Bashibashibashi Pitchers BABIP

Have the hitters been lucky? The previous post suggests that the hitters performance is not primarily luck, and may be sustainable.

What about pitchers? Are hits falling in or is the defense nabbing everything? Which is higher-- BABIP (batting average on balls in play) or career BABIP?
AVG BABIP BABIPCareer
John Smoltz 0.259 0.100 0.291 (lucky)
Erik Bedard 0.205 0.192 0.252 (lucky)
Rich Hill 0.216 0.246 0.277 (lucky)
Matt Capps 0.217 0.278 0.282
Felix Hernandez 0.238 0.286 0.316 (lucky)
George Sherrill 0.111 0.077 0.267 (lucky)
Joakim Soria 0.092 0.17 0.258 (lucky)
B.J. Ryan 0.151 0.177 0.304 (lucky)
Rich Harden 0.184 0.272 0.284
Pat Neshek 0.293 0.402 0.245 (unlucky)
Jon Broxton 0.195 0.365 0.329 (unlucky)
R. Betancourt 0.358 0.414 0.296 (unlucky)

The majority of Bashibashibashi pitchers have been lucky. Let us compare WHIP to career averages.

WHIP WHIP-career
John Smoltz 1.00 1.17 (2008 is better than career average)
Erik Bedard 1.45 1.34 (lucky, but maybe not good-- K/BB=1.25)
Rich Hill 1.56 1.26 (lucky, but maybe not good-- K/BB=1.00)
Matt Capps 1.04 1.09
Felix Hernandez 1.17 1.28 (2008 is better than career average)
George Sherrill 0.71 1.19 (2008 is better than career average)
Joakim Soria 0.29 0.88 (2008 is better than career average)
B.J. Ryan 1.50 1.26 (lucky, but maybe not good-- K/BB=0.50)
Rich Harden 1.27 1.26
Pat Neshek 1.17 0.94 (good, but maybe not lucky-- K/BB=8.0)
Jon Broxton 0.95 1.23 (good, but maybe not lucky-- K/BB=6.0)
R. Betancourt 1.71 1.07 (good, but not lucky-- K/BB=7.0)

WHIP data corroborates the luck for Smoltz, Hernandez, Sherill and Soria. These pitchers have been both good and lucky.

Erik Bedard, Rich Hill and B.J. Ryan have been lucky on balls in play, but have demonstrated poor control. Erik Bedard is on the DL, so he has an excuse. B.J. Ryan is returning from injury, so he has an excuse. Rich Hill has yet to demonstrate control, for whatever reason, but his 2007 performance was excellent, and it was not a fluke as Bill James predicted his 2007 success. (The same success is predicted for 2008. We will have to wait and see.)

Pat Neshek, Jon Broxton and Rafael Betancourt are just good. Maybe the numbers do not relect that yet, but just wait.

All data used in this analysis is from fangraphs.com..