Daryl Maday has made starting pitching look easy this season with the Augusta GreenJackets. The right-handed hurler leads South Atlantic League starters with the lowest ERA (1.47) and fewest walks plus hits per inning pitched (0.90).

But for the 22-year-old from Bristol, Wis., becoming a starting pitcher has been a journey.

"At first, I wasn't comfortable with it," he said. "It's a lot different. There's different game planning that goes into it, and it's different mentally."

Maday (7-4) used to call the bullpen home. He saw most of his work last season as a reliever with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. He made three starts for the short-season team, but when the 2008 season rolled around, he was sent back to the bullpen.

Maday succeeded as a reliever for the GreenJackets early on and was called up to Double-A in April. He threw three scoreless innings in one appearance for the Connecticut Defenders.

Upon returning to Augusta, he remained in the bullpen until making his first start May 9. He lost that game and three out of his first four starts, but then got comfortable.

"Now, I've got the transition of mentally preparing," he said. "That's the toughest part, but I feel more comfortable with it."

Maday is 4-0 since a June 2 victory against Greenville. He's given up only four earned runs in his past 40 innings, striking out 29 batters in the same stretch.

"Maday has proved he's pretty versatile," GreenJackets manager Andy Skeels said.

"Obviously, there's a lot more value to an organization in finding a good starting pitcher. At the major league level, if you've got a guy who could come out of the bullpen and start if needed -- that's something worth looking at."

Maday's next scheduled start will come in Wednesday's day game at Lakewood.

LOOK TO THE SOURCE: Maday is just one of many successful pitchers on the GreenJackets' roster this season. While the talent of the young arms has something to do with it, Skeels credited a more experienced source.

"The big part of our success is our pitching, and that comes from our pitching coach," he said.

GreenJackets pitching coach Ross Grimsley has been in charge of Augusta's young pitching prospects for the past 3 1/2 years. The 11-year Major League Baseball pitching veteran has led the GreenJackets to the top of the South Atlantic League in several different pitching statistics over the past three years.

In 2006, his hurlers ranked second in walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) and led the league in 2007 and 2008. This year's team also leads the league in fewest walks allowed (191) and ranks third with a 3.25 team ERA.

"At this level of low-A ball, what he's done is something to be recognized," Skeels said.

"There will be nights offensively when we don't have it. We tend to be streaky, but the pitching has been there."

STILL SAVING: Daniel Otero , who tallied 18 saves for the GreenJackets in the first half of the season before he was promoted to Advanced-A, has earned three saves in his past three appearances for the San Jose Giants.

Otero has given up only one run in six appearances at Double-A, has an ERA of 1.50, and even picked up a win with two scoreless innings of relief on June 26.

WHAT DROUGHT? The GreenJackets suffered a total of 130 minutes of rain delays over last weekend's four-game homestand. The team still managed to average a paid attendance of a little more than 4,000 fans per game, including a season-high 5,566 on July 4.

UPCOMING: The GreenJackets are in the middle of an eight-game road trip and won't return to Lake Olmstead Stadium until July 16, when they open an eight-game homestand with a four-game series against the Hagerstown Suns of the SAL's Northern Division.

Reach Billy Byler at (706) 823-3216 or billy.byler@augustachronicle.com.