a higher average spin rate. The guy who throws harder is James Paxton and the guy with more spin is Rich Hill. Snell is going to be good eventually. -MT (World Series Chat)
2017-09-18 23:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Wilson, What do you expect from Ervin Santana and Rich Hill next season? I suspect regression from both.
(Cal Guy from Cal)		Outside of that one terrible season in Anaheim and some innings lost to injury a couple years ago, Santana has been one of the quieter 55 starters in baseball this decade. He's posted better-than-average DRAs in 7 of 8 seasons in the 2010's, over a span of more than 1,500 innings. What you see is pretty much what you get with him. I might projects a bit more conservative to hedge against him entering his age 35 season, but I've always dug him as a perfectly steady mid-rotation AL-only guy. Hill is...I mean, who knows? He has some starts where nothing works, but most of the time when he's able to take the ball he'll give you very strong production. 125 innings of better-than-league-average production seems about it line with where I'd settle for him?

This is one of my favorite lo-fi riddims, and this is a pretty rare cut of Delroy riding it (complete wi di nice version...huuuuuuh!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7SRVQguQJU (Wilson Karaman)
2017-02-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)Scoresheet, 12-team AL-only league. Gun nowhere in sight, least of all pointed at your head, but an imploring look in your direction, which five do you keep? (Only two NLers.) Yu Darvish, Rich Hill, Jeff Samardjiza, John Lackey, Matt Shoemaker, James Paxton, Collin McHugh, Tyler Skaggs, Steven Wright, Jose Berrios
(touchstoneQu from Minneapolis)		Darvish, Hill, Shark, Lackey, Paxton. I'd love to say Shoe or Skaggs, but they have major health question marks. If you wanted to be daring, Skaggs over Shark would be the way to go. (George Bissell)
2017-02-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)Pitching sleepers/breakouts for this year? If possible, geared to points leagues?
(chrispetersen15 from IA)		I'll give you a few deeper late-round mixed options: Garrett Richards, Robert Gsellman, Jharel Cotton and Zach Davies.
As far as "breakouts" go that's a broad term. Starters that I like better than the consensus: Julio Urias, Marcus Stroman, Jon Gray, James Paxton (is so obvious it's painful), and Frankie Liriano. I'm probably forgetting someone...Oh. Draft Rich Hill... (George Bissell)
2016-12-05 20:00:00 (link to chat)Drafting Julio U.R. Hill (still working on the Kimye naming convention) will net me a cheap top 15 pitcher with 190 IP combined. True or false?
(Punchoutpappy from First in Flight)		False. There's zero chance he gets anywhere close to 200 innings next season. I've said it before, but I think I would rather have Urias at a cheaper price than shell out big bucks for Rich Hill in a re-draft. (George Bissell)
2016-09-12 23:00:00 (link to chat)Hot Takez!1!!!1! on the Rich Hill no-no? Also- please make sure these folk don't go to sleep tonight without buying what Derrick Harriott was selling.
(smelmoth from The Cape)		Twisted in knots about that one. I defer to Dave Roberts, a) because he can do no wrong, ever, in mine eyes, and b) because neither myself nor anyone reading this is privy to the medicals on Hill's rather unique blister situation. The Dodgers *need* him into October. I absolutely understand the err-on-the-side-of-cation approach, context be damned.

And Harriott...bwoy, homes could - can still? He's 77 now - do it all. Sing, play, produce. My favorite cut of his all-time is this one, so I'll let him talk about life in the clink on his own terms. Wait for the dub to drop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmtvLaN-LYk (Wilson Karaman)
2016-09-23 12:30:00 (link to chat)What would be the BP writer/editor equivalent of Rich Hill's comeback?
(ssimon from Pelham, N.Y.)		Wellllll you can't be Rich Hill comp without seven years of, more or less, embarrassment, and I don't think there's anybody I'd describe that way. But as far as people I think could come back and dominate the league: I long for more Jim Baker and Derek Zumsteg. Jim Baker was on our list of people to beg to write an Annual essay every year, and I was always too shy to ask. (Sam Miller)
2016-08-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)Did any of the trades this deadline seem very overbalanced to you? I personally thought the Reds didn't get full value for Bruce, and the Dodgers gave up a little too much for Hill/Reddick, but obviously teams have way more info than the general baseball public
(Dan from Oakland)		The main concerns from the baseball-writing public seems to be around the price of relievers, but I think we are just behind the curve on viewing leverage. Starters aren't going as deep, there's a ton of playoff games to grind through, and the ability to shorten games and play matchups is key. I imagine there is a bit of copycatting the Royals too. As for the trades you mentioned, the price for rental starters is always high, and the demand will always find a supply, even if it is Drew Pomeranz and Rich Hill. I have no idea what to make of the Bruce trade. He was replacement level in 14-15. (Jeffrey Paternostro)
2016-08-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)Hey Bryan, thanks for the chat! If you had to pick a direction for the quagmire that is the Arizona Diamondbacks, what might you choose? Try to bet on rebounds? Go spend on more talent? Blow it all up? Give up and walk away? Ok, please don't pick the last one...
(@outfieldgrass24 from Portland, OR)		This is really, really, really hard. Gun to my head, I say that blowing up the Diamondbacks could really work wonders for this team in the long term. The problem is that I'd imagine some of their premier assets (Pollock and Greinke) might be awfully hard to deal, and their ultra-premium asset (Goldschmidt), is one of the guys that I'd say don't trade no matter what. So I go one more year with this roster (mostly) as constructed, and as such I spend like crazy this offseason. Rich Hill gets PAID. Sign Beef to a reasonable new deal. Deal for three rebounding relief types. But if the team hesitates to improve the rotation, then things will be dicey ... and they don't have much left to trade with. (Bryan Grosnick)
2016-07-19 14:00:00 (link to chat)What kind of return do you think the A's will get for Rich Hill?
(Dave from San Francisco)		This is a tricky one. I think we can safely say by now that Hill is for real. And that's awesome! But, he's also on an expiring contract and he keeps getting hurt. Each times he comes up with another little injury, his value takes a small hit. I expect that the A's will get something nice for him, just not necessarily a gold-star kind of return. (Nicolas Stellini)
2016-06-15 20:00:00 (link to chat)You're the GM of the Dodgers. Do you stand pat, and if not, what piece(s) do you acquire?
(gerrybraun from san diego)		Sweet! Well. I would sign Gourriel and plug him in. That would help, but I think that the pitching staff is obviously delicate and we will see how the market develops, but as of right now Rich Hill is the best option for anyone shopping for pitchers. (Grant Jones)
2016-06-15 20:00:00 (link to chat)You mean Rich Hill is the cheapest decent starting pitcher who will be available at the trade deadline right? Because he is obviously not the best option, maybe the best cheap option.
(Jason from FL)		Yeah. You can take risks on guys that are injured like Ross or Cashner if thats your thing. Teheran and Gray are the premier guys that are around, but the Dodgers haven't shown any indication that they would trade the prospects needed for a trade of that magnitude. (Grant Jones)
2016-05-18 19:00:00 (link to chat)Currently running a rotation with Arrieta, Chen, Karns, and pray for rain in a deep league (20 w/ 40 man) 5x5. Can you give me a list of 5 so SP trade targets that you see having value over cost ROS? Thanks...
(Jim from North 40)		Guy who won't break the bank: Rick Porcello, Rich Hill, Drew Pomeranz, J.A. Happ, Matt Andriese just to name a few. (George Bissell)
2016-04-25 23:00:00 (link to chat)Need to replace Carrasco...Descalfani or Rich Hill? Also available: Jimenez, Eovaldi...(9 categories--k's, walks, w, loss, whip, IP, qs and shutouts)...l
(bankeravp5 from Cincy)		I didn't want to take this question because it means admitting that Carrasco is on the DL and I dunno if I'm emotionally ready to do that yet. Deep breath....


Okay, I still have no read whatsoever on Hill, and I have him in multiple leagues. He's in line for 2 this week, albeit not ideal draws. I guess I roll the dice with him while we see what Desclafani looks like? I like Desclafani more by a good bit long term though. (Wilson Karaman)
2016-03-09 19:00:00 (link to chat)What players outside the top 200 are you targeting for a potential flyer?
(Truganini from CO)		To name a few: Will Myers, Josh Reddick, Aaron Nola, Rich Hill, Jayson Werth, Ben Paulsen, and Jerad Eickhoff. (Mike Gianella)
2016-01-14 20:00:00 (link to chat)Did Rich Hill make any mechanical adjustments last year or is his breakout more of an extremely small sample size? I know it was only 4 starts, but he looked good against some very good offenses (Toronto, Baltimore)
(holmesp2001 from St. Louis)		No, he did make some mechanical adjustments that I believe had an impact both on the sharpness and the location of his breaking ball. (Mike Gianella)
2015-09-17 14:00:00 (link to chat)Is Rich Hill back with authority?
(Silverback38 from VA)		That would be so awesome if he was. I'm not so sure about authority, but the hammer was legit and the velocity was decent. He definitely benefited from the novelty factor, judging from the looks that he got from opposing hitters. (Doug Thorburn)
2015-02-18 19:00:00 (link to chat)Happy first chat, Brendan! In a dynasty league that only awards points for hits, runs, RBI and SB, in what order would you rank Moncada, Mazara and Olivera?
(Chopper from Indy)		Moncada, Olivera, Mazara? I'm not great with fantasy* particularly if it isn't a standard 5x5.

* My first public writing was actually a weekly fantasy article when I was like 14. My first move was to recommend selling Rich Hill about two days before he started his nice little run with the Cubs. (Brendan Gawlowski)
2012-06-13 12:00:00 (link to chat)what do you think will eventually happen with daniel bard?
(mike from cambridge)		It's hard to say - he's clearly got talent, but that's not always enough. I'm reminded of Rich Hill, who had one amazing season and then utterly lost it the season after that. Now, Bard being another Rich Hill is unlikely, but it is possible. We'll have to wait to see how it plays out. (Colin Wyers)
2010-03-17 14:00:00 (link to chat)Cardinals pitching prospect Jaime Garcia has looked downright evil this spring, but doesn't seem to be in serious consideration for the rotation, which definitely has a vacancy. What's going on, Christina? Flash-in-the-pan syndrome? Justifiable desire to hold the workload down for a TJ survivor? Or a noxious manifestation of Dave Duncan's aversion to working with young pitchers, particularly starters?
(Bill from New Mexico)		Hi Bill, always a pleasure to see you on the boards... I think it's very much a matter of politburo-style turnitis, in that it isn't his turn yet. He's having a great camp, he's coming back from injury, and especially because of April scheduling, I could see him spending the first month or two getting regular starts for Memphis. By June, we'll know if McClellan's calling for reinforcements (inevitable, if you ask any Civil War buff), or if Rich Hill's redeemable and that's just in the fifth spot. Duncan's deserved reputation or no, I'm just not that wild on bets that Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny will be totally fine, so I think Garcia's going to be put to work at some point this season. (Christina Kahrl)
2009-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)From among Beresen, Hill and Berked in the Orioles' rotation, which do you think will perform the best long term?
(TGisriel from Baltimore)		Still a big Rich Hill believer, and he's the only one of the three that misses a lot of bats. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-02-16 14:00:00 (link to chat)Over, under, or even: Rich Hill wins 5 games for Baltimore in 2009?
(Jack from Baltimore)		Under. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-02-11 14:00:00 (link to chat)Two pitchers that many had pegged for positive growth (if not breakouts) last season, were Ian Snell and Rich Hill. Do you see bounce-backs for either of them in 2009, or is mediocrity all that can be hoped for?
(Joe from Brooklyn)		I think the change of scenery will help Hill. Snell is a hard guy to figure, talented but flighty. He could literally win 18 games this season or wind up in Indianapolis. (John Perrotto)
2008-11-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)Any chance for Rich Hill to ever turn it around? What happened?
(Jake from Chicago)		Has anyone come back from Steve Blass Syndrome? (Will Carroll)
2008-07-25 14:00:00 (link to chat)Joe, what happened to Rich Hill, and when/where will he be spotted again?
(Eric from MD)		He insists it's not mental, just mechanical. I doubt we'll see him in the majors this season, even as a September call-up, and I think his next MLB appearance will be with a team other than the Cubs. Medium term, I like the talent and I think he'll pitch well again. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-06-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)I like the potential trade series. How realistic do you think the following scenario could be: Jays send AJ Burnett and one of Shannon Stewart / Brad Wilkerson to the Cubs for Rich Hill and Matt Murton? Can that be a great way to kill 4 birds with one stone, or what?
(rawagman from TO)		In making such a deal, the Cubs would make themselves measurably worse. I say go for it! (Dayn Perry)
2008-06-27 14:00:00 (link to chat)Given that Theriot's performance has likely entrenched him in the starting lineup, and Ronny Cedeno's performance seemingly has him getting the lion-share of middle infield spot starts, what is Mike Fontenot's use now? Does he have any value in a trade? He seems like he could possibly bring the offensive value of Mark Derosa if he got the playing time. Also, what does Rich Hill have to do in order to return to the majors? Change teams?
(mlapointe from chicago)		Fontenot's getting starts at second with DeRosa moving out to left in the positional wheel that Piniella has been employing whenever his roster's Soriano-free, and it works pretty nicely. Add in that it means that he's got a bench player kept sharp with a goodly amount of playing time, and it makes for a better stabbity to go after the opposition with when he's back to pinch-hitting. And if Theriot or Cedeno or DeRosa goes down, it's a happier thing to be the team that still has Fontenot. He'd make for a mediocre regular, and while that might make him wealthy, I think it's more useful to keep him on this roster, especially as the lefty alternative to the righty-hitting Reed Johnson off of the bench.

Hill... it's a gut-wrenching thing to see a guy's control just go away like that. I'd trade for him, but I'm not sure the Cubs can afford to trust him until he gives Iowa a good month or so. It's interesting that Will brought up the Cubs in today's lead article about dealing for Sabathia--I would think that Hill would make a pretty important piece in such a swap, although it would be a bit risky to have both Cliff Lee and Hill in the same rotation. That would be sort of a southpaw roller-coaster ride that would require splatter shielding to protect bystanders. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-06-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)Rich Hill in pinstripes?
(Vito from NY)		I've thought a lot about that. He's at the project stage right now, but the upside is high. ...Now my son (2) is crying. (Steven Goldman)
2008-06-23 12:00:00 (link to chat)Hi John, have you heard if any other teams are interested in Rich Hill? I am curious if his trade value is higher or lower than Sean Marshall's. Thanks.
(Guancous from Silver Spring, MD)		I think a small-market club would be perfect for Hill. He's got an awful lot of talent but it's clear that he has lost the faith of Lou Piniella. Put him in a low-pressure environment and he could easily put his career back together. Yes, I think Hill has more value than Marshall simply because he has a higher ceiling, though I also think Marshall has a chance to be a good major-league starter. (John Perrotto)
2008-06-23 12:00:00 (link to chat)How strange is the saga of Rich Hill this season? While perhaps not unprecedented, this whole situation just seems like one of the more bizarre collapses I can ever recall a successful starting pitcher experiencing.
(Brent from Raleigh)		It's very strange. Again, Lou Piniella is a demanding manager and some guys get psyched out by him. I think Rich Hill is still a very good bet to have a good career. He just needs to get in a differet environment. (John Perrotto)
2008-06-23 12:00:00 (link to chat)Over the weekend, Rich Hill failed to make it out of the first inning - IN IOWA. He even had a throwing error over to first base. Who broke Rich Hill? Can anyone fix Rich Hill?
(theguag from Louisville)		I think he's fixable, just somewhere other than the Cubs. If I ran a club, I'd love to get my hands on him, especially if I could buy low right now. (John Perrotto)
2008-06-20 13:30:00 (link to chat)Let's go worst-case scenario and say Big Z is out for the year. Should the Cubs trade for A.J. Burnett (or whoever) or give Hill and/or Marshall another shot?
(Stephen from Louisville)		Rich Hill is something like the 25th-best starter in the National League. I have no idea what he did to Lou Piniella, but he can take Zambrano's place with minimal loss in value. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-06-20 13:30:00 (link to chat)What are the trade values for Rich Hill and Felix Pie and should/would the Cubs move them?
(theguag from Louisville)		Their trade values have been crushed by the organization. They shouldn't trade them, they should play them. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-06-03 13:00:00 (link to chat)You mentioned that you'd like to see the Cubs get another mid-level starter before the deadline. What's your take on Rich Hill maybe being that guy?
(Al from Montreal)		I wish it could be him. At this point, he's a long way away from returning. He can't seem to find his command and that's a big problem. (Len Kasper)
2008-05-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Three questions: 1) For my Cubs lovin' wife, are the Northsiders for real? They've done well so far, but what are their big questions down the stretch? 2) Is there any light at the end of the Andruw Jones tunnel, or is that the sound of a diesel locomotive? 3) Joe Torre: great manager, or *greatest* manager? Seriously, look at Friday's Dodgers lineup: how could he expect to win?
(scareduck from Still closer to Angel Stadium than Chavez Ravine)		Cubs: for real. Their run differential is the best in all of baseball by a wide margin, and I don't see any of the other NL Central teams being able to hang with them. I think the big questions are whether Rich Hill rediscovers his control and returns to the rotation, and whether Kerry Wood can hold up as the team's closer. Barring injuries, I think they'll be OK, and even with those injuries, they have a bit of depth to either cover from within or make a trade to help themselves out.

Andruw: lots of questions about him today. The upside of his injury is that it may explain some of his struggles, it may force him to get back in shape as he rehabs, and it will give Dodger fans a bit of relief when it comes to the daily drama of the outfield lineup.

Torre: Furcal being hurt certainly takes a bite out of that lineup. But really, Torre's going to have to get over this Russell Martin-at-3B fetish, even though it's only been a total of 37 innings he's played there. It's fine to give him a breather now and then, but when you're stealing at-bats from DeWitt or LaRoche to give them to Gary Bennett, something is definitely wrong. (Jay Jaffe)
2008-05-05 12:30:00 (link to chat)With nearly two-third of the season gone, what's your opinion of the compacted schedule? Do you see any teams with advantages or disadvantages in May because of how they built their non-league slate?
(BL from Bozeman, MT)		Well, the compacted schedule was sort of inherently flawed in my mind from the beginning. How exactly did a Feb 22 start date help Michigan? If the season had opened three weekends earlier, they might have won a couple more weekends and had a better chance at regionals. It's not as if they were able to play outdoors in Ann Arbor any sooner. However, I do like what this has done to philosophy, and how coaches are being forced to use pitching staffs. One subplot of that I'd point to is USD coach Rich Hill's usage of Kyle Blair and Sammy Solis -- almost mixing and matching them versus different opponents. Of course, four legit starting pitchers gives you options like that. (Bryan Smith)
2008-04-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)What is going on with Rich Hill, how does this affect his PECOTA?
(tschiera from Brooklyn)		Mechanically, he's pitching uphill and has apparently lost his release point. I have to think there's something more going on there, because that should be relatively easy to correct. Lou has his doghouse and maybe Hill did something to get in there. I'd guess that Hill gets back into the rotation after only a short time. (Will Carroll)
2008-02-25 12:00:00 (link to chat)Bryan, what in the world happened to Brian Matusz this weekend?
(Steve from North Dakota)		A couple questions on this. To me, the most concerning thing from Brian Matusz' start were the four walks he allowed in 4.2 innings. I mean, look, some starts the balls are going to find their holes and you're going to allow 8 hits like that. And even a guy like Nick Romero for SDSU, a very good player, will sometimes hit a home run off an All-American like Matusz. But the walks are a problem that we haven't seen much from the polished southpaw. Big weekend ahead for the Torreros as they host a good tournament, so I might try and get a more thorough answer from Rich Hill before my Thursday article. (Bryan Smith)
2008-01-25 13:30:00 (link to chat)How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Followup question: Would you rather have Rich Hill for the next four years, or Erik Bedard for the next two?
(Rob from Bloomington, IL)		Depends on what else you have and at what part of cycle your team is on, but generally speaking I'd take Hill for 4. (Dan Fox)


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PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC


Rich Hill has thrown 21,208 pitches that have been tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2007 and 2024, all of them occuring in Spring Training. In 2024, he has relied primarily on his Fourseam Fastball (87mph) and Slider (71mph), also mixing in a Curve (72mph) and Cutter (84mph). He also rarely throws a Change (82mph).