Padres News: Seth Lugo Didn’t Start Using Analytics Until This Season in San Diego

Lugo was one of the bright spots for the Padres this season!

Starting pitcher Seth Lugo was one of the bright spots for the San Diego Padres this season, and his consistency throughout the season was impressive. He joined the team last offseason after choosing San Diego over some other contenders.

It seems that coming to the Padres was a great decision for the veteran, as he saw his numbers greatly improve. He was mainly used as a relief pitcher in previous stops, but San Diego gave him the chance to be a starter, and he didn’t let them down.

“Stuff that I’ve learned, I wish I would have known just going into the offseason last year, because I got a few building points that I think I can improve a mile or two or velocity or sustain velocity," said Lugo. “So there are things I’m excited for, to get in the weight room and conditioning-wise that I think is going to really help me in the future.”

Per The SD Union-Tribune

He finished the 2023 campaign with an ERA of 3.57 and a WHIP of 1.20. Lugo also struck out 140 batters over 146.1 innings of work.

It seems that he never really dove into analytics until this past season, and he is very thankful for it.

"I guess the league has been kind of more analytic as far as being able to figure out how to throw certain pitches, how to get certain movements on certain pitches. But I’m a little behind. That’s not something I was doing ever until this year.”

Per The SD Union-Tribune

It remains to be seen if Lugo will return next season, but if he does, it could help stabilize the Padres rotation. He gave them a chance to win each time out, and they could use that once again next year.

“I mean, it’s night and day," Lugo said. “The last few months it’s been so much fun. Every time I’m on the mound. I always had a good plan. The plan was execute this pitch in this location. Now it’s execute this pitch in this location, get this movement, get this angle, get this release point, extension"

Per The SD Union-Tribune

Lugo holds a player option for $7.5 million next season, which he may decline after putting together a strong season. Lugo earned the chance to sign a larger, more lucrative contract, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens with him this winter.