It's great how he's been able to contribute so much to the team without hogging the spotlight at all? The A's have won more games that he's started out everyone in the rotation. Add that to the personal family problems he had to deal with - correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't his grandmother and mom both get diagnosed with cancer during the first few weeks of the season? He's a fighter, he's tough as nails, and I'm still upset at myself for not yet being able to make it to any of his starts this year... I just seem to keep missing him somehow.

Plus he watches reality television with his wife, who is a real beautiful lady. How much more perfect can you get?!

P.S. G&GG: No WONDER your mom doesn't want you meeting these people--she sees you laughing hysterically at your computer screen every night.

But there are some troubling trends.  Consider:

OBP: 381 (!)
K/BB: 0.78
K/9: 2.51 - yes, after today's performance

If someone showed you a pitcher with these kinds of peripherals, you would think this guy would have an ERA of 5+

How is he getting it done, then?

1. BABIP: 305 - No, he's not getting lucky.
2. OBP vs. RHB: 311
   

3) GB/FB: 2.28.  Ah, here we go.  He's inducing ground balls like crazy.  Say what you like about DIPS, but I think that groundball pitchers can get away with low K rates - so I don't see disaster on the horizon for Huddy unless hitters start lifting that sinker in the air.  Batters are having problems lifting Saarloos's pitches, it seems, as the have a paltry 105 isolated power (SLG-AVG), which in the top 15 for MLB starters.  Although he's giving up his fair share of hits, they're not going anywhere.  His three homers allowed on the year is excellent.  Let me repeat that: hitters have only gone yard on him three times all year!

Saarloos's groundball tendencies place him in the top ten in all of baseball.  He's induced 13 double play grounders, which is also in the top ten.  Granted, you only get double plays when you put on base, but the point remains that he is adept and getting two for the price of one, as it were.  (Baseball Prospectus tracks double play rate and adjusts it for number of baserunners allowed.  By their metrics, Saarloos is the sixth best pitcher at inducing GIDPs - ahead of even Mr. Hudson.)

Saarloos isn't much more than a #4 or #5 guy, and he's probably pitching a little over his head.  Regardless, he's an extremely solid guy to have, a great pickup in exchange for - who was it? - Justin Lehr?  

The main problem is that he's one dimensional: his effectiveness is largely a function of his ability to keep the ball on the ground.  If he loses that, he's toast.  Then again, according to Mychael Urban in today's game wrap, Saarloos is trhowing a modified curveball...so maybe there is improvement in him yet!