Miami Marlins: The curious splits of Wei-Yin Chen

Miami Marlins pitcher Wei-Yin Chen did not have a great season this year. It is easy to see why.

Every so often, there are players who perform better at home than on the road. It is easy to understand why – sleeping in one’s own bed instead of in a hotel room, familiarity with the stadium, and being able to be in a comfortable routine. And then, of course, there is also Coors Field in Colorado, which causes its own set of home-away issues.

However, this season, no one player may better exemplify the difference between playing at home and on the road as Miami Marlins pitcher Wei-Yin Chen. For the season, his overall numbers are fairly mediocre, as Chen has a 6-11 record, along with a 4.66 ERA and a 1.299 WHiP, striking out 110 batters against 44 walks in 129.1 innings.

It is easy to see where the problems have come about. At home, Chen has looked like an ace, posting a brilliant 1.62 ERA and a 0.936 WHiP, striking out 74 batters with just 22 walks in 78 innings. He has held the opposition to a .185/.245/.283 batting line, as he has dominated in Miami.

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On the road, Chen has been the exact opposite. Away from the friendly confines of Marlins Park, he has limped to a woeful 9.29 ERA and a 1.851 WHiP, striking out only 36 batters against 22 walks in 51.1 innings. The opposition has belted Chen for a .338/.393/.625 batting line. With the 1.018 OPS that Chen has given up, he has essentially turned the opponent into J.D. Martinez.

Interestingly, this has not always been the case. Over his previous two seasons in Miami, Chen was better on the road than at home. Granted, those splits were not this markedly different, but it is interesting to note the incredible swing from previous years.

There is reason to hope that Chen will be better in 2019. He is still working his way back from the partially torn UCL he suffered in 2017. Should he improve upon his numbers from this year, it would not be a surprise to see the Marlins attempt to trade his remaining contract, as Chen is signed through 2020. An exactly league average pitcher over his major league career, as he has an ERA+ of 100, Chen could be a solid upgrade to the back of a contending team’s rotation next year.

Of course, Wei-Yin Chen needs to rebound from this year first. In order to do that, the Miami Marlins pitcher needs to even out his home and road splits, working back to being that solid pitcher he has been throughout his career.