Austin Gomber Peoria 2015I know all too well how difficult it is to make lists of top players (top 15 starting pitchers list from the 2015 Valley League season will be starting soon, by the way).

However, I’m a little frustrated with Baseball America’s exclusion of former Luray Wrangler Austin Gomber (2012) on its list of top starting pitchers in the Low-A minor leagues in 2015.

Gomber had one of the best minor league seasons by a former Valley League pitcher, in, well, ever (or at least in the last ten years). Rowdy Hardy had a knockout year in 2007, but Gomber’s 2015 is better. Austin went 15-3, 2.67, with 97 hits, 34 walks, and 140 strikeouts in 135 innings pitched for low-A Peoria in the Midwest League. He had a 0.97 WHIP, .196 batting average against, and 9.3 K/9.

BA named five starting pitchers to its list, none of which are Gomber. They usually use a combination of future potential and current performance to make their lists, but I’m finding it hard to believe that Gomber doesn’t merit recognition.

Here are the five pitchers honored:

  • Stephen Gonsalves: 6-1, 1.15, 55 IP, 29 hits, 2 HR, 15 BB, 77 K’s, .153 BA, 12.6 K/9, 0.80 WHIP
  • Brent Honeywell: 4-4, 2.91, 65 IP, 53 hits, 3 HR, 12 BB, 76 K’s, .215 BA, 10.5 K/9, 1.00 WHIP
  • Ariel Jurado: 12-1, 2.45, 99 IP, 92 hits, 5 HR, 12 BB, 95 K’s, .244 BA, 8.6 K/9, 1.05 WHIP
  • Tyler Mahle: 13-8, 2.43, 152 IP, 145 hits, 7 HR, 25 BB, 135 K’s, .248 BA, 8.0 K/9, 1.12 WHIP
  • Stephen Tarpley: 11-4, 2.48, 116 IP, 108 hits, 2 HR, 25 BB, 105 K’s, .237 BA, 8.2 K/9, 1.15 WHIP

Gomber has more wins than all five BA choices, a lower ERA than one, more innings than four, a better batting average against than four, a higher K/9 than three, and a lower WHIP than four of the top five. To be fair, he gave up more home runs than all five (he surrendered 10), and he’s only younger than Tarpley (meaning that four of the five are younger than Gomber).

There’s my case. What do you think, brilliant reader?