Just how bad is Jerome Williams?

Pretty bad.

It's not a good sign when your ERA equals the model number of a Boeing airplane. And not just any airplane, but one of Boeing's newest--the 7.77. Opposing hitters have absolutely astonishing numbers against Williams: .289/.369/533. To put this in some context, hitters this year are posting numbers against him that are equivalent to the stats of many Hall of Famers.

In only 22 innings, Williams has given up 26 hits and 12 walks, which is almost 2 runners per inning and 15 1/2 baserunners per nine innings. He allows baserunners at such an alarming rate that it's virtually impossible for him to succeed, and at about 18 pitchers per inning he can't go more than 5 innings in a game even if Manny Acta wanted to stay with him just to brutalize the hometown fans.

Williams is pitching so badly that the Nationals would be better off cutting him forthwith and picking up a pitcher off of a minor league team, ANY minor league team. His VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) is -9, meaning that Williams is awful even when compared to a replacement-level player.

Is there a silver lining in all of this?

No.