Biographical

Portrait of Brandon McCarthy

Brandon McCarthy P  

CSS Button No Image Css3Menu.com

Braves Player Cards | Braves Team Audit | Braves Depth Chart

2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 35)
IP ERA WHIP SO W L SV WARP
Login or Subscribe today for access to projections!
Birth Date7-7-1983
Height6' 8"
Weight225 lbs
Age40 years, 9 months, 17 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
0.42015
0.12016
2.02017
1.42018
0.42019
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 CHA MLB 12 10 67.0 3 2 0 62 17 48 13 105 8.3 2.3 1.7 6.4 0% .249 1.18 4.98 4.03 112 5.31 114.3 0.1
2006 CHA MLB 53 2 84.7 4 7 0 77 33 69 17 112 8.2 3.5 1.8 7.3 0% .255 1.30 5.33 4.68 106 4.73 96.3 0.9
2007 TEX MLB 23 22 101.7 5 10 0 111 48 59 9 101 9.8 4.2 0.8 5.2 0% .300 1.56 4.80 4.87 122 7.78 161.0 -2.3
2008 TEX MLB 5 5 22.0 1 1 0 20 8 10 3 118 8.2 3.3 1.2 4.1 0% .239 1.27 5.24 4.09 130 7.99 170.5 -0.6
2009 TEX MLB 17 17 97.3 7 4 0 96 36 65 13 105 8.9 3.3 1.2 6.0 0% .274 1.36 4.73 4.62 114 5.87 125.9 -0.3
2011 OAK MLB 25 25 170.7 9 9 0 168 25 123 11 97 8.9 1.3 0.6 6.5 0% .296 1.13 2.89 3.32 79 3.12 72.4 3.9
2012 OAK MLB 18 18 111.0 8 6 0 115 24 73 10 95 9.3 1.9 0.8 5.9 0% .295 1.25 3.71 3.24 95 3.61 82.7 2.0
2013 ARI MLB 22 22 135.0 5 11 0 161 21 76 13 102 10.7 1.4 0.9 5.1 0% .320 1.35 3.72 4.53 97 3.99 95.6 1.6
2014 ARI 0 18 18 109.7 3 10 0 131 20 93 15 105 10.8 1.6 1.2 7.6 0% .345 1.38 3.78 5.01 88 3.46 84.7 1.9
2014 NYA 0 14 14 90.3 7 5 0 91 13 82 10 99 9.1 1.3 1.0 8.2 0% .307 1.15 3.25 2.89 91 3.10 76.1 1.9
2015 LAN MLB 4 4 23.0 3 0 0 24 4 29 9 85 9.4 1.6 3.5 11.3 0% .289 1.22 6.24 5.87 92 3.77 88.0 0.4
2016 LAN MLB 10 9 40.0 2 3 0 29 26 44 2 90 6.5 5.9 0.5 9.9 35% .278 1.38 3.73 4.95 110 5.04 111.6 0.1
2017 LAN MLB 19 16 92.7 6 4 0 89 27 72 5 90 8.6 2.6 0.5 7.0 44% .303 1.25 3.29 3.98 97 3.60 76.5 2.0
2018 ATL MLB 15 15 78.7 6 3 0 94 21 65 15 96 10.8 2.4 1.7 7.4 49% .332 1.46 4.75 4.92 94 3.76 84.1 1.4
2014 TOT MLB 32 32 200.0 10 15 0 222 33 175 25 102 10.0 1.5 1.1 7.9 0% .000 1.28 3.54 4.05 89 3.30 80.9 3.8
CareerMLB2551971223.76975012683239081451009.32.41.16.745%.2991.304.034.20994.3797.213.1

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-
2003 GRF Rk PIO 16 15 101.0 9 4 0 105 15 125 7 9.4 1.3 0.6 11.1 0% .356 1.19 2.97 3.65 0 0.00 0.0
2004 KAN A SAL 15 15 94.0 8 5 0 80 21 113 10 7.7 2.0 1.0 10.8 0% .313 1.07 3.35 3.64 0 0.00 0.0
2004 WNS A+ CRL 8 8 52.0 6 0 0 31 3 60 3 5.4 0.5 0.5 10.4 0% .230 0.65 1.97 2.08 0 0.00 0.0
2004 BIR AA SOU 4 4 26.0 3 1 0 23 6 29 2 8.0 2.1 0.7 10.0 0% .309 1.12 2.84 3.46 0 0.00 0.0
2005 CHA MLB AL 12 10 67.0 3 2 0 62 17 48 13 105 8.3 2.3 1.7 6.4 0% .249 1.18 4.98 4.03 112 5.31 114.3
2005 CHR AAA INT 20 19 119.3 7 7 0 104 32 130 16 106 7.8 2.4 1.2 9.8 0% -.489 1.14 3.62 3.92 78 3.56 70.2
2006 CHA MLB AL 53 2 84.7 4 7 0 77 33 69 17 112 8.2 3.5 1.8 7.3 0% .255 1.30 5.33 4.68 106 4.73 96.3
2007 TEX MLB AL 23 22 101.7 5 10 0 111 48 59 9 101 9.8 4.2 0.8 5.2 0% .300 1.56 4.80 4.87 122 7.78 161.0
2007 OKL AAA PCL 1 1 4.3 0 0 0 3 0 6 0 97 6.3 0.0 0.0 12.6 0% .300 0.70 0.74 0.00 52 2.11 43.3
2008 TEX MLB AL 5 5 22.0 1 1 0 20 8 10 3 118 8.2 3.3 1.2 4.1 0% .239 1.27 5.24 4.09 130 7.99 170.5
2008 OKL AAA PCL 5 5 26.7 1 1 0 21 8 23 2 114 7.1 2.7 0.7 7.8 0% .253 1.09 3.63 3.37 86 2.66 54.4
2008 RNG Rk AZL 2 2 5.0 0 0 0 7 1 5 0 113 12.6 1.8 0.0 9.0 0% .467 1.60 2.67 3.60 80 6.32 129.3
2009 TEX MLB AL 17 17 97.3 7 4 0 96 36 65 13 105 8.9 3.3 1.2 6.0 0% .274 1.36 4.73 4.62 114 5.87 125.9
2009 OKL AAA PCL 5 5 21.7 0 1 0 20 9 22 1 84 8.3 3.7 0.4 9.1 0% .317 1.34 3.40 4.15 80 3.83 80.6
2010 OKL AAA PCL 11 9 56.3 4 2 0 51 11 44 8 102 8.2 1.8 1.3 7.0 0% .257 1.10 4.61 3.36 0 0.00 0.0
2010 azu Wnt DWL 4 4 23.0 2 0 0 20 3 11 1 7.8 1.2 0.4 4.3 0% .244 1.00 3.22 1.96 0 0.00 0.0
2011 OAK MLB AL 25 25 170.7 9 9 0 168 25 123 11 97 8.9 1.3 0.6 6.5 0% .296 1.13 2.89 3.32 79 3.12 72.4
2011 STO A+ CAL 2 2 10.0 1 0 0 7 0 8 0 94 6.3 0.0 0.0 7.2 0% .250 0.70 2.34 0.00 75 2.48 50.6
2012 OAK MLB AL 18 18 111.0 8 6 0 115 24 73 10 95 9.3 1.9 0.8 5.9 0% .295 1.25 3.71 3.24 95 3.61 82.7
2012 SAC AAA PCL 2 2 9.7 0 1 0 9 3 11 1 101 8.4 2.8 0.9 10.2 0% .333 1.24 3.66 5.59 78 3.29 68.6
2013 ARI MLB NL 22 22 135.0 5 11 0 161 21 76 13 102 10.7 1.4 0.9 5.1 0% .320 1.35 3.72 4.53 97 3.99 95.6
2013 RNO AAA PCL 2 2 10.3 0 0 0 15 3 4 2 120 13.1 2.6 1.7 3.5 0% .325 1.74 6.46 6.97 116 5.96 129.6
2014 ARI MLB NL 18 18 109.7 3 10 0 131 20 93 15 105 10.8 1.6 1.2 7.6 0% .345 1.38 3.78 5.01 88 3.46 84.7
2014 NYA MLB AL 14 14 90.3 7 5 0 91 13 82 10 99 9.1 1.3 1.0 8.2 0% .307 1.15 3.25 2.89 91 3.10 76.1
2015 LAN MLB NL 4 4 23.0 3 0 0 24 4 29 9 85 9.4 1.6 3.5 11.3 0% .289 1.22 6.24 5.87 92 3.77 88.0
2016 LAN MLB NL 10 9 40.0 2 3 0 29 26 44 2 90 6.5 5.9 0.5 9.9 35% .278 1.38 3.73 4.95 110 5.04 111.6
2016 RCU A+ CAL 4 4 14.0 0 2 0 21 2 12 6 93 13.5 1.3 3.9 7.7 48% .326 1.64 7.99 7.07 135 6.97 154.0
2016 OKL AAA PCL 1 1 3.7 0 0 0 3 2 4 0 100 7.4 4.9 0.0 9.8 30% .300 1.36 3.17 2.45 96 3.74 82.5
2017 LAN MLB NL 19 16 92.7 6 4 0 89 27 72 5 90 8.6 2.6 0.5 7.0 44% .303 1.25 3.29 3.98 97 3.60 76.5
2017 RCU A+ CAL 2 2 6.7 0 1 0 8 4 3 0 108 10.8 5.4 0.0 4.1 50% .333 1.80 4.82 6.75 122 6.26 133.3
2018 ATL MLB NL 15 15 78.7 6 3 0 94 21 65 15 96 10.8 2.4 1.7 7.4 49% .332 1.46 4.75 4.92 94 3.76 84.1
2018 GWN AAA INT 3 0 4.0 0 1 0 6 0 2 1 13.5 0.0 2.3 4.5 33% .357 1.50 6.33 4.50 114 5.59 118.1

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr%
2008 374 0.5107 0.4332 0.8395 0.5497 0.3115 0.8571 0.8070 0.1605
2009 1565 0.5278 0.4268 0.8338 0.5678 0.2693 0.8998 0.6784 0.1662
2011 2483 0.5844 0.4986 0.8271 0.6203 0.3275 0.8722 0.7071 0.1729
2012 1563 0.5528 0.4370 0.8184 0.5671 0.2761 0.8694 0.6891 0.1816
2013 1998 0.5360 0.4955 0.8697 0.6256 0.3452 0.9164 0.7719 0.1303
2014 3026 0.5129 0.5036 0.8012 0.6456 0.3541 0.8782 0.6533 0.1988
2015 367 0.5150 0.4932 0.7403 0.6190 0.3596 0.7863 0.6563 0.2597
2016 691 0.5080 0.4298 0.8047 0.5869 0.2676 0.8641 0.6703 0.1953
2017 1441 0.4698 0.4650 0.8045 0.5953 0.3495 0.8561 0.7266 0.1955
2018 1213 0.5532 0.4707 0.8284 0.6036 0.3063 0.9062 0.6386 0.1716
Career147210.53280.47440.82230.60780.32170.88040.69570.1777

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
2013-05-31 2013-08-02 15-DL 63 55 Right Shoulder Soreness - -
2012-09-06 2012-10-12 DTD 36 26 - Head Surgery Skull Fracture and Epidural Hematoma 2012-09-05 -
2012-06-20 2012-08-10 15-DL 51 43 Right Shoulder Strain -
2012-06-08 2012-06-19 DTD 11 9 Right Shoulder Soreness - -
2012-05-18 2012-06-02 15-DL 15 13 Right Shoulder Strain - -
2012-05-03 2012-05-12 DTD 9 7 Right Shoulder Soreness - -
2012-03-21 2012-03-28 Camp 7 0 Left Fingers Laceration Torn Fingernail - -
2011-08-12 2011-08-12 DTD 0 0 Right Knee Contusion Batted Ball - -
2011-05-19 2011-07-03 15-DL 45 41 Right Shoulder Stress Fracture Scapula -
2010-07-29 2010-11-01 60-DL 95 61 Right Shoulder Recovery From Stress Fracture Scapula -
2010-06-20 2010-07-29 Minors 39 0 Right Shoulder Stress Fracture Scapula -
2010-06-11 2010-06-19 Minors 8 0 Right Shoulder Inflammation -
2010-04-26 2010-06-03 Minors 38 0 Right Shoulder Stress Fracture Scapula -
2009-06-05 2009-09-01 60-DL 88 77 Right Shoulder Stress Fracture Scapula -
2009-03-01 2009-03-12 Camp 11 0 Right Shoulder Soreness -
2008-09-16 2008-09-29 DTD 13 11 Right Fingers Strain Flexor Tendon Middle Finger -
2008-03-30 2008-08-07 60-DL 130 115 Right Forearm Inflammation -
2008-03-03 2008-03-30 Camp 27 0 Right Forearm Tightness -
2008-02-26 2008-03-07 Camp 10 0 Right Elbow Soreness -
2007-09-21 2007-10-01 DTD 10 9 Right Forearm Tightness -
2007-08-11 2007-09-11 15-DL 31 27 Right Shoulder Stress Fracture Scapula -
2007-06-10 2007-07-02 15-DL 22 19 Right Fingers Blister Middle Finger -
2007-05-26 2007-06-09 DTD 14 13 Right Fingers Blister Middle Finger -
2006-06-16 2006-06-16 DTD 0 0 Left Knee Contusion Batted Ball -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2018 ATL $7,000,000
2018 LAN $4,500,000
2017 LAN $11,500,000
2016 LAN $12,500,000
2015 LAN $12,500,000
2014 ARI $10,250,000
2013 ARI $5,250,000
2012 OAK $4,275,000
2011 OAK $1,000,000
2009 TEX $650,000
2008 TEX $404,810
2007 TEX $396,068
2006 CHA $332,000
YearsDescriptionSalary
12 yrPrevious$70,557,878
12 yrTotal$70,557,878

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
12 y 122 dLagardere Group4 years/$48M (2015-18)

Details
  • 4 years/$48M (2015-18). Signed by LA Dodgers as a free agent 12/16/14. $6M signing bonus. 15:$11M, 16:$11M, 17:$10M, 18:$10M. Conditional club option for 2019 based on days spent on disabled list with a specific injury: $5M club option with more than 179 days on DL or $8M club option with 119-179 days. Acquired by Atlanta in trade from LA Dodgers 12/16/17.
  • 2 years/$15.5M (2013-14). Signed by Arizona as a free agent 12/7/12. $2.5M signing bonus. 13:$4M, 14:$9M. Assignment bonus of $1M if traded. Acquired by NY Yankees in trade from Arizona 7/6/14. (Diamondbacks pay $2.05M of remaining salary. Yankees pay $1M assignment bonus.)
  • 1 year/$4.275M (2012). Re-signed by Oakland 1/17/12 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$1M (2011). Signed by Oakland as a free agent 12/13/10.
  • 1 year/$1.3M (2010). Re-signed by Texas 1/15/10 (avoided arbitration). Sent outright to Triple-A by Texas 11/5/10 (refused assignment).
  • 1 year/$0.65M (2009). Re-signed by Texas 1/15/09 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$404,760 (2008). Re-signed by Texas 2/25/08.
  • 1 year/$396,068 (2007). Acquired by Texas in trade from White Sox 12/06. Signed by Texas 2/07.
  • 1 year/$0.332M (2006). Re-signed by Chicago White Sox 2/06.
  • 1 year (2005). Contract purchased by Chicago White Sox 5/05.
  • Drafted by Chicago White Sox 2002 (17-510) (Cheyenne Mountain HS, Colorado Springs, Colo.). $40,000 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 16 0 0 17 17 85.6 72 28 72 9 .264 1.17 3.29 3.7 -4.6 -0.5
80o 14.3 0 0 16 16 79.3 72 27 66 9 .278 1.25 3.64 4.1 -7.6 -0.8
70o 13.2 0 0 15 15 74.9 71 27 63 9 .288 1.31 3.89 4.38 -9.4 -1.0
60o 12.3 0 0 14 14 71.2 70 27 60 8 .296 1.37 4.12 4.63 -10.8 -1.2
50o 11.5 0 0 14 14 67.9 70 27 57 8 .304 1.42 4.33 4.87 -12.1 -1.3
40o 10.6 0 0 13 13 64.5 69 26 54 8 .312 1.47 4.54 5.11 -13.1 -1.4
30o 9.8 0 0 12 12 61.1 68 26 51 8 .320 1.53 4.77 5.37 -14.1 -1.5
20o 8.9 0 0 12 12 57.1 66 25 48 8 .330 1.61 5.05 5.68 -15.0 -1.6
10o 7.6 0 0 10 10 51.8 64 24 43 8 .344 1.71 5.44 6.12 -16.1 -1.7
Weighted Mean11.400141467.36926568.3021.414.304.84-11.7-1.3

The rest of this card is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers.

Not a subscriber? Click here for a free card so you can see what's missing.

Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.

BP Annual Player Comments

The rest of this card is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers.

Not a subscriber? Click here for a free card so you can see what's missing.

Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.

BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Brandon McCarthy

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2017-10-24 20:00:00 (link to chat)Sad that all-around good guy Curtis Granderson won't be in the Series. Assume that we'll see Brandon McCarthy only if a game's out of hand or deep into extra innings?
(Here Kitty Kitty from Youper)		Yes, Granderson is a truly class act. Joe Sheehan's newsletter today had a great line that sums it up: "McCarthy made just 16 starts this year around shoulder and knee injuries. He’s on the roster to pitch in noncompetitive situations, or in innings that end in 'teen.'" (World Series Chat)
2016-08-01 16:00:00 (link to chat)My depth SP in a 14 team points lg are DeSclafani Joe Ross Hammel and Odorizzi. Any reason to consider dropping one of them for Drew Smyly or Brandon McCarthy? Thanks.
(dylanrox from New Orleans)		You're OK as is. I could see a case for dropping Ross for McCarthy in this format and riding the hot hand if you wanted to. (Mike Gianella)
2015-10-22 14:00:00 (link to chat)Which pitcher and position player do you think will get overpaid this off-season? And who do you think could end up being a steal for the team that signs them?
(Josh from Chicago)		Pitcher, overpaid: Mike Leake. Could fall right into that four-year, $50-million sour spot for FA SP, alongisde Edwin Jackson, Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco, Ubaldo, Brandon McCarthy.
Pos. player, overpaid: Cespedes.

P, underpaid: I dunno. Brett Anderson maybe.
Pos., underpaid: Dexter Fowler. QO will hurt him, not being a good defender in center will hurt him, but OBP is life and he's got it. (Matthew Trueblood)
2015-01-15 18:00:00 (link to chat)It is late in the 2015 season: Brett Anderson is on the DL for the 4th time and Brandon McCarthy is injured as well. Does Urias get the call? My understanding is that he is close to a finished product at age 18...
(Eric from LA)		Urias can certainly handle facing big league hitters in 2015; hell he could have handled it in 2014. That said, whether he gets the call comes entirely down to how protective the Dodgers want to be of their prized asset, and how much they feel he could augment their playoff chances down the stretch. I wouldn't rule it out, but I would be mildly surprised if we saw him in the big leagues for more than a cup of coffee in 2015. (Mark Anderson)
2014-12-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)How likely you think the chances of the Cubs landing Ben Zobrist? To me he fits exactly what they are looking for. Also, think they still might sign Brandon McCarthy?
(Fred Fenster from Chicago)		I think Zobrist makes sense, but I don't think anything is likely until I hear concrete information that a team is interested and motivated to make a deal. That doesn't appear to be the case just yet, at least with the Cubs, Rays, and Zobrist. (Sahadev Sharma)
2014-11-28 13:00:00 (link to chat)If the Cubs miss out on Lester, which is a decent possibility, which two of the "2nd tier" guys make the most sense for them, balancing reliability with upside?
(Matt from Chicago)		If they do miss out on Lester, there are quite a few pitchers that could help solidify a spot in the rotation. I would look into Brandon McCarthy or Jason Hammel. They are not impact arms, but valuable backend guys that can provide needs for a young club in desperation of innings. As we have seen just this past season, they have the potential to provide more value than what they were signed for. Ryan Parker and I have you covered on scouting reports for the two:

McCarthy: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25005
Hammel: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=24985 (Tucker Blair)
2014-10-17 12:00:00 (link to chat)Is Jarrod Dyson as funny as he seems?
(Omarion from Hardly, On., Canada)		In my experience, no ball player is ever as funny as he seems. Except maybe Brandon McCarthy. He seems legitimately funny. (Andy McCullough)
2014-08-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is Brandon McCarthy going to keep pitching well down the stretch?
(Alex from Anaheim)		He should keep pitching well but this level of performance is still sustainable. Why the Diamondbacks wouldn't let him use his four-seam fastball and cutter are beyond me, but McCarthy has thrived with those pitches back in his arsenal. The potential was always there, so I could see him putting up a 3.50 ERA or so with the stuff he has, even in the AL East. (Mike Gianella)
2014-05-15 20:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Bret - can you talk a bit about Brandon McCarthy? Velocity is up, looks to be for real - what do you think?
(adfeit from BK)		I think the velocity is very encouraging in the short-term and I like him a lot for the rest of this season. With that said, I'm very nervous about the velo spike and what it could lead to. McCarthy isn't exactly a guy who has been known for staying healthy anyway. (Bret Sayre)
2014-04-17 12:00:00 (link to chat)In light of Arizona's starting pitching woes, when do you expect a Archie Bradley callup?
(dmaybee from Lynchburg)		Yesterday? I mean, six walks in 16 innings isn't ideal, but it won't kill you either, and right now, according to MLB Depth Charts, the D-backs 'ace' is Brandon McCarthy. McCarthy is a nice pitcher, and he's killer on twitter, but he's not who I want at the front of the rotation, and I'm not saying that just because he doesn't follow me on twitter (seriously, Brandon, what that..?) It's early in the year so maybe AZ is trying to ride through the injury storm without throwing their top prospect into the middle of it, and that's reasonable. But if they're trying to win now, and their moves say they are, Bradley would seem like the best possible solution. (Matthew Kory)
2014-04-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)Among the pitchers showing early losses/gains in velocity, it seems like the media has pounced on Jonathan Papelbon even though the numbers show him to be throwing the same (mediocre) stuff as last year. Any other pitcher who you predict could have significant changes in effectiveness based on velocity alone? Too early to worry about Stephen Strasburg missing 1.5 MPH? Will Brandon McCarthy's uptick help him longterm?
(Scott from LA)		Totally agree on Paps. His key is FB command, and 3 innings is not enough to judge where he's at there.

Stras is somewhat worrisome because it comes paired with a weaker mechanical foundation than in the past. Low velo's are common in April, and I was very encouraged by the overall jump in velo in his last start compared to his outing on Opening Day (nearly +2 mph). It's too early to jump off the bridge, but there is some mechanical basis to calm our previously-held enthusiasm.

McCarthy's uptick is encouraging, though more kinetic energy in the system could be a double-edged sword for a player whose scapula doesn't hold under the rigors of pitching, so the question of "long term" is still wide open.

On the jukebox: Colin Hay, "Overkill" (Doug Thorburn)
2014-03-12 14:00:00 (link to chat)Other than Brandon McCarthy, who seems to be the stock answer, do you have a favorite player (or parody account) to follow on Twitter?
(Tom from Eugene, OR.)		I don't spend a ton of time on Twitter (I just sort of make surgical strikes when I want to tweet something or respond to something someone tweeted at me), so I miss a lot. Glen Perkins (@glen_perkins) seems like a pretty good follow. (Ben Lindbergh)
2013-06-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Can you name a non-ace or two in the NL whom you expect to be better in the second half?
(Jason from Not leaving yet)		Better meaning they've pitched and failed. Lance Lynn, Jeff Samardzija, Homer Bailey, Edwin Jackson, Dillon Gee (already surging), Brandon McCarthy & Ryan Vogelsong when healthy, and keep an eye on Tom Koehler who is throwing tonight. (Paul Sporer)
2013-04-10 20:00:00 (link to chat)So I've got both Weaver and Halladay. That's a bummer man. With Weaver going on the DL who would you pick up between Fister and B. McCarthy? 10 Team Mixed, 5x5 adding in CG, and QS.
(Eric from Costa Rica)		Hi Eric:

That is a bummer. Of the two I'd pick up Doug Fister. Brandon McCarthy has struggled, and while I generally recommend NL pitchers over AL pitchers, Fister is in a better park and is more likely to get you quality starts than McCarthy. (Mike Gianella)
2013-02-22 13:00:00 (link to chat)5x5 roto dyanasty league. Recent trade was Fielder/Cashner/Jose Castillo for Cano and Brandon McCarthy. Which side wins?
(Jim from Timbuktoo)		Jose Castillo the former Pirate? Last played in the big leagues in 2008, now in the Mexican League? The Cano side wins. If Castillo is actually somebody I'm not thinking of who is valuable, then I'd reconsider. Maybe. (Sam Miller)
2013-02-26 14:00:00 (link to chat)Daniel,"inverted W" is just a fancy way to say "M," right? Why is the former term used? It seems silly and a bit pretentious.
(GBSimons from Angers, Frances - at the moment)		Someone with scouting experience might have a better answer for this, but I believe that "inverted W" is used because it conveys the shape of the throwing arm more precisely. If you look at "inverted W" pitchers, in addition to being in the M-position, the arm is twisted around (such as in this photo of Brandon McCarthy: http://www.texasleaguers.com/storage/thumbnails/2927009-2374240-thumbnail.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1232084931852). Simply calling it an "M" leaves out a potentially critical component of the injury risk, if you believe that "inverted W" mechanics are problematic. (Daniel Rathman)
2013-01-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)Hello, I am in a 12-team, 8-man keeper league and have six of my keepers set but am having trouble determining my last two. They are all cheap pitchers and none are ideal but ... anyways, the choices are Brandon McCarthy ($6), Justin Masterson ($5), Randall Delgado ($2) and Glen Perkins ($1). What are your thoughts? Thanks
(Tony from Minneapolis)		I like Perkins the best. He's the cheapest and there is a chance he saves some games this year. (Josh Shepardson)
2012-12-20 14:00:00 (link to chat)Lindbergh and miller talked about their favorite/least favorites moves on the podcast the other day. Your favorite/least favorite offseason move?
(Roberto from jury duty (fml))		Glad I could make jury duty go by a little faster, Roberto - and I've got my own appearance to look forward to not long from now.

If we count extensions, I wasn't a fan of the Brandon League move for the Dodgers; if we limit this to free-agent signings, relative to some of the deals handed out since, the three-year, $25 million hitch the Royals gave Jeremy Guthrie seems a little out of place. Specifically, I liked the one-year, $6 million deal for Scott Feldman and the two-year, $15.5 million deal for Brandon McCarthy. And from a bullpen standpoint, one year and $4.25 million for Koji Uehara looks good.

To just choose two, I'll take League and Feldman. (Daniel Rathman)
2012-12-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)Brewers really need to sign a starter this winter. If they can't afford a guy like Dempster or even a Brandon McCarthy, how do you think Francisco Liriano stacks up to the rest of the buy-low guys? Any idea what his contract might look like?
(SecondHandStore from Sheboygan, WI)		Liriano is an intriguing possibility on a short-term deal, SecondHandStore, but I'm growing increasingly skeptical of his ability to regain his 2010 form. I could see him attempting to rebuild value on a one-year contract for somewhere in the $5-8 million range, and the Brewers - along with the Royals and Twins - are possible destinations. (Daniel Rathman)
2012-05-25 14:00:00 (link to chat)What's the word on Brandon McCarthy's shoulder? Is he just one of those pitchers that can't stay healthy?
(Paul from Toronto)		I don't see any issues with McCarthy mechanically - he has a real legit delivery - but his checkered history suggests that his body may not be up to the rigors of throwing 92-mph spheres for a living

Now on the jukebox: Black Sabbath "Snowblind" (Doug Thorburn)
2012-05-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)Where do you sit on this trade Adam Dunn, Mark Trumbo, and Brandon McCarthy for Michael Cuddyer and Martin Prado?
(Jerome from T Hills)		I'll take the first side. (Paul Sporer)
2012-01-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks for the chat as I'm ready to get amped up for the 2012 season. Rotation Q's for a deeper league: Do Tyson Ross and Kris Medlen have chances of carving out rolls with those rotations currently influx?
(Bringon2012 from Kansas)		Absolutely not to Medlen. He's good, but he'll need to prove he's recovered from TJ, and the Braves just have soooooo many options merely vying for the fifth spot (Minor, Teheran, Delgado, Vizcaino, etc.), most of which are now younger and more talented than Medlen. Medlen's probably 10th on their SP depth chart. Not a bad problem to have for a team, but for a Medlen owner it is. Ross has a slightly higher a chance, but the A's also brought in quite the haul of starter candidates this winter between Jarrod Parker, Brad Peacock, and Tom Milone, plus mainstays (while healthy) of Brett Anderson, Dallas Braden, Brandon McCarthy, and (to a lesser extent) Guillermo Moscoso. Then you have the usual Ross-esque fill-ins like Graham Godfrey and Josh Outman, so it'll be tough. (Derek Carty)
2011-05-04 19:00:00 (link to chat)Am I going to be happy I've had Brian Matusz stashed on my roster all this time? There are folks like Dan Hudson and Brandon McCarthy lingering on our waiver wire.
(Yatchisin from Intercostal Clavicle)		I'd rather have Hudson right now since his worst stats are behind him (Jason Collette (note time))
2011-04-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Do the A's have the best rotation in baseball once you factor in the twittering capabilities of Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, and Dallas Braden?
(Tom from Madison)		I would like to see the Phillies try to contend with the A's on Twitter. Roy Halladay's angry stares don't translate well into 140 character bursts, especially not up against Brandon McCarthy's sense of humor. (Marc Normandin)
2011-03-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who do you like to round out the A's rotation out of Brandon McCarthy, Josh Outman, Tyson Ross, Bobby Cramer, and the forever-injured Rich Harden?
(Tom from Madison)		What, you mean in terms of finding a fifth ma to fight for the honor of being fifth starter? Ian Krol's a way's off yet. Pedro Figueroa's coming back from TJS and will start the season on the DL--that has to make him an honorary competitor, no? (Christina Kahrl)
2011-01-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)The A's just signed Grant Balfour and now are apparently targeting Brian Fuentes. All this on top of the signings of Rich Harden and Brandon McCarthy. Obviously a lot of injury risk, but do you see the A's looking to move one of their relievers in a package for another bat?
(Tom from Madison)		Someone is going to have to go somewhere if they keep doing this, but I'm just not sure who they are going to move. It was smart of them to wait until the market died down a little though. You know a reliever is going to get hurt in the spring or a team won't have as many quality options as they thought they did. (Marc Normandin)
2010-04-27 13:00:00 (link to chat)When will the Rangers begin to admit their mistake and promote Derek Holland to replace Rich Harden in the rotation? Harden is a bullpen killer with his 4.1 inning outings.
(Kevin from Dallas)		Both Holland and Brandon McCarthy are carving up the PCL, giving Texas some options to change up the rotation. Harden (17 ip in 4 starts) and Feldman (7.50ish r/g) are the subpar candidates to date. Harden's history and stuff make him a strong candidate for the Kerry Wood treatment and a permanent shift to the bullpen. I doubt they would make such a move without a DL trip for Harden, , which would be the excuse for the transition. Shouldn't have to wait too long for that. (Clay Davenport)
2010-03-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)Are you at all surprised that Texas decided on CJ Wilson in the rotation considering the other possibilities and leaving late inning duties to the oft-injured Frank Francisco, Netali Feliz who has never thrown in back-to-back games, and Darren Oliver coming off a career year at age 39?
(Jake from Chicago)		The Rangers have a ton of candidates for their rotation, many of which I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot clown pole (Brandon McCarthy and Matt Harrison come to mind). Because he's a lefty who can miss bats, Wilson is already much more interesting than those two, and worth taking a chance on. A for Feliz, his time will come, but he hasn't shown much in spring training (11.57 ERA), and he's not even 22 yet. I'm a bit more concerned about the Rangers' bullpen, but I do like Oliver, and think that perhaps some of those surplus arms can be useful down there. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-12-15 14:00:00 (link to chat)I read previously in this chat that Brandon Mccarthy among others was in the rotation next year when in reality Neftali Feliz and/or C.J. Wilson will be included in the Rangers rotation next year. Am I right or wrong? and won't this make their rotation at least on par with the other teams in the division? Thanks
(Tim Barta from Dallas, Texas)		They're considering Wilson, and we'll see if it takes; more often than not, they get explored, discussed, maybe even tried out in spring, and then they don't happen in the real season. They might have enough viable candidates that Feliz-as-reliever makes sense as well. The key to my way of thinking is as I said on Saturday is that they have eight plausible starting pitchers, McCarthy, Feliz, and Wilson among them. (Christina Kahrl)
2008-08-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)Do you see Brandon McCarthy making any meaningful impact with Texas this year?
(Matt from WI)		No, and there's no reason to force the issue. Hopefully he shows up in February completely intact. (Joe Sheehan)
2006-03-21 19:00:00 (link to chat)It seems to me that PECOTA has difficulty predicting significant advances in pitchers' K/BB rates. Is there some other way to see Sheets-style jumps coming? For instance, some at BP are high on Brandon McCarthy, but Pecota seems to indicate "league average" for the forseeable future. How is this disconnect explained?
(jacksonreams from Washington, DC)		PECOTA is, by design, pretty conservative. The truth is that the average performance of a large group of players doesn't change tremendously from year to year -- the fluke seasons and true breakouts are balanced by the slumps and injury decimations. Add to that the injury risk factor built into PECOTA, and you see why from an "actuarial" standpoint, PECOTA is warranted in being conservative.

One tip for how I personallyuse the PECOTA cards (e.g. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/pecota/mccarbr01.php)
I find that there are too many percentile lines to really assess the range, so I break it mentally down into three categories:

High (25%) - 90th percentile
Medium (50%) - 50th percentile
Low (25%) - 10th percentile

When you look at McCarthy's upside as a 1-in-4 chance of around a 3.32 ERA in 173 inning, you start to see why the optimistic views exist. (Keith Woolner)


BP Roundtables

No BP Roundtables have mentioned this guy.

 

PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

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


Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2024, Brandon McCarthy threw 16,300 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2007 and 2018, all of them occuring in Spring Training. In 2018, he relied primarily on his Sinker (93mph), Cutter (92mph) and Curve (80mph), also mixing in a Slider (86mph). He also rarely threw a Fourseam Fastball (92mph).