Ab(r)andon Inge Roundtable #2

Editors Note: I aplogize for my lack of posting the last several days.  I've been incredibly busy with school and baseball.  Not to worry, I have returned.  Also, this post was done last week Tuesday, I just haven't been able to post it.

Ab(r)andon Inge Roundtable #2: Who will be the Tiger's breakout performer in 2012?

Brian:
I've got to go with Rick Porcello.  After 3 years of seasoning in the majors, figuring out what works, what doesn't work, etc; and spending 3 full years with a major league pitching coach, I feel like he definitely will break out this year.  He's got all the stuff to be a very good #3 or solid #2 in the majors.  His 2 seam fastball (sinker), when working, can absolutely dominate hitters.  When the velocity on it is up (91-93) rather than down (88-90), you see a lot more late life and distinctly more "bite" on the pitch.  He has improved his breaking stuff tremendously, and his changeup is working it's way up towards being a quality pitch.  Porcello has my vote

Phil:

My pick for breakthrough Tigers player this year is Daniel Schlereth. After having a couple of ho-hum seasons to start off his career here in Detroit, I think this is the year that he puts it together and becomes more than just a situational lefty out of the bullpen. His K/BB ratio is a pedestrian 1.55/1 during his major league career. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this is the year where he: A) Learns how to throw strikes consistently and B) Makes sure those strikes don't end up in the outfield bleachers.

(Ed: Phil is a moron)

Frank:

I’m going to go with Rick Porcello. Brian said in an earlier post that Porcello would have a great year and cement himself as the number 3 starter. I happen to agree 100% with him. The main reason is the fact that in years past, Porcello had started slow, but toward the end of the season he got a lot better. I remember hearing Dan Dickerson and Jim Price (the radio announcers for the Tigers) talking about Porcello start working on his pitching earlier in spring training than he had in the past, putting him more in midseason form when he started against the Rays on Tuesday.

Ryan:

My pick for the Tigers Breakout performer of the 2012 season is Austin Jackson.  I know we’re only 3 games into the series but I was thoroughly impressed with his improvement at the plate.  Even though he struck out twice in the series, he still provided some clutch moments, in the walk off single on opening day, as well as getting on base for Cabrera to drive in the tying home run in the bottom of the 9^th.  While I don’t predict ridiculous stats, his success should help the Tigers win a few more games and improve the numbers of Cabrera/Fielder.  Since he will be on base they will be in more RBI opportunities, hopefully leading to more Tigers runs, as evidenced by their 26 run outburst this weekend. 

Tigers Season Preview Part 5

In the fifth installment of my season preview series for the Tigers, I will look at the bullpen.  Like I did with the bench players, I'm not going to do a full on statistical prediction for these guys; only a relatively short preview on how I think they will do/help the Tigers in 2012.

Without further ado:

LR: Duane Below LHP

Duane Below is one of those feel good stories you can't help but smile about.  Hailing from Britton, MI (South-Central part of state), Below has never been on any "Top-10" prospect lists.  However, he has been successful at every minor league stop, finally earning his shot with the Tigers last season, and performing pretty well out of the bullpen.  Below was originally slotted to be sent to Toledo out of spring training this season, but an injury to Luis Marte had Below headed to Detroit before he could even unpack his bag.  3 games into the season, Below already has 2 wins (the first 2 of his career) and has proved to be a key contributor and the sole "long man" in Jim Leyland's bullpen.  While it wouldn't surprise me to see Below get a spot start this season at some point; I think his stuff translates better to the bullpen, where he can have some moderate success.

LR/MR: Colin Balester RHP

This is who we got in exchange for Ryan Perry from the Washington Nationals.  Considering Ryan Perry has been a grease fire of a pitcher in Detroit, the fact that we got anything more than a half-empty tin of dip and 4 week old spitter for him in a trade should be considered a steal by Dombrowski.  I don't know much about Balester other than he's the ultimate swingman; meaning that he has the ability to spot start, be a long relief guy, or come into a game to get one out.  Leyland has said that he will be the "jack of all trades" in the Tigers bullpen.  In the Max Scherzer aberration of a start on Sunday, Balester came on and pitched 2 2/3 innings of 1 run relief, which honestly, I'll take.  He also has an absolute beauty of a mustache:

We ain't talkin bout no peach fuzz; we talkin' bout handlebars

MR: Daniel Schlereth LHP

"Son of Stink", "Stink, Jr.", "Lefty", "THROW THE GODDAMNED BALL OVER THE GODDAMNED PLATE".  All of these nicknames come to mind when I think about Daniel Schlereth.  Similar to Perry in that he's a young reliever with oodles and oodles of potential that lacks the ability to consistently throw strikes.  Unlike Perry in that he's lefthanded and has had at least moderate success.  Originally tabbed as the "steal" of the Granderson/Edwin Jackson deal, he was billed as a Billy Wagner type future closer.  He's not that, but he has shown the ability, with command, to be a dominating strikeout machine against lefty hitters.  He is the designated "LOOGY" (Lefty One Out GuY) of the bullpen, meaning that in situations where a left-handed hitter is coming out and Leyland needs 1 out, Schlereth is probably the guy coming in.  He throws a fastball anywhere from 90-94, usually sitting 91-92, and a curveball that, WHEN COMMANDED, can absolutely dominate lefties.  I have my reservations about Schlereth, but as usual, I'm optimistic.

MR: Octavio Dotel RHP

The definition of "journeyman", Dotel begins his 12th season in the big leagues with Detroit, his 13th team.  Dotel was the "big" signing of the offseason prior to Prince, and should not be overlooked in terms of value.  In the ALCS against Texas, the one BIG issue that brought us down (there were several, I know) was our lack of bullpen depth.  We literally could not count on anyone except for Benoit and Valverde, and by game 4 of the ALCS, they were tapped out.  That's why Dombrowski went and signed Dotel: experience, depth, and yet still a very good pitcher.  He and Phil Coke will presumably split the 7th inning duties, as we all know how Leyland loves to play righty/lefty platoon matchups.  Dotel will be very underrated in terms of his value to the Tigers, and I would guess that he has a very good season in Detroit.  However, his true value will show up in the playoffs.

MR: Phil Coke LHP

First, follow @PhilCoke'sBrain on twitter.  You'd be doing yourself a favor, I promise.  Now, to actual baseball.  Phil Coke is one of my favorite Tigers.  From his sprinting into the game from the bullpen, to randomly pointing up every time a ball is remotely hit in the air, he brings a sort of goofiness that I believe every team needs.  He tried starting last year, didn't do so well, got moved back to the bullpen, and didn't do so well for awhile.  He picked it up down the stretch; however, providing the Tiger's with a valuable piece.  I believe he will be counted on mightily this season to be the primary lefty in Leyland's bullpen; being counted on to pitch the 7th inning and get big outs.  He can get up as high as 96 on the gun, and from the left side, that's very impressive.  He also has a good curveball that's effective on lefties, and an at least serviceable changeup.

SU: Joaquin Benoit RHP

Dombrowski really pissed some people off last offseason when he spent 16.5 million dollars over 3 years to sign an 8th inning guy.  But last year in the playoffs against the Yankees, Benoit earned every damned penny IMHO.  Benoit will again be counted on as the primary set up man to Valverde.  I also believe he is a better pitcher than Valverde, but that's just me.  Benoit throws a fastball in the mid 90's, the occasional slider, and his secret weapon is the "Vulcan" changeup, aptly named due to the "Vulcan salute" grip he throws it with.  Benoit can be dominating, but is also susceptible to strings of hits and runs.  Regardless, he's one of my Tigers, and his gutty performance in the ALDS ranks right up there for me in terms of best playoff performances.

CL: Jose Valverde RHP

I call him Papa Grande.  Phil calls him Fatty.  Either way, the engimatic Tiger's close was perfect last season, converting 49/49 regular season save opps and was 2/2 in the playoffs.  He already blew a save this season (GASP!  FIRE LEYLAND!  SHOULD HAVE LEFT JV IN!  AHHHHHH FIRE LEYLAND!), so the streak is caput.  That's fine with me, as they still won the game.  I really couldn't give any less of a shit about who "gets" the win, so long as the Tigers win the game.  As you all know, I believe Wins, Saves, and RBI are the softest, most useless stats in the world, but that's just me.  Regardless, Valverde is a good, not great, closer.  He was helped out a lot last year in terms of saves, and his non-save opp stats aren't very good.  Regardless, I'm glad he's the Tiger's closer.  We could have it worse.  It could be Todd Jones

In the Finale of the Tiger's season preview series, I will give you a preview of who you might see pop up in Detroit this season from within the Tigers farm system (this is NOT a "top prospect" list)

Adam Wilk to start for Fister; Inge to Toledo for rehab assignment

The title says it all.  Adam Wilk will be recalled from Toledo and start on Saturday in place of Doug Fister.  I'll be honest, I never really considered Wilk as a candidate to replace Fister; but seeing as both Andy Oliver and Casey Crosby underwhelmed in their respective starts, it's really not too much of a surprise.

The Tigers obviously prefer Duane Below's abilities coming out of the bullpen, and I have to agree with them.  Below is sort of a tweener type of pitcher.  He's got decent stuff and solid command, but I can't see him being successful more than one time through the batting order.  This is fine, as he fits perfectly into the role of lefty long reliever in the Tiger's pen.

The only problem is--I happen to believe that Wilk fills the same role: Long relief lefty.  Wilk has outstanding command but lacks pure stuff.  Watch Drew Smyly pitch on Tuesday: He's very similar to Wilk, just with better stuff and less command, but at least he's a decent comparison piece.

I would tend to think that Wilk will be given an incredibly short leash in terms of staying in Detroit.  If he shows the ability to get outs and keep the Tiger's in the game, he may get multiple starts as Fister heals.  But if he struggles like he did in spring training, Leyland isn't going to just throw him out there and take an automatic loss.


On a second note-one completely unrelated to the success of the Tiger's this season-Brandon Inge, the exalted one, will be sent to Toledo on a rehab assignment as he prepares to come off the DL. 

I'm not going to say anything negative here, only that it's not like we've been missing him.  We're 3-0.  Idk, it's simply this bloggers opinion that Danny Worth is more valuable to this team

Reminder: Tigers take on Tampa today at 1:05 in Detroit.  Porcello's first start of the season will be matched up with super-phenom prospect Matt Moore.  Being the prospect junkie that I am; I'm incredibly excited to see how Moore's stuff looks against a potent Detroit lineup (except Laird is playing).  It's cold as all hell in Detroit today, so Porcello could be particularly effective if his sinker is live with good movement.

Beer, Broads, and Tigers Baseball

Detroit Tigers Weekend Recap

The Bash Brothers


No One Team Should Have All That Power



Detroit Tigers (3-0)

As you may have heard, the Detoit Tigers opened their season on Thursday, by walking off on the Boston Red Sox, 3-2.  I did a game recap, which can be found here.  Saturday, the Tigers lost Doug Fister in the 4th inning to an apparent side injury that was later classified as a "left costochondral strain".  Fellow contributor Ryan is an exercise science major, and he had this to say: "his rib has an owie."  No matter, as the Tigers pounded out 5 HR's while riding the arm of Duane Below to squeak out a 10-0 win.  Cabby and Prince went yard two times a piece, and Avila added a paltry single home run to complete the quintuplet of long bombs.  Fister was placed on the DL following the game, and Bryan Villarreal was called up from Triple A to replace him.  Common logic dictated that the Villarreal move would mean moving Duane Below to the rotation, but, not so fast my friend(s).  Leyland has not named a replacement starter for Fister, as he sent the scouts to Toledo this evening to watch Andy Oliver pitch; and will head to Toledo on Monday night to watch Casey Crosby throw personally.  More on all that later.

Today, the Tigers played one of the most exhilarating, up and down games in recent memory.  They jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first on the heels of a Jackson leadoff double, Cabrera RBI single, and, several batter later, a Jhonny Peralta 3-run double.  Scherzer had some of the best STUFF I've seen him with.  His fastball was excellent, sitting 94-95 with great arm side life with tilt, his slider had good bite, and his changeup had the same movement as his fastball, with perhaps more armside fade, but at 10 MPH slower.  There was one issue.  When I threw a golf ball at my roommate's head the other day from 3 stories down and across the parking lot, I had better command than Max did today.  After the first inning, he couldn't buy a well-placed pitch, and the Red Sox spent the majority of innings 2 and 3 either walking to first, running to first, or limping to first after being drilled.  Safe to say it wasn't Max's best day.

As for the offense.  Austin Jackson continues to impress with his sizzling start.  I'll caution you all to be aware that we are 3 games in, and, plainly said, shit happens in baseball.  But for right now, by all means, enjoy the ride.  Jackson picked up another 4 hits today, and scored 3 runs along with them.  Boesch collected his first two hits today; finally being rewarded after two days of hitting the ball well with nothing to show for it.  If Jackson and Boesch can get on base all season with at least similar consistency to the way they did today, this team is going to score at least 2.5, maybe a full 3 metricfuckton's of runs. 

Miguel Cabrera is, simply put, the single greatest hitter I have ever seen in my life.  Yes, I'm only 22, but I remember Mark McGwire.  I watched Barry Bonds.  I've watched Pujols and Braun and Votto and all of them.  Guess what?  I'll take Cabby in a runaway.  Today, trailing 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th, Cabrera stepped to the plate with Jackson and Boesch on base (SEE!  GET ON BASE!!)  Boston closer Alfredo Aceves threw Cabrera a 2 seam fastball that tailed right out over the plate.  Cabby did not miss it, sending into the LF seats and tying the game.

A couple innings later, down again, this time 12-10, Cabrera started things off again.  With one out and the bases empty, he lined a single into RF.  Prince Fielder followed that by singling down the LF line against an overshifted Boston IF.  After a wild pitch advanced Cabrera to 3rd, Delmon Young Sac Flied him in.  12-11.  Avila stepped to the plate, and proceeded to send Detroit into a frenzy by unleashing a drive to RF to win the game, sweep the Red Sox, and walk off the Tigers for the 2nd time in 3 games.

The bullpen today was somewhat shaky, but got the job done.  With Scherzer lasting only 2 2/3, Leyland had to lean on everyone (except Papa Grande, who was sick).  The combination of Balester, Schlereth, Dotel, Villareal, Coke, Benoit, and Below managed to keep the Tigers in the game until Avila's walk off winner.

Duane Below faced just one batter, striking out Adrian Gonzalez in the top of the 11th and escaping a Benoit-induced jam.  Below also picked up the win, his second of the season and second of his career, moving him to 2-0 on the season and putting him on pace to win 108 games (no really, that was a tweet today, sent by none other than Ab(r)andon Inge author Phil.

Let's move onto some other tidbits:

-Fister is obviously out for at least 2 weeks, meaning he will miss 2-3 starts depending on how Leyland juggles things.  The Tigers called up Villarreal, presumably to take the long man role in the bullpen, thusly bumping Duane Below to the rotation.

-Leyland said that there had been no decision made regarding the rotation spot now vacant.  Tonight, Andy Oliver pitched for Toledo in front of Tiger's scouts.  He didn't do well, only going 3 2/3 while surrendering 5 R (2 ER) on 3 H and 5 BB.  The 5 BB is incredibly troubling, though he did also accumulate 5 K's.  Safe to say that Oliver is not being considered right now.

-Casey Crosby (a personal favorite of mine) takes the mound Monday night for Toledo.  Crosby, IMO, has the most upside of any pitcher in the Tigers system, with the obvious exception of Jacob Turner.  He has an incredibly live fastball from the left side, showing very good armside movement and varying velocity from 93-97, occasionally touching 98 or so.  Very nasty spike curve, which he has trouble commanding.  He's more adept at burying it below the zone to get swings and misses than he is at throwing it for strikes (a la Verlander), but if he can figure it out he could be devastating.  Also has a changeup that I see more as a "show me" pitch, but could develop to at least major league average.  Crosby has been derailed by injury, but was fully healthy last season and despite an elevated ERA and WHIP, his numbers were promising.  Should he be successful at commanding his pitches and limiting walks Monday night, he may get the call up.

-Adam Wilk was Toledo's opening day starter, and he impressed.  However, I see Wilk as more of a swingman, long relief type guy.  He has incredible command but lacks stuff, which doesn't translate well to the majors unless you're Greg Maddux. 

We will seemingly know more by this time tomorrow, as Crosby will have finished his start in Toledo.  As of right now, I would give Below a start and see what happens.  If he gets shelled, it's one game and you can always dip into the minor league well following that.

As always, Beer, Broads, and Tigers Baseball to you all

Also, Happy Easter from all of us here at Ab(r)andon Inge



Tigers Season Preview Part 4

Moving forward in my Tigers season preview series, today we'll take a look at Starting Pitching.

1) Justin Verlander RHP

Perhaps you've heard of him.  He did a few positive things last season for the Tigers, including winning the pitching Triple Crown (Wins, ERA, Strikeouts), winning the AL Cy Young award, winning the AL MVP award, and being a complete cyborg on the mound, since no one who's actually human can do what he did.  JV is quite simply the best pitcher in all of baseball, and I would welcome someone to argue that.  I believe he may be due for a little regression this year, as he did get helped out a bit by luck last season, but not much.  Also, it's incredibly important to remember that pitcher wins as a stat are completely meaningless.  If you are a person who uses wins to judge the value of a pitcher, immediately log off of this blog, and never watch/listen to/talk about a baseball game ever again, because you are an idiot.  Verlander offers 4 above average major league pitches, with a fastball he throws anywhere from 91-101 MPH with great life, a curve he can throw for strikes or as a strikeout pitch, a slider thats still developing, and a changeup that moves and looks the same as his fastball, but is often 10+ MPH less.  His fastball grades out at an 80, his curve and change are plus pitches, and his slider flashes plus potential at times.  Let's see some stats shall we?

2011 Stats: 34 GS, 4 CG, 251 IP, 24-5, 2.40 ERA, .92 WHIP, 250 K, 57 BB.  5:1 K:BB, 9 K/9IP
2012 Predictions: 34 GS, 5 CG, 250 IP, 20-7, 2.65 ERA, .98 WHIP, 235 K, 60 BB, 4:1 K:BB, 8.5 K/9 IP

2) Doug Fister RHP

The midseason acquistion from Seattle cost quite a bit, including a potential future closer (Chance Ruffin) and a potential above-average 3rd basemen (Francisco Martinez).  Key word: Potential.  For how good Fister pitched for the Tigers last season, it should have cost a helluva lot more than it did.  With the Tigers, Fister started 11 games, went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA and .84 WHIP, all the while cementing himself as the #2 in the rotation.  Fister is more of a contact pitcher when compared to guys like JV or Scherzer, but increased his strikeout rate substantially last season.  He can throw about 5 different pitches depending on the day.  He throws a basic fastball that touches the low 90s in terms of velo, but also can vary the grip on the fastball so as to sink it or cut it, both of which sit in the high 80s.  His curve really came on with the Tigers, flashing plus potential, and resulting in more strikeouts.  His changeup is the weakest pitch he has, but it still is 50-55 (scout grading) with good movement when he throws it right.  Fister is who Porcello should aspire to be: A groundball pitcher than can get strikeouts when he needs to.  Fister may also be due for some regression, as the Tigers have worsened their defense by moving Cabby to 3rd and signing Prince Fielder, but like Verlander, the regression shouldn't be too substantial.

2011 Stats: 31 GS, 3 CG, 216 1/3 IP, 11-13, 2.83 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 146 K, 37 BB.  4:1 K:BB, 6.1 K/9 IP
2012 Predictions: 33 GS, 4 CG, 225 IP, 16-8, 3.25 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 160 K, 40 BB.  4:1 K:BB, 6.4 K/9 IP

3) Max Scherzer RHP

Max suffered the most regression of anyone last season, seeing his ERA jump almost an entire run, along with increases in his WHIP and HR allowed, but saw his BB's drop significantly.  Max showed just how dominant he could be with the Tigers in 2010's second half, where he took his place as 1B to JV's 1A.  Max is a 3 pitch pitcher, who, when he's on, can absolutely take over and dominate games.  He's more of a strikeout pitcher than anyone on the roster (moreso than JV because JV doesn't HAVE to strike you out to dominate, Max usually does).  He throws a plus 2 seam fastball that sits anywhere from 92-96 on a regular basis, and has incredible life at the plate.  He throws a slider that can be the ultimate strikeout weapon when he throws it right, but when it's off it looks like a batting practice fastball.  His changeup has progressed to become (in my opinion) his 2nd best pitch, when he keeps it down.  When he keeps it down it looks just like his fastball coming out of his hand, but at 84-86 MPH is obviously slower.  It tails in the same way his FB does, away from lefties and into righties, but when it stays up it causes trouble.  It sometimes has excellent down to go along with the tail, resulting in a plus offering.  If Max can simply KEEP THE DAMNED BALL DOWN more consistently, he can be dominating.

2011 Stats: 33 GS, 0 CG, 195 IP, 15-9, 4.43 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 174 K, 56 BB.  3.1 K:BB, 8 K/9 IP.
2012 Predictions: 32 GS, 1 CG, 190 IP, 16-10, 3.75 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 180 K, 60 BB.  3 K:BB, 8.5 K/9 IP

Rick Porcello RHP

Ricky P is one of my favorite Tigers.  Maybe its because we're so close age wise, but for some reason I've always been drawn to the young sinkerballer that impressed us so much as a 20 year old rookie in 2009.  Rick took a giant step back in 2010, but definitely improved last year, even though he still didn't hit the same success he had in 2009.  I believe Rick will have a huge year in 2012.  PUT IT IN STONE: Brian says, on 4/6/2012, that Rick Porcello will have a great year and cement himself as the #3 guy in the Tigers rotation. Rick is a sinkerball pitcher, which means that he throws a fastball with a different grip that generates downward movement as it reaches the plate, resulting in tons of groundballs.  He is moreso a sinkerballer than Fister, even though they both throw sinkers.  Rick can have games where he goes 8 innings on 75 pitches, or where he's knocked out in the 2nd inning, all due to how effective his sinker is on a given night.  He was heralded as the next great fireballer coming out of high school, where he reportedly hit 98 MPH.  Wisely, IMO, the Tigers felt that more success would come for Rick if he established the sinker as his primary pitch, which has sat 88-91 in his career.  This year; however, reports are saying that his sinker is now more 89-93 with more bite, and his 4 seam has touched 95.  With this added velo, along with developing secondary pitches (slider, curve, change, etc), Rick should add substantially to his strikeout totals this season.  We started to see his strikeout potential most especially in the playoffs last season.  I have huge hopes for Ricky P this season.

2011 Stats: 31 GS, 0 CG, 182 IP, 14-9, 4.75 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 104 K, 46 BB.  2.26:1 K:BB, 5.1 K/9 IP
2012 Predictions: 32 GS, 2 CG, 195 IP, 17-8, 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 145 K, 50 BB, 3:1 K:BB, 6.7 K/9 IP

5) Drew Smyly LHP

First let me say this: I really like Drew Smyly.  I think he has the potential to be a good-above average major league starter, and would fit the bill as the 5 starter on the Tigers perfectly.  That being said, I don't believe that Smyly will stick around all season.  Not so much because of him, but because of what is waiting in Toledo.  Jacob Turner, Andy Oliver, and Casey Crosby (we'll get into all of them more in the prospect preview part of this series) all have higher upsides and better pure stuff than Smyly does.  Smyly is miles ahead of them at the moment in terms of pitchability though, hence why Smyly will be starting the season in Detroit, and not at Erie or Toledo.  Smyly offers a 4 pitch mix, fastball-cutter-curve-changeup, all of which he controls pretty well and can throw in any count.  He's not projected to be a strikeout pitcher at the MLB level, but has had success in the minors in terms of strikeouts.  He changes speeds on all his pitches well, with his fastball velo sitting around 88-92 consistently, clocked as high as 95.  His cutter is his best weapon, IMO.  Like Porcello's sinker, Smyly's cutter is used to generate weak contact, although not necessarily on the ground.  Weak contact is fantastic from a pitchers perspective, regardless of where the ball ends up.  I have good faith in Smyly, and wish him all the best.

2012 Predictions: 12 GS, 0 CG, 63 IP, 4-6, 4.80 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 48 K, 19 BB, 2.53:1 K:BB, 6.85 K/9 IP


That's your starting 5 for the time being.  Although it certainly would not surprise me to see Duane Below, Adam Wilk, Jacob Turner, Andy Oliver, Casey Crosby, or Colin Balester get starts in Detroit this season.

Finally, a quick note on pitcher wins as a stat.  As I soapboxed above, they're just as irrelevant of a stat as RBI and should not be paid attention to at all.  A couple examples: Max Scherzer set a career high in wins in 2011 with 15.  Was 2011 his best season as a major league pitcher?  Not even close.  Also, Doug Fister went 11-13 last year.  11-13 FERGODSAKES.  Does that mean that Doug Fister had a mediocre, sub-par season in 2011 as his record indicates?  Absofuckinglutely not. 

Perhaps the best example I can give is the Tigers opening game yesterday.  Justin Verlander went 8 innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs, while striking out 7.  Jose Valverde went 1 inning, while giving up 3 hits and 2 runs.  Jose Valverde got the win in the game.  Justiv Verlander did not.  Are you going to try and tell me that Valverde is the better pitcher?