Just a few weeks ago, I browsed on X and saw an interesting tweet. That tweet mentioned a stat that many people wouldn’t expect. A pitcher has a very low ERA from 2022 to 2024 and in these 3 seasons, surprisingly, he never finished in the top 3 of the Cy Young voting.
After reading the tweet, I decided to check some stats on the great Fangraphs website to see if there is something surprising in these 3 seasons.
Firstly, let’s take a look at the earned run average. From 2022 to 2024, Michael King has a 2.79 ERA, which is the lowest among qualified pitchers. Over these 3 years, he finished each season with an ERA below 3. In 2024, he made 30 starts and 1 relief appearance for the Padres, posting a 2.95 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 173.2 innings.
Meanwhile, Max Fried has been a great pitcher in the majors. From 2022 to 2024, he has an ERA below 3. In particular, he finished the 2022 season with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP over 185.1 innings. In 2024, he owned a 3.25 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 174.1 innings. Fried just inked an 8-year contract with the Yankees and this could be a reason why the Yankees wanted to sign him.
Moreover, Tarik Skubal is the ace of the Detroit Tigers. He won the 2024 AL Cy Young award. It’s certainly a fantastic season for him. Skubal finished the 2024 season with a 2.39 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP over 192 innings. From 2022 to 2024, he tossed 390 innings and his ERA is below 3. At the same time, Blake Snell, who’s another top left-handed pitcher, has an ERA below 3 in these 3 seasons as well. Snell won the 2023 NL Cy Young award. In that season, he made 32 starts, posting a 2.25 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 180 innings.
In addition, let’s look at the pitchers who didn’t let opponents hit well. From 2022 to 2024, opponents’ batting average against Blake Snell is below .200. Without doubt, the 2-time Cy Young award winner knows how to deceive batters. Unfortunately, Spencer Strider only tossed 9 innings for the Braves in 2024. However, when he’s healthy, he’s a dominant pitcher. From 2022 to 2024, opponents only hit .200 against him. Also, injuries bother Cristian Javier. Nonetheless, from 2022 to 2024, he tossed 300+ innings and he didn’t let opponents hit well with a BAA below .210. In the meantime, two Cy Young award winners are tough for MLB hitters. Corbin Burnes and Gerrit Cole each have a BAA below .210 in these 3 seasons.
Finally, let’s take a look at the strikeout-to-walk ratio. George Kirby made it into the big leagues in 2022. So far in his career, he struck out 484 batters and gave up 64 walks. He hasn’t allowed more than 23 free passes in a single season yet. Kirby now has a 7.56 K/BB. Furthermore, Zach Eflin has a 6.11 K/BB from 2022 to 2024. In 2023 and 2024, he finished each season with 24 walks. At the same time, Tariki Skubal and Aaron Nola each have a K/BB over 5 from 2022 to 2024.
Looking back at these 3 seasons, Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal are two elite pitchers in the majors without any doubts. They don’t let opponents hit well and that’s why they can win Cy Young awards. Moreover, it’s quite interesting to see that Michael King actually has the lowest ERA among qualified pitchers. He has a great 2024 season and it’s his first season making at least 30 starts. In 2025, it will be worth watching if he will be a Cy Young contender. Furthermore, George Kirby has a K/BB over 7 and let’s see whether this number will be even higher in 2025.
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