It will be a great day when Justin Verlander receives his 2019 Cy Young Award. I can hear the sabermetric “experts” crying now. The man may be the last 20 game winner for a long time. You don’t need to look any farther than the sub 3 ERA, 21 wins, 300 strikeouts and first in the AL in innings pitched. I love baseball and I love REAL stats that measure REAL things.
Make up all the stats you want but for heaven’s sake, base them on hard numbers, not made up stats like ERA+ (Earned Run Average plus) or FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching). I really like WHIP (Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched) because it is based on numbers that are solid and measurable. I am still looking for a defensive stat (other than putouts, errors, assists and double plays) that has any real meaning.
Today’s classic rock song is “Taking Care of Business” by BTO.
Upon further reflection, it looks like Verlander wins whether you look at traditional stats or advanced ones. Only his teammate Cole gives him any competition.