Start to Finish

Mets starters through last night have averaged 5.9 innings pitched per game this season, slightly higher than the overall National League average of 5.8 innings per game for starting pitchers. American League starters average 5.9 innings a game in 2007. Cleveland's starters lead the majors in average length of appearance at 6.3 starter innings per game -not surprisingly given that the Indians have maybe the two most effective starters in the AL this season, Sabathia and Carmona. Florida and Washington trail the majors in this category in 2007, with both teams averaging 5.3 starting pitcher innings per game.

Compare these 2007 numbers to 1974, one of the best years of the past half century for starters pitching deep into games. In 1974, Mets starters averaged 6.9 innings per game, one full inning more than in 2007. The overall NL average was 6.5 starting pitcher innings per game; in the AL it was 6.6. The top team in this regard in 1974 was Boston, whose starters averaged 7.2 innings per appearance; San Diego was the worst with 5.8 starter innings per game.

Another way to look at starter innings is to look at what percentage of starter appearances went into the seventh inning.
% of Major League Starters Completing More Than 6 IP (one out in the 7th inning, or further):
1970s: 58.9%
1980s: 53.4%
1990s: 47.8%
2000s: 41.5%

Although the average in the current decade of the 00s is 41.5%, in the last two seasons -- 2006, and 2007 to date -- the percentage of starters that go at least as far as an out in the 7th have been, respectively, 38.6% and 37.9%.