Comments on: Wins vs Innings Pitched

By: ACE

ACE — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:37:30 +0000

…IP for sure,…Javier Vazquez is the classic inning eater,…14 years of durability avearging 203 IP per season 165/160 W/L…ERA+ 105…starting pitchers know they have little control over the many events that transpire during a game,…giving the manager as many reasons to keep you in the the game is the value add, and the truest measure of a pitchers overall contribution to his team,..that is, giving his team the best chance to win. Ownership must feel the same way as evidenced by the free agent contract for Ryan Dempster…14M for one year. After 08,…his career has taken on the inning eater look…

By: Dan Hirsch

Dan Hirsch — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:38:16 +0000

Agreed about the average pitcher. There are a good number of guys who are right around league average who have been valuable in the back end of the rotation, eating up innings. Jeff Suppan comes to mind. For almost 10 years, he was right around 200 IP while never really leading the league in any category

By: Dr. Doom

Dr. Doom — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 01:57:13 +0000

Wow. I guess this makes me the first commenter on an *official* bb-gauge blog post. I’m honored. Anyway, I would have to agree with the pitchers above (not Blanton, obviously). As Bill James said in the BJNHBA, “The majority of a pitcher’s value is in being average.” Even average production, over a large number of innings, is extremely valuable. But, if you have Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee over a large number of innings, isn’t that much, much better for your team? I mean, bad bullpens blow a lot of leads. If I were a pitcher, I would certainly want to record more innings, if possible. Especially if I were of the caliber of a Halladay, Lee, or Oswalt.