Quote:
Originally Posted by HistoricNewspapers
Best ERA+ seasons:
Johnson....Koufax.....Grove
197........190............217
195........186............189
193........160............185
188........159............185
184........143............175
181........122............165
176........105............160
152........101............160
135.........93
135.........Not good enough to pitch enough innings to qualify
118.........Not good enough to pitch enough innings to qualify
112.........Not good enough to pitch enough innings to qualify
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First, I don't entirely disagree. If we abandon "who had the best contextual career" framing to make it "what pitcher, if in their prime, was dropped in 2021 without any preparation would do the best", it's probably Randy Johnson. His career numbers are amazing, and he was a power pitcher who didn't put it together until he was 29 years old. Imagine if he figured it out at 25. Putting things in context of time and place, I would put Randy #2 behind Grove, though he is my #1 favorite and personal preference, as he is the one I grew up watching and we share a hometown.
I do think this chart, which I believe has been posted a few times now, is extremely misleading, at best. It just stops tabulating for Grove half way down Grove pitched more than 8 full seasons that are included here, he won 9 ERA crowns alone plus other full seasons. It's just factually wrong and really should stop being used. I think any reasonable person here should agree. I'm open to being the fool if there is any good reason this chart, which ignores much of Grove's career and implies he played 8 seasons, is somehow valid.