Friday, July 09, 2021

 Everyone knows that Complete Games have gotten fewer and fewer in recent decades. Here are the starting pitchers most likely to complete games in the past 6 decades:

Highest CG % by decade (min. 60 gs)

decade

gs            

   cg        

 %

name

1960s

320

197

61.56

Marichal

 

302

164

54.3

Gibson

 

237

122

51.48

Koufax

 

90

46

51.11

P. Niekro

 

189

95

50.26

Spahn

 

132

65

49.24

Jenkins

 

104

50

48.08

Seaver

 

69

33

47.83

Koosman

 

205

93

45.37

McLain

 

1970s

368

197

53.53

G. Perry

 

171

89

52.05

Gibson

 

354

184

51.98

Jenkins

 

352

175

49.72

Palmer

 

333

164

49.25

Ryan

 

277

133

48.01

Lolich

 

245

115

46.94

Cuellar

 

90

42

46.67

Sorensen

 

366

165

45.08

Carlton

 

1980s

111

61

54.95

Langford

 

100

45

45

M. Norris

 

332

133

40.06

J. Morris

 

109

40

36.7

Keough

 

287

102

35.54

Valenzuela

 

156

55

35.26

Geoff Zahn

 

174

58

33.3

Clemens

 

120

40

33.3

K. Forsch

 

1990s

210

57

27.14

Schilling

 

245

61

24.9

J. McDowell

 

331

75

22.66

Maddux

 

290

65

22.41

R. Johnson

 

155

32

20.65

J. Morris

 

305

57

18.69

Clemens

 

314

58

18.47

K. Brown

 

109

20

18.35

B. Wegman

 

109

19

17.43

B. Hurst

 

2000s

267

47

17.6

Halladay

 

96

12

12.5

S. Sparks

 

203

25

12.32

M. Mulder

 

221

26

11.76

Schilling

 

61

7

11.48

Al. Lopez

 

281

32

11.39

R. Johnson

199

22

11.06

Carpenter

332

36

10.84

L. Hernandez

226

23

10.18

S. Ponson


2010s

103

18

17.48

Halladay

 

76

10

13.16

C. Pavano

 

134

16

11.94

Cliff Lee

 

293

25

8.53

Kershaw

 

203

17

8.37

C. Kluber

 

230

19

8.26

Wainwright

 

98

8

8.16

R. Romero

 

235

17

7.23

Cueto

 

232

16

6.9

C. Sale

 

Most are what you'd expect. Gibson, Marichal, Jenkins, Koufax--all top pitchers in 1960s and 1970s, and tops in finishing games, too. Clemens and Jack Morris in 1980s and 1990s; Roy Halladay head and shoulders above others in past two decades.

Those that make the list in 2 decades: Gibson and Jenins in '60s and '70s; Clemens and J. Morris in '80s and '90s; Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in '90s and '00s; and Roy Halladay in '00s and '10s.

Surprises: Sorensen in 1970s; Langford and those 1980s A's pitchers under Billy Martin (Mike Norris, Matt Keough), 2 of 4 or 5, all of whom's careers ended early with arm trouble; Black Jack McDowell 2nd highest in 1990s (and, in top 9, Wegman and Hurst); mediocre knuckleballer Steve Sparks, 2nd in 2000s (and Mulder, Al. Lopez and Ponson down a bit further), Pavano and Remero in the 2010s.


Wednesday, July 07, 2021

The ever-popular half-way stats leader compilation

 Here goes: since the point at which each team reaches their halfway point (81 games) by up to a week, this gives a more accurate indication of where things stand than does the leaderboard at any particular date.

Runs                        proj. total for year
68         Bichette, Tor      136
66         Guerrero, Tor     132
64         Acuna, Atl          128
63         Semien, Tor       126
59         Tatis, SD
59         Altuve, Hou
58         Correa, Hou
58         Ohtani, LAA
57         C Taylor, LAD
56         Winker, Cin        112
 
Hits
104       Castellanos,Cin 208
102       Frazier, Pit         204
100       T Turner, Was    200
99         Mullins, Bal
99         Guerrero, Tor
96         Semien, Tor
96         BIchette, Tor
94         Bogaerts, Bos
93         Merrifield, KC
91         Winker, Cin        182
 
Doubles
27         Castellanos, Cin 54
24         Arenado, StL      48
24         Bogaerts, Bos    48
24         Devers, Bos       48
24         Frazier, Pit         48
23         Albies, Atl
22         Brantley, Hou
22         Mullins, Bal
21         B Reynolds, Pit
21         Semien, Tor       42
 
Triples
5            D Peralta, Ari     10
5            Hampson, Col   10
5            Albies, Atl          10
4            Canha, Oak
4            Baddoo, Det
4            Frazier, Pit
4            Madrigal, ChW
4            Ohtani, LAA
4            Arraez, Min
4            A Rosario, Cle    08
 
HRs
30         Ohtani, LAA        60
27         Guerrero, Tor      54
25         Tatis, SD             50
25         Schwarber, Was 50
22         Acuna, Atl
21         Semien, Tor
20         M Olson, Oak
20         A Garcia, Tex
20         Gallor, Tex
20         Walsh, LAA
20         S Perez, KC         40
 
RBIs
69         Guerrero, Tor    138
66         Ohtani, LAA      132
64         Devers, Bos      128
59         Walsh, LAA
58         Albies, Atl
56         Duvall, Mia
55         Tatis, SD
55         A Garcia, Tex
55         Abreu, ChW
54         Martinez, Bos
54         Meadows, TB
54         Grichuk, Tor
54         Bichette, Tor
54         Semien, Tor       108
 
Walks
63         Gallo, Tex           126
59         Grandal, ChW    118
52         Muncy, LAD      
52         Santana, KC      
51         Guerrero, Tor
50         Soto, Was
49         Moncada, ChW
48         Y Diaz, TB
48         Freeman, Atl     096
 
Stolen Bases
22         Merrifield, KC     44
18         T Turner, Was    36
16         Tatis, SD
16         Acuna, Atl
15         Mullins, Bal
15         Kiner-Felefa, Tex
14         Story, Col
14         Edman, StL
14         T Anderson, ChW
13         D Moore, Sea
13         Albies, Atl          26
 
Games Pitched
39         Brentz, KC         78
39         Mayers, LAA      78
39         Cishek, LAA       78
38         Y Petit, Oak
38         T Hill, SD
38         Barlow, KC
38         Karinchak, Cle
37         G Cabrera, StL
37         J Cisnero, Det
37         Tepera, ChC
37         T Rogers, SF
37         Hendriks, ChW
37         W Smith, Atl
37         Floro, Mia          74
 
Games as Starting Pitcher
18         Alcantara, Mia   36
18         Stroman, NYM  
17         Davies, ChC
17         Greinke, Hou
17         Harvey, Bal
17         Marquez, Col
17         Bauer, LAD
17         Kershaw, LAD
17         Castillo, Cin
17         B Singer, KC
17         Minor, KC
17         Stroman, NYM
17         Keller, KC
17         P Lopez, Mia
17         Wheeler, Phi
17         Nola, Phi            34
 
Wins
10         Hendricks, ChC  20
10         Civale, Cle          20
9            Kershaw, LAD
9            Urias, LAD
8            C Bassitt, Oak
8            Greinke, Hou
8            Eovaldi, Bos
8            Flaherty, StL
8            B Suter, Mil
8            Bauer, LAD
8            Buehler, LAD
8            G Cole, NYY        16
 
Saves
25         Melancon, SD    50
21         Hendriks, ChW  42
20         Reyes, StL         
20         Hader, Mil
20         Kimbrel, ChC
20         Jansen, LAD
18         Barnes, Bos
18         Hand, Was
18         Diaz, NYM
17         W Smith, Atl      34
 
Innings Pitched
114       Wheeler, Phi     228
112.2    Alcantara, Mil    225.1
107.2    Bauer, LAD
103.2    Greinke, Hou
103.1    Buehler, LAD
102.1    Kershaw, LAD
101.2    Gausman, SF
101.2    G Cole, NYY
101       Woodruff, Mil
99.2      Bassitt, Oak    199.1
 
Strike Outs
139       Wheeler, Phi      278
137       Bauer, LAD        274
136       deGrom, NYM   272
130       Bieber, Cle
129       G Cole, NYY
127       Scherzer, Was
124       Kershaw, LAD
123       Glasnow, TB
122       Peralta, Mil
122       Rodon, ChW      244

A few observations: triples continue to trend down (likely that no one will reach double digits for the year); sons of major leaguers are dominating in hitting (look at Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Bo Bichette), stolen bases continue declining (will likely have no players with 50, only one with 40, and only a handful with 30! It wouldn't be surprising to again have no 20-game winners (starting pitchers average less than 6 inning a game these days, meaning fewer decisions, and rarely go over 34 games started anymore). And the most noteworthy projection: 60 home run rate for Shohei Ohtani, re-inforces that he is one for the ages. A very good pitcher (a 3.49 ERA this year, a career 8-4 record with 153 strikeouts in 120 1/3 innings), he is a monster hitter. Whereas few Asian players have made it as hitters, and even fewer (either zero or, maybe, one in Hideki Matsui some time back) as power hitters  in the U.S. majors, Ohtani recently hi eleven homers in 13 days while taking his (slightly less often) turn in the pitching rotation for the Angels. He is simply superlative!