Johnny Cueto for sure. Jordan Zimmerman, definitely. Zack Greinke, no doubt about it. But what if I told you Rich Hill wasn't too far behind? It sounds silly, right? And in a way (at least, until you see all the details), it is. Sure, nobody came into the 2016 season saying "Rich Hill is going to win 20 games", but somehow, some way, he was an important piece of the pitching market over the winter. But how did he get to be that way?
Drafted 3 times, Hill finished school at the University of Michigan before beginning his career in the Cubs' organization. A 6'5", 205-pound lefty, Hill began his first foray into pro ball at the age of 22 for the Cubs' Low-A affiliate in Boise. Over the next few seasons, he slowly and methodically progressed through the Cubs' system. By 2005, he was widely regarded as having one of the best curveballs in all of minor league baseball. Devastating breaking-ball in hand, Hill recorded quite the impressive stat line that year: 11-4, 3.31 ERA, 194 strikeouts in just 130 innings. Not to mention, he went all the way from the Cubs' A level all the way to AAA Iowa, where he went 6-1. It seemed as if Hill was on his way to becoming the next big thing. Chicago was just 2 years removed from the dramatic and disappointing 2003 NLCS loss, and if Mark Prior and Kerry Wood could stay healthy, along with young star Carlos Zambrano and veteran Greg Maddux, it seemed the Cubs certainly had plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
As a minor leaguer, Hill's fastball sat in the 88-92 range, with a dominant 12-6 curve and he also had a "show-me" change-up. But his issue was control. Aside from his dominant 2005 campaign, he averaged almost 5 walks per game throughout his time on the farm and despite the dominance of his curveball, he had a tendency to hang it and would pay dearly, to the tune of 1.4 home runs allowed per game in '05.
Finally, at the very end of 2005, Hill got his first call to the bigs, and was unremarkable. He posted an 0-2 record, 9.13 ERA, and almost had as many walks (17) as innings pitched (23). Ticketed for AAA Iowa to begin 2006, Hill made sure the Cubs couldn't keep him there, going 7-1 with a glistening 1.80 ERA. The Cubs had no choice, bringing him back to Chicago, where he showed his improvement, posting a 6-7 mark and a 4.17 ERA. He had earned a spot in the rotation. And so, at age 27, the 2007 season was to be his first full season in the bigs. All he did was go 11-8, 3.92 ERA and 183 whiffs in 195 innings. The future looked bright, and it seemed the Cubs had found a new star.
(milb.com)
But back issues limited Hill to just 5 big league starts in '08. When he did pitch, the control issues creeped up again, as he walked almost one batter per inning. And so, with the Cubs coming off a division crown and looking to get even better, Hill was dealt to the Orioles for the 2009 season. Again, high walk numbers and injuries ruined another season. Hill's ERA was approaching 8 before he was finally shut down with a torn labrum. He signed a free agent deal with the Cardinals the following spring, before getting picked up by the Boston Red Sox, where he made his only big league appearances that year. But things went from bad to worse, and the next bump in the road for this once-bright star came in the form of Tommy John surgery. Two dismal 2011 appearances with the Red Sox were followed by a sparkling (if somewhat abbreviated) 2012 year where he posted a 1.83 ERA out of the 'pen. A miserable 2013 with the Cleveland Indians, and another injury-shortened 2014 found Hill out of a job that winter.
In 2015, Hill began the season in the 'pen for Washington's AAA affiliate, but despite good numbers, was released midseason. Hill resorted to the Independent leagues, where he began working as a starter again. After making just two starts (in which he fanned 21 hitters in 11 innings), he was picked up once again by Boston. He went 2-1 at the end of last season with a 1.55 ERA and that finally brings us to the 2015-16 offseason.
What made Hill so attractive this past offseason? The guy has a long history of injuries, and a list of control issues just as long. According to the Oakland A's it was just a matter of risk vs. reward. A's Assistant GM Dave Feinstein said the A's were looking for a bargain and after Hill "put together four really good starts for the Red Sox, we looked at potential free agents and we saw him as a low-risk option with plenty of upside." Indeed, a guy with an injury history can come cheap, so the A's offered Hill a $6 million deal. Hill had offers elsewhere but what ultimately swayed him towards the A's was their offer of a spot in the rotation. Hill went 9-3 for the A's this year, cutting down on walks while continuing to strike out hitters at a high rate. Finally, it seems as if things are going right for Hill. A deadline deal with the Dodgers was followed by yet another stint on the DL, this time for blisters on his pitching hand.
Last night, Rich Hill made his Dodgers debut in Chavez Ravine against Johnny Cueto and the Giants. Hill became the 30th Dodger pitcher this year (one shy of the franchise record set last year). As I watched Hill and Cueto duel last night, I couldn't tell which one was the 1-year, $6 million pitcher, and which one was the 6-year, $130 million pitcher. A Justin Turner home run in the 4th inning was the first Dodger hit of the night, and it was all the support Hill would need.
Cueto- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (L, 14-4)
Hill- 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER. 0 BB, 3 K (W, 1-0 with Dodgers, 10-3 overall)
For the second time in his career, Hill has reached double figures in the win column. But more importantly to him, the Dodgers are 3 games up on the Giants in the quest for the division title. With Kershaw due back from the disabled list soon, the Dodgers rolling, and the Giants reeling, it looks as if we will be seeing the lights of Dodger stadium deep into October again. And for Rich Hill, nothing would be sweeter than finally getting to the postseason, an accomplishment that has eluded him thus far. yes, for the first time in a long time, for this Dodgers lefty, it feels good to be King of the Hill.
Hill tossed 6 shutout innings in his Dodgers Debut last night (Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports)
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