Statistically, Carl Pavano’s career has been nothing short of a wild rollercoaster ride. The Minnesota Twins’ starting right-hander has been unpredictable from year to year. Pavano’s no stranger to rough stretches, and clearly he’s learned a lot from his low points in order to be most effective when he turns it around. The only problem for Pavano is that nobody seems to know how long it will take him to improve; or even how long before it gets worse again.

To see how rampant his numbers have been, take a look at his last three seasons. In 2009 he was 14-12 with a 5.10 ERA and a 1.375 WHIP. Last year he was 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.195 WHIP, while this season he’s 4-5 with a 4.20 ERA and 1.325 WHIP. Back in 2004 he went 18-8 while in 2003 and 2005 he was a combined 16-19. Injuries from 2005 to 2008 limited his time on the mound.

Pavano, at one time considered an elite starter, made his way from the Montreal Expos to Florida Marlins – two awful baseball markets – before joining the New York Yankees. He had high expectations, but injuries from 2005-2008 which included shoulder problems as well as broken ribs severely limited his time on the mound and he quickly wore out his welcome. He spent half a year in Cleveland before moving to Minnesota where he has become a respected member of the rotation, albeit an unpredictable one.

Even this season alone we’ve seen both sides of Pavano’s repertoire. When the Twins held one of baseball’s worst records to start the season, Pavano was at the forefront of the blame. He went 2-5 with a 5.20 ERA to start the year. In June, he’s 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA; both wins being complete game efforts. If Pavano can continue improving as the season goes on, the Twins will have a chance to close the cap in the AL Central and maybe even contend for a division title – the same title many thought they would run away with from the start.