Baseball Sabermetrics: Can MSV Explain Edwin Jackson’s Longevity?

How has Edwin Jackson maintained a long MLB career despite struggling with Chicago Cubs? Next series in Magnum Start Value judges Jackson’s true worth.

Those of us who follow baseball in the city of Chicago have Edwin Jackson etched in our memory banks. Regardless of which team you root for, he was one of the most enigmatic pitchers to toe the rubber recently in the Windy City.

Armed with the ability of an ace, Jackson struggled to harness his repertoire into consistent results on the hill. Did future Hall of Fame general manager Theo Epstein throw away $52 million when he signed Jackson in December of 2012?

In order to analyze this properly, looking at Jackson’s numbers through the lens of Magnum Start Value (MSV) is appropriate. Could he ever keep his ERA or WHIP anywhere near that of an ace? Absolutely not, as Jackson put up an earned run average no lower than 4.98 in his two seasons starting for the North Siders, not to mention also posted one over six (6.33 to be exact).

While this study will only encompass his time with the Cubs, I plan on referencing his Magnum Starts with the White Sox later in my analysis. Here is each time Jackson tallied a score in MSV on the North Side.