StaTuesday: Twins' Berrios, Santana WHIP-ing into shape

The Minnesota Twins have quite the 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation.

Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios are both having good seasons. One reason for their success is their ability to keep runners off the bases.

Santana enters Tuesday's games ranked fifth in the American League and 10th in the majors in WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) at 1.128. Berrios, if he qualified, would be seventh in the AL at 1.159.

Santana has had 10 starts this season where his walks plus hits have been equal or less than the amount of innings he pitched, including his last start on Aug. 23, when he gave up three hits and one walk in seven innings. Berrios has had seven such starts.

If Santana and Berrios can continue this pace (or better) for the rest of the season, it would be the first time since 2001 that Minnesota has had a pair of starting pitchers with WHIP under 1.160.

Since the DH era in 1973, only 17 times has a Twins starter finished with a WHIP that low, and of those 15, Bert Blyleven and Johan Santana did it four times.

PITCHER	YEAR	G	IP	WHIP
Ervin Santana	2017	26	169.1	1.128
Jose Berrios	2017	19	111.1	1.159
Phil Hughes	2014	32	209.2	1.130
Kevin Slowey	2008	27	160.1	1.154
Johan Santana	2007	33	219	1.073
Johan Santana	2006	34	233.2	0.997
Johan Santana	2005	33	231.2	0.971
Johan Santana	2004	34	228	0.921
Rick Reed	2002	33	188	1.160
Brad Radke	2001	33	226	1.155
Joe Mays	2001	34	233.2	1.151
John Smiley	1992	34	241	1.120
Kevin Tapani	1991	34	244	1.086
Frank Viola	1988	35	255.1	1.136
Bert Blyleven	1985	14	114	1.114
Frank Viola	1984	35	257.2	1.157
Bert Blyleven	1975	35	275.2	1.099
Bert Blyleven	1974	37	281	1.142
Bert Blyleven	1973	40	325	1.117

Some notes:

-- Johan Santana is the only Twins starter to lead the league in WHIP and he did it four straight seasons form 2004-07.

-- The only other times the Twins have had two starters with a WHIP under 1.160 are 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1972.

-- Blyleven also had WHIPs under 1.160 in 1970 and '72, giving him a franchise-high six times recording a WHIP that good.

-- Others with multiple WHIP under 1.160 who aren't listed above: Dean Chance (2), Jim Kaat (3), Jim Merritt (2), Camilo Pascual (2) and Jim Perry (3).

-- It's not just Ervin Santana and Berrios doing it on the 2017 Twins. Minnesota's bullpen has a bevy of pitchers with good WHIPs, including Alan Busenitz (0.891), Dillon Gee (1.015), Trevor Hildenberger (1.059) and Ryan Pressly (1.089).

Dave Heller is the author of the upcoming book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as Facing Ted Williams Players from the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns