Welcome back! We delayed a bit for the Blue Jays run through the postseason, but this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Not the presentation of the World Series Trophy…the delivery of the top pitcher Stuffies. It seems like it was just yesterday that the Stuff Metric came into this world, and now we’re using it to anoint our pitchers with honour.
Nick and I will now present – the Stuffy awards for top Starters, and Relief pitchers
The Best Starters
Yordano Ventura
This is why people want science to be wrong. Yordano seems to get himself into flare ups with just about everyone. You know what they say: “If you run into an a-hole in the morning, you run into an a-hole. If you run into a-holes all day, you’re probably the a-hole”. Even the usually mild-mannered Mike Trout has gotten into dustups with the troublemaker with electric stuff. While he might be talented, it sure is hard to root for him. Here’s to hoping a lot of his elite stuff is promptly deposited over the outfield fences
It’s fun being a baseball fan when @YordanoVentura has his Curveball working (h/t @keptin_james) pic.twitter.com/h7b2NqT1NO
— Pitcher List (@ThePitcherList) October 3, 2016
Noah Syndergaard
Thor, the Metropolitan God of Thunder and byproduct of an R.A. Dickey trade (sorry, I’m not over that yet), takes home the silver medal for starter Stuff. Watching Syndergaard pitch was a treat this season – his velocity and movement are elite, and he overpowers hitters with his power slider. He will without a doubt, be a permanent resident on the Stuff list for years to come.
Check out @Noahsyndergaard spotting 98mph on the black to Hunter Pence last night pic.twitter.com/nfaxBjcsuQ
— Pitcher List (@ThePitcherList) October 6, 2016
Jake Arrieta
The starter with the best stuff – is none other than the 2015 Cy Young winner, and linchpin of the Chicago Cubs rotation – Jake Arrieta. Arrieta has above average fastball velocity and average change in velocity, but exceptional movement separation. While his season had ups and downs for his results, his Stuff remained exceptional throughout the season. Congratulations to Jake the Snake Arrieta, the 2016 Stuffie Gold Medalist!
Classic Slutter from @JArrieta34 to get out of the 2nd inning against Gregor Blanco. So tough to resist. pic.twitter.com/I0CIvz5fWM
— Pitcher List (@ThePitcherList) October 11, 2016
The Best Relievers
Michael Lorenzen
Taking home the Bronze Stuff medal for Relievers is Michael Lorenzen. The 2016 Cincinnati bullpen could be anointed the “Nasty Boys 2.0″ given that watching them implode night in and night out was about as nasty an experience as you could imagine as a Reds fan. Lorenzen gives them some hope for the future. He classified as a reliever this year, but his potential to start combined with his nasty stuff, leaves the Reds in a good position for the future.
Matt Bush and Aroldis Chapman
Now, the top of the list features relievers with the best Stuff in the game – but it reads a lot like a poster from America’s Most Wanted. Matt Bush showed the baseball world how great his stuff is in a three inning relief appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. He features an exceptional fastball and elite breaking pitch velocity. This is combined with above average separation between his pitches. Arolids Chapman is more of the same – the best fastball in the world, which is paired with average break distance, and exceptional breaking pitch velocity.
This is crazy. @AChapman_105 sealed Saturday’s victory with this 103mph fastball with run. What. pic.twitter.com/YWLLdd8dBb
— Pitcher List (@ThePitcherList) October 10, 2016
Matt Bush bringing the 98mph heat to freeze Jose Bautista for the K pic.twitter.com/YPuvMHgTOD
— Pitcher List (@ThePitcherList) October 7, 2016
Curtain Call
All good things must come to an end – and this includes the Stuffy awards. It has been a pleasure quantifying the league’s most abstract term – Stuff. If you see Jake Arrieta, Aroldis Chapman, Mauricio Cabrera, or Jon Gray on the street – let them know, they are the Kings of Stuff.
For those of you who want to know more about Stuff – check out the full list, with no innings pitched cut off values, at the link below. Nerds!
How hard it would be to call a 103mph pitch? How about hitting a 103mph pitch…I remember having a hard time catching up to 50 in little league…lmao
Finally, Arquimedes Caminero getting the love he deserves.
Has to be the best name in the league!