Unreliable

by
December 16, 2008

Reliever wins are.

Consider this: Jose Arredondo won 10 games last season in 61 innings. How rare is that? Well it’s the fewest amount of innings for any pitcher to win 10 games in baseball history. Only 103 pitchers have pitched in 100 or less innings and won 10 games, and only 15 since 2000. Here’s a look at those pitchers:

Arthur Rhodes: 10 (69.7 IP in 2002)
Luis Ayala: 10 (71 IP in 2003)
Aaron Small: 10 (76 IP in 2005)
Joe Nathan: 12 (79 IP in 2003)
Jesse Crain:12 (79.7 IP in 2005)
Juan Rincon: 11 (82 IP in 2004)
Paul Quantrill: 11 (83 IP in 2001)
Gabe White: 11 (83 IP in 2000)
Tony Fiore: 10 (91 IP in 2002)
Danny Graves: 10 (91.3 IP in 2000)
Scot Shields: 10 (91.7 IP in 2005)
Billy Koch: 11 (93.7 IP in 2002)
Shigetoshi Hasegawa: 10 (95.7 IP in 2000)
Oscar Villarreal: 10 (98 IP in 2003)

What’s up with all the Minnesota Twins on that list anyways? Here’s how they fared the next year:

Rhodes: 3 W 54 IP
Ayala: 6 W 90.3 IP
Small: 0 W 27.7 IP
Nathan: 1 W 72.3 IP
Crain: 4 W 76.7 IP
Rincon: 6 W 77 IP
Quantrill: 5 W 76.7 IP
White: 1 W 67.7 IP
Fiore: 1 W 36 IP
Graves: 6 W 80.3 IP
Shields: 7 W 87.7 IP
Koch: 5 W 53 IP
Hasegawa: 5 W 55.7 IP
Villarreal: 0 W 18 IP

The lesson here is to not rely on relievers for wins. Arredondo could present saves next season, but on draft day don’t be fooled by his shiny win totals, otherwise you might be in for a rude awakening.

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