Miguel Gonzalez had another solid year and people may finally be noticing

He doesn't throw that hard. He doesn't get a lot of wins or strikeouts. Sometimes it seems he doesn't get a lot of respect.

But maybe some of that is finally changing for right-hander Miguel Gonzalez. He had yet another solid season for the Orioles in 2014 and by now, it appears some people are noticing.

In 27 games, including 26 starts, this year, Gonzalez went 10-9 with an ERA of 3.23 over 159 innings. In his last 13 starts, beginning July 1, he went 6-4 with a 2.09 ERA. He pitched well again within the American League East.

He is still probably somewhat underrated, but I think less so than at this time last year.

In 2014, Gonzalez:
* Led all O's starting pitchers in ERA.
* Ranked second among O's starters, averaging 6.04 innings per start.
* Pitched to an ERA of 1.82 in July, 2.96 in August and 1.69 in September.
* Gave up three earned runs or fewer in 23 of his 26 starts.
* Went 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA against the AL East.

Gonzalez doesn't garner many headlines and seldom dominates, but he just keeps cranking out pretty good starts that keep his team in the game. By now, he should be a valued member of this rotation.

But he didn't get a playoff start until what turned out to be the last game of the season. In Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against Kansas City, he went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and one earned run. Gonzalez has a 1.42 ERA in two career playoff starts.

Gonzalez is 16-9 with a 3.32 ERA in his career against the AL East. He has been remarkably consistent in his three O's seasons, posting an ERA of 3.49 at home and 3.42 on the road. In that time, left-handed batters hit .250 off him and right-handed batters hit .240.

But again, he doesn't overwhelm you on the stat sheet. While his 3.23 ERA this year was his career-best, his WHIP (1.30), his hits per nine innings (8.8) and homers per nine (1.4) were the worst of his three O's seasons.

A stat like FIP (fielding independent pitching) is not Gonzalez's friend and his FIP was 4.89 last year. But this stat likes pitchers that prevent homers and get strikeouts. Gonzalez didn't score well in either category this year.

So how do fans see Gonzalez? Is he now a valued member with a set rotation spot? Should a stat like FIP bring cause for concern? Is he still underrated?

Stat of the day: Here are the Orioles' 2014 leaders in walk rate percentage for players with at least 100 plate appearances:

11.4 - Chris Davis
10.4 - Steve Pearce
8.7 - Nick Markakis
8.1 - Nelson Cruz
7.6 - David Lough