Joe Sheehan on the Indians

By Jason Wojciechowski on April 19, 2011 at 9:25 PM

Joe Sheehan wrote about the Indians last Thursday:

Mitch Talbot had a 1.28 K/BB last year; it's 2.20 to start 2011; Fausto Carmona jumped from 1.72 to 2.50; Justin Masterson improved from 1.92 to 3.00. The Indians' starters, save for Josh Tomlin, are throwing more strikes and issuing fewer free passes. They're also allowing the lowest line-drive rate -- 13.6% of balls in play -- in MLB. These numbers reflect a change in skills that has shown up on the scoreboard.

Sports Illustrated link.

The Indians had at the time he wrote that played twelve games. Twelve. Is what passes for mainstream sabermetrics now a conclusion that there has been "a change in skills" after, what, 15, 20 innings of baseball for each of these pitchers?