MLB 2011, Part I: The Year of the Pitcher

In the past few seasons, the term “year of the pitcher” has been thrown around but I don't really think it applied until the 2011 season. In a lot of ways, it really was the year of the pitcher.

Whatever theory you choose to subscribe to that explains the rise of the pitcher in the past five years is irrelevant. After two decades of a game dominated by offence, baseball has again become a pitcher's game.

Just look at what Justin Verlander did this year. He won 24 games, struck out 250 batters and pitched to a 2.40 ERA en route to winning the Am
erican League pitching triple crown and almost certainly a Cy Young Award. Hell, he might even become the first pitcher in recent memory to win the MVP Award. WHIP 0.92 .. Opponents average .192. All of those stats led the majors, save his ERA which was a mere 0.12 runs off the MLB lead. And oh yeah, he threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays in May. I can't remember the last time a pitcher won 24 games, let alone dominate the way Justin Verlander did this season.

So how about his National League counterpart? Surely there wasn't a single pitcher who matched that performance? Not quite, but almost.

Several weeks before the end of the season, I noticed something. Verlander wasn't the only pitcher leading his league in all three pitching triple crown categories. So I did a bit of research and found that the last time a pitcher had won the pitching triple crown in both leagues was the 1924 season ... 87 years ago. Knowing we could be seeing something special, I checked the stats almost daily to see if some history might be made.

It was. Sort of. In a league that boasted the likes of Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee, it was Clayton Kershaw that ended up with a triple crown, although he was tied for the lead in wins with Ian Kennedy. Regardless, Kershaw's season and the fact that it was alongside that of Verlander is certainly noteworthy. He finished with 21 wins, a 2.28 ERA, and 248 strikeouts. Not quite the season his American League counterpart had, but certainly worthy of a Cy Young award, although that isn't necessarily etched in stone.

On the outset of the season, a lively debate sprung up between a friend and I about which team had the best rotation. On paper, it looked like the Red Sox (Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Lackey, Matsuzaka) and Phillies (Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt, Blanton) were almost on par with each other. As it turned out, the edge ultimately went to the Phillies.

Injuries to Roy Oswalt turned the Phillies' four aces into three aces, but those three aces were unbelievable. Let's start with Roy Halladay who I still contend is the best pitcher in baseball. He had a typical Halladay season, 19 wins, 2.35 ERA, 220 strikeouts .. numbers that will put him in contention for his third Cy Young Award. Cliff Lee's numbers weren't too shabby either, 17 wins, 2.40 ERA, 238 strikeouts to go along with a stretch of 30+ consecutive scoreless innings .. numbers that will put him in contention for a Cy Young Award. Finally, while Cole Hamels didn't quite have the award winning season his teammates did, his 14 wins, 2.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and .214 opponents batting average were indeed excellent numbers.

Again, I go back to the dominance of pitching this season. One team, albeit it one that didn't enjoy post-season success had three starting pitchers that on any given day could shut you down. It's not something I remember happening very often. The remaining starters were nothing to sneeze at either as Vance Worsley filled in admirably to the tune of an 11-3 record and 3.01 ERA for the injured Joe Blanton and Oswalt, both of whom struggled at times and battled injuries.

Whatever the reason, pitching has moved to the forefront in Major League Baseball. The game has become a more low scoring affair full of small ball, and I love it. Fewer and fewer teams sit around waiting for the big hit. The emergence of quality pitching has forced teams to manufacture more runs rather than sitting back, hoping for a home run. It means more bunts, more situational hitting, more big plays in the field, and more plays at the plate.

It's my kind of game.

-matt