Tough sledding for R.A. Dickey

R.A. Dickey
Courtesy of wikipedia.com

Since moving back to the American League in the off-season, reigning National League Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey has had a tough go of it.

Wednesday's complete-game shutout of Tampa Bay notwithstanding, Dickey has struggled in his first season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He has allowed 17 home runs, walked 41 batters and owns a 4.72 ERA in 17 starts. By contrast, Dickey gave up 24 home runs and walked 54 batters during his 2012 campaign with the New York Mets. He also struck out 230 batters and compiled a 2.73 ERA last year.

Dickey has struggled in the American League before, only he did so primarily as a reliever. In his first two seasons in Texas (2003, 2004), he appeared in 63 games but started only 28 of them, and his ERA in both seasons was over five runs per game. It should be noted that those years were before he switched to the knuckleball he throws today.

After two more years in the Texas organization, Dickey went to Seattle in 2008 and flopped (5-8 record, 5.21 ERA, 1.56 ERA). He wound up in Minnesota for the 2009 season and struggled again (4.62 ERA in a reliever's role) before hitting his stride with the Mets for three years:

2010 -- 11-9 record, 2.84 ERA, 104 strikeouts, 42 walks, 13 home runs allowed

2011 -- 8-13 record, 3.28 ERA, 134 strikeouts, 54 walks, 18 home runs allowed

2012 -- 20-6 record, 2.73 ERA, 230 strikeouts, 54 walks, 24 home runs allowed

So, what is causing Dickey to struggle in the American League? Realistically, it's because American League lineups are tougher to deal with than National League lineups. Thanks to the AL's designated hitter rule, there is no soft spot in the lineup -- no weak-hitting pitchers to ease past in the No. 9 hole. It's the primary reason why eight of the top 10-hitting teams in Major League Baseball hail from the "junior circuit."

Still, it is rather jarring to see Dickey sport a 4.72 ERA midway through this season. Maybe Wednesday's shutout will change his fortunes, but as we've seen what has happened to Dickey during his previous American League stints, we shouldn't be holding our breath.