Hold My Log - 51.8 - Who Gets Top Pitcher?

[7teen]

"Just give it to the guy with the highest WAR!" That's typically the safest answer. It's the easy answer. And in most cases, the right answer.

Ken Sparks had another outstanding season. The winner of this award in 2 of the last 3 seasons would be the smart pick. He finished 5th in the Frick this year in Nebraska voting thanks to a 5.5 WAR that was just .1 point shy of his career best from a season ago. He went a solid 14-6 as the Lumberjacks' ace of the staff, posting a career best 2.57 ERA and career low 1.07 WHIP. Arguably, you might say it was his best season yet. He failed to log 200 innings for the first time in his career (he fell 2 outs short) but also allowed far fewer hits and runs than he had ever allowed in a given season. So yeah, he'd be the obvious choice.

But he's not the winner.

The winner has to then be either Felix Vidaca (16-3, 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 3.1 WAR) or the lefty Steve Warren (12-6 3.08 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 4.1 WAR). Right? The first of which posted a career high in wins, a career low ERA and WHIP, and bounced back after a solid rookie of the year season in 2048 that saw a disappointing 2049 campaign. The latter southpaw had his best WHIP of his career and also his highest win total to date. One of them one the award, right?

Nope.

Instead, the award for Portland's top pitcher goes to Randolph Marable. The southpaw starter who has entered the last two seasons as the "6th man in line" for a rotation spot took the rotation spot by force this season and won the award. His 18 wins set the franchise, single season wins record. His 193 strikeouts led the rotation and was second only to reliever Lorenzo de' Medici's 203 Ks on the season. Sure, his 3.8 WAR was only the 3rd best among starters and his 2.70 ERA was 3rd behind Sparks and an injured Chris Thompson (imagine this TN post had he stayed healthy all season). But in the end, aside from leading the team in wins and strikeouts, his 193.1 innings were second on the team behind Sparks and his 149 hits allowed were second only behind Vidaca's 133 hits but Vidaca tossed 32 fewer innings than Marable.

"Marable has emerged as a legitimate starter" commented assistant General Manager Kate Fiscus. "The days of us thinking he's best suited as a reliever in hopes of him getting 100 innings there are over. He never complained about his role years ago, was happy just getting to pitch. And now look at him, he's become one of the league's best. In 2050, he was our team's best starter, and that's saying a lot with the staff we have!"