{ https://wbl.dmlco.com/wp/2023/11/02/...herford-award/ for more easily digestible table. }
Given to the best pitcher in the league each year, here are your contenders for the
Brock Rutherford Award this season.
This includes every starter with at least 15 wins, as well as the top 5 in WAR, ERA, FIP (a measurement that tries to eliminate the impact of fielding on pitching stats), and SIERA (a measurement that tries to eliminate factors out of control of the pitcher).
Code:
Name Tm Record BB/9 K/9 WHIP WAR FIP SIERA
Bert Blyleven POR 11-11, 4.30 2.4 7.6 1.27 2.7 4.43 3.81
Bill Byrd BAL 14-3, 3.33 2.3 4.5 1.20 3.2 4.25 4.87
Gerrit Cole LAA 16-9, 4.16 3.3 6.1 1.34 4.0 4.14 4.64
Lefty Grove SFS 14-7, 3.46 4.8 9.2 1.34 3.9 4.08 3.96
Ron Guidry NYY 8-12, 4.35 2.7 9.0 1.25 4.2 3.85 3.36
Walter Johnson POR 14-5, 3.50 3.9 7.0 1.19 4.7 3.75 4.41
Frank Knauss BRK 12-6, 3.41 3.4 7.2 1.21 3.3 4.06 4.19
Pat Malone CLE 17-8, 3.84 2.8 7.7 1.27 5.0 3.64 3.82
Christy Mathewson NYG 17-8, 3.50 4.2 7.7 1.40 4.4 4.02 4.29
Tricky Nichols CAG 15-9, 4.14 3.6 6.3 1.38 3.0 4.46 4.65
Stubby Overmire HOU/
MEM 10-7, 3.43 2.8 3.9 1.36 3.1 4.03 5.28
Alejandro Peña BBB 12-9, 3.79 2.5 6.3 1.31 5.1 3.52 4.34
Andy Pettitte KCM/
BBB 15-5, 3.20 2.3 5.1 1.18 4.6 3.77 4.65
Eddie Plank SFS 12-7, 3.87 3.4 7.1 1.41 4.5 3.47 4.32
Charlie Root SFS/
DET 10-6, 3.53 2.4 6.9 1.35 3.3 4.26 3.93
Red Ruffing NYY 14-9, 4.05 3.4 8.1 1.35 3.3 4.26 3.92
Jack Taylor HOD 15-9, 3.42 2.3 5.8 1.14 2.9 4.46 4.42
Cy Young CLE 11-10, 4.36 1.7 4.2 1.23 5.0 3.72 4.88
OK, I get it. That's a lot of numbers. And, SIERA always complicates things, since it is precisely designed to show who is pitching far better than the other numbers would show.
Christy Mathewson and
Pat Malone were the league's only 17 game winners.
Andy Pettitte won the ERA crown and carried Birmingham into the playoffs after being acquired from Kansas City.
Charlie Root and
Jack Taylor (followed by Pettitte) allowed the fewest baserunners.
So let's call this Pettitte, Mathewson, Malone from the perspective of the traditional stats.
FIP likes Malone (3rd in the league, but Pettitte isn't far behind). If you then turn to SIERA, Malone is 3rd and Root 5th in the metric, with Matty a bit further behind.
I think evaluating pitchers remains the most elusive of quarry, and at such times, the known terrain is the safest. Call it Pettitte, Malone, Matty, with
Andy Pettitte's clear contribution to a playoff drive sealing the inaugural
Brock Rutherford Award for the lefty.