There have been lots of talks about
Mariano Rivera retiring at the end of this year, and rightfully so. Rivera is
the best closer of all time, and it might stick that way for a good while.
Every stadium, as you might have saw in the all-star game, has given standing
ovations to Sandman, even at Fenway. This weekend, it’ll be the last time Mo
will be in Boston.
Obviously, Mariano has done it both
with his record of saves (650) and games finished (947), but also has an absurd
2.21 ERA with an MLB best 205 ERA+. He actually had one of his best years in
the second year of his career in 1996. While he had 11 years where he had an
ERA under 2, his 1996 year was not one of them, and he only had five saves. So
why was it his best year? Well, he pitched 30 more innings than his career
average, went 8-3, and compiled a career best 5.0 WAR. He also was third on the
ballot for Cy Young that year.
Mo never won a Cy Young award, but
was a thirteen time all-star, and will always be remembered as the Yankees
closer. He got batters to hit a ground ball more than half the time, even
though he only mainly uses two pitches: a fastball and a cutter. Note that a
cutter is just like a fastball, but it cuts downward a bit. It’ll be weird to
have seasons without him.
While Mariano Rivera is planning on
retiring, other notable players in the early 2000’s will also be gone soon.
Three other big names are Jason Giambi, Todd Helton, and another Yankee, Andy
Pettitte.
Jason Giambi has some scary years
in the early 2000’s. He and Bonds were probably the most dangerous hitters in
baseball, as Giambi would win the MVP in 2000, and had an even better year in
2001. In his prime (from age 27 to 31, and 1998-2002), Giambi batted .319/.439/.587 with 182 home runs and 612
RBI’s. Unfortunately for him, after those years he still was able to get on
base, but his batting average sharply declined. He also has his name placed in
the steroid era too. Is he hall of fame bound? Probably not, especially because
of the steroid accusations, but he had some really good years, that’s for sure.
Congrats to him for just hitting his 2000 hit in his career. 
Todd Helton has been the best
hitter since Tony Gwynn, but much of that is tough tell since he’s played his
entire career with Colorado. At Coors field, the offensive numbers will jump up
dramatically. However, he should of won the MVP in 2000 anyways over the
controversial Jeff Kent, where he batted .372/.463/.698
with 59 doubles, 42 home runs, 147 RBI’s, 216 hits, and an 8.9 WAR. Helton, 39, has too seen his
numbers fall over his career, but still has a career .317/.415/.539. He’s a
five time all-star, a four time silver slugger, and a three time gold glove
winner.
Pettitte has always been just a
name that everyone knows, in my opinion. What I mean by that is that he got a
lot of support from the media and press, when he only had a few good seasons.
Those good seasons, granted, were absurd, like his 21-8 season with the Yanks
in 1996, or his 17-9 season with the pennant winning Astros in 2005. He has a
career 3.86 ERA and a 255-151 record. He does win games, and that’s almost all
that matters. He was no Roger Clemens, but he was Andy Pettitte.
It’ll be tough to see these guys
go, especially to baseball fans that remember them playing in their prime. But
remember this: baseball is now filled with amazing young talent, and soon guys
like these will just be replaced. So let’s take these four players and give
them their next “generation” of their talent.
This one is kind of obvious.
Kimbrel is only 25 years old, and already has 135 saves and 370 strikeouts. Winner
of the Rookie of the Year award in 2011 and the Rolaids Relief Man in both 2011
and 2012, Kimbrel looks to get his next one this year, as he has a career best
.91 ERA and tied with a career best 46
saves. He also has a 3.5 WAR, which is the best among relievers.
The difference
between Rivera and Kimbrel is that Kimbrel can strike out more batters, but
Rivera can get guys out with less pitches. Will Kimbrel break Rivera’s record?
It’s way too hard to tell. But he will be one of the best closers to ever play,
that’s for sure.
Also note for the Yankees that it
might be hard to replace someone like Mo Rivera, but David Robertson might just
be the solution. He’s 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA this year, and has been a great
set-up man his entire career.
While we have known Votto for a
long time already, the fact that he’s led the NL in OBP for the last four years
makes me believe that he’s just like Giambi. A former MVP as well, Votto has a
.306/.431/.497 this year. His slugging has died down a little, as he only 22
homers and 66 RBI’s this year (he had 37 homers and 113 RBI’s in his MVP season
in 2010). He’s a solid player that strikes out a lot, but has to be pitched
around almost half the time.
Another obvious choice, in my
opinion. Like Helton, McCutchen is an all-around player that hits for both
contact and power. What’s different is that McCutchen can steal too, but hasn’t
has a batting average of .372 yet. This year he bats .326/.405/.519 with 19
homers and 79 RBI’s, and is a top contender for MVP this year. Also remember
that McCutchen is only 26 years old, too. He has some of the best offensive
talent and defensive capabilities in the National League.
And finally,
Andy Pettitte – Jordan Zimmermann
This was a hard one. I picked
Zimmermann because he is a consistent pitcher that can get wins with a solid
ERA. This year, he 17-8 with a 3.36
ERA. While at times Zimmermann is really strong, there are times where he can
get rocked hard. He’s already given up 18 home runs this year, but has struck
out 143. He won’t be that ace for the Nationals, especially with Stephen
Strasburg as a teammate, but watch him be a consistent pitcher that can get
wins when they need it.
So the future is bright, there’s no
doubt about that. Remember that there are so many other young players that have
either dominated the MLB, or are showing signs that they will be an all-star.
The minor leagues look really good, too. But I’ll miss watching the old
players, too.
Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any
questions/comments/concerns.
-Evan Boyd
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