The 20 worst A-Braves pitchers: #1-4, Frank LaCorte

S0 20 pitchers was a bit ambitious. Life’s too short to waste it parsing the stats of Jim Panther and Randy O’Neal.

Besides, Frank LaCorte was so bad he deserves four spots. While this list wasn’t completed in order of suckitude, no Braves pitcher sucked more than LaCorte, though you could make a case for Kevin Coffman.

His 1977 numbers are almost unbelievable: 1-8, 11.68 ERA, 37 IP, 67 H, 29 BB, 2.595 WHIP.

LaCorte, the fifth pitcher from the ’77 to make the list, appeared in 14 games that year, half as a starter. He lost 6 of those 7 starts with an 11.57 ERA. His ERA in relief: 11.91.

Left-handed hitters batted .404 against LaCorte; righties, .389. He was 0-4 at Fulco with a 15.16 ERA.

LaCorte’s only win came in the season’s fourth game — his first — a 7-6 decision over the Dodgers.

The Braves traded him in 1979 to the Astros for Bo McLaughlin. LaCorte’s final Braves numbers: 4-24, 6.23 ERA, 1.631 WHIP.

He actually turned into a decent reliever with the ‘Stros, winning 8 and saving 11 for the 1980 NL West champions. But he’ll always be remembered as the worst hurler to ever toe the slab on Capitol Ave.

Drug test PECOTA

Baseball Prospectus’ 2013 PECOTA projections are a joke, and not just because they view the Braves as a .500 team.

According to BP, the Yankees will win four more games than the Nats. Boston will win four more than the Braves, projects BP, and will finish ahead of the Jays and Rays.

The Braves, at 82-80, are just two games better than the Mets, Phils and Indians (and that was before the Michael Bourn signing). And only 88 wins for the Nats? Seriously?

That’s about as likely as the Yankees winning 92.

National League

East

1. Washington Nationals – 88-74
2. Atlanta Braves – 82-80
3. New York Mets – 80-82
4. Philadelphia Phillies – 80-82
5. Miami Marlins – 66-96

Central

1. Cincinnati Reds – 92-70
2. St. Louis Cardinals – 84-78
3. Milwaukee Brewers – 79-83
4. Pittsburgh Pirates – 79-83
5. Chicago Cubs – 77-85

West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers – 93-69
2. San Francisco Giants – 85-77
3. Arizona Diamondbacks – 84-78
4. San Diego Padres – 76-86
5. Colorado Rockies – 72-90

American League

East

1. New York Yankees – 92-70
2. Boston Red Sox – 86-76
3. Tampa Bay Rays – 86-76
4. Toronto Blue Jays – 85-77
5. Baltimore Orioles – 74-88

Central

1. Detroit Tigers – 92-70
2. Cleveland Indians – 80-82
3. Chicago White Sox – 77-85
4. Kansas City Royals – 76-86
5. Minnesota Twins – 66-96

West

1. Los Angeles Angels – 90-72
2. Texas Rangers – 87-75
3. Oakland Athletics – 83-79
4. Seattle Mariners – 79-83
5. Houston Astros – 63-99