Can A Reliever Win the Steve Nebraska In 2043?

[aaronweiner]

Back in 1974, a year after the BBA (back then the Monty Brewster Baseball Association) began, a Major League Baseball player named Mike Marshall became the first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. Marshall threw 106 games that year and over 200 innings and didn't have a single start that year, and is the only relief pitcher ever to win a Cy Young with those sorts of stats, probably incorrectly beating out Atlanta's Phil Niekro (who should have won at LEAST two such awards in his distinguished career).

Why does this matter? Because while eight relievers since then have won Cy Youngs, no relief pitcher has ever won a Steve Nebraska Award, not the great Jason Egan, for who the reliever award is named, not the great Skip Glendenning, not Peter Grady, who, lest we forget, was once easily the best reliever in the game, not Lionel Sanguinacco's 40 save, 0.90 ERA, 115 K season in 2017, not one...single...reliever...ever. Until maybe now.

Welcome to the Year of the Reliever.

Enter Danny Leach, a 10th round draft pick who has somehow made himself into a superstar. Leach's numbers would look amazing on a starting pitcher: 10-2, 1.79 ERA, 126 innings and 169 strikeouts, 22 walks, 4 homers allowed, and a 0.71 WHIP, all of which translates into a BBA-high 5.7 WAR in 2043, half a point above anyone else.

"I knew I'd broken through last year, but this year I've just been able to take it to another level," said Leach, 23 years old out of Hammond, Louisiana, population 20,000. "It's been the most incredible thrill ride I could imagine."

It is believed that Leach may one day be a starting pitcher, but right now he's too busy dominating the bullpen innings. In fact, four out of every nine bullpen innings the Pikemen have thrown this year has been from Leach, and he's on pace for 185 innings of insanely efficient baseball.

"There hasn't been a pitcher who's had the innings, the efficiency, and the superior strikeout numbers, and maybe 15 wins, too," said a Johnson League scout. "He's been the complete package."

Lest you think that Leach is the only candidate, though, this is happening in a banner year for relievers, where at least four have a very likely chance to get Steve Nebraska votes.


Lorenzo de' Medici:

Lorenzo de' Medici might have a fairly good claim to the Steve Nebraska in the Frick League, despite a 6-9 record and just a 3.38 ERA (FIP 2.20), because his strikeout numbers have become the thing of legend. The lefty currently is averaging 17 strikeouts per nine innings, which would absolutely shatter the record of 13.50 K/9 IP set before the modern era by Albert Diaz and thoroughly crush the modern era mark.

He has - not a typo - 227 strikeouts in 120 innings and has allowed 73 hits in that time and 29 walks. Just as crazy a stat: he has struck out almost exactly one out of every two batters he has faced, including HBP and walks. He's struck out HALF the batters. He's on pace for 337 strikeouts, which would shatter the modern record. And did I mention he's a RELIEVER? My lord.

He's got some competition from Allen Wullenweber and the other pitchers on this list, but no pitcher in the BBA, maybe ever, can match the sheer power of Lorenzo de' Medici.


Tiernan O'Macken:

Currently second in the FL in pitching WAR, lefty O'Macken has kicked it up a notch in 2043. It's a combination of volume and performance that in most years would easily be the best reliever season in the BBA. His line: 100 innings, 57 hits allowed, 22 walks, 159 strikeouts, and a 1.88 ERA, which is stunning in every way.

While he's projected to fall just short of qualifying for an ERA title, if he were to get to 162 innings at his current pace he'd smash the rest of the competition; his 1.88 ERA would be almost a full point lower than Sacramento pitcher Luis Gracia's current 2.63 ERA. If that's not enough, his FIP is an absurd 1.33 this year, and he's allowing a completely outrageous .397 OPS to lefties. He's not too bad at striking out batters either: he's got a 14 K/9 rate himself, which would also be a record if he qualified.

So O'Macken potentially has an equal claim to the JL Steve Nebraska as de' Medici, or even potentially better, depending on your metrics.


Shaun Huber:

Huber's on the outside looking in on the race, even at 4 WAR so far this year; that's 8th in WAR in the Johnson League. However, that's nothing new; Huber has posted a 4.9, 5.5, 4.2 and this year so far a 4.0 WAR over the past few years with zero starts during that time.

We are seeing history made with Huber every day, as the superstar lefty at this point may be the greatest reliever in the history of the BBA. He is currently second in WAR among pitchers with less than 100 starts, and by next year he will likely be first on that list and could extend his lead out to something resembling insurmountable.

While I don't see him winning the Steve Nebraska, Huber's excellence is on display for everyone to see. Huber did finish fourth in the JL in 2041 in the Steve Nebraska voting and there was a very reasonable case made for him that year (he got 7 first place votes) but traditional starters carried the day on that one.


Obviously, a lot can change between now and October, but a lot of these pitchers are going to make it very interesting down the stretch, in the Year of the Reliever.

[usnspecialist]

some truly mind boggling performances to say the least.

[RonCo]

Just leave O'Macken alone to quietly go about his business.

Good conversation, though. O'Macken may get a few more innings after Curt Phillips' trade, so we'll see what happens.

[RonCo]

A couple interesting tables on usage: (through July 27)


Batters Faced by Month:

Pitcher	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	All
Danny Leach	116	107	128	91	442
Lorenzo de' Medici	111	116	105	102	434
Shawn Huber	90	112	79	78	359
Tiernan O'Macken	55	101	100	99	355

Batters Faced by Game Inning:

Pitcher	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	All
Danny Leach	4	151	189	95	3				442
Lorenzo de' Medici	6	124	168	127	3	3	3		434
Shawn Huber	8	13	206	130	2				359
Tiernan O'Macken	12	133	133	66	3	5		3	355

[aaronweiner]

We've never had quite this big an explosion. I suspect it has a little to do with the low offense year too.

[CTBrewCrew]

a 10th round pick making a 80/80 rating. The 2038 draft keeps getting deeper!

[Dington]

Who wants a dose of de 'Medicine?

[Lane]

I dunno guys, I can't really see myself voting a reliever higher than 4th on the Nebrasa ballot.

[aaronweiner]

I dunno guys, I can't really see myself voting a reliever higher than 4th on the Nebrasa ballot.

Even if the reliever throws enough innings to qualify and leads the league in WAR?

[bcslouck]

What is the definition on a Nebraska? I tend to not vote for RP's on a award I view as a SP award, especially when we have a RP award.

And with that said, I may be voting double RP's for the Nebraska. It's pretty absurd what some of these guys are doing.

[usnspecialist]

What is the definition on a Nebraska? I tend to not vote for RP's on a award I view as a SP award, especially when we have a RP award.

And with that said, I may be voting double RP's for the Nebraska. It's pretty absurd what some of these guys are doing.

i always viewed nebraska as for the best pitcher in the league, regardless of status. That being said, i do believe you have to qualify for the ERA title to be eligible, which knocks out most relievers (including potentially o'macken, who needs 6 1/3 IP for a YS9 team that has nothing to play for over its last 3 games).

[crobillard]

He should definitely get many #1 votes, but there's no doubt that starting a game in OOTP is easier than coming in during later innings. Still, Leach was the best this season at coming in at later innings and no one can take that away from him. It will be a really tough vote and if Leach wasn't in the Johnson I think the vote would be a lot easier. Gun to my head right now (which I wont put it past Aaron to do) and I'm voting Leach, but I'll be bouncing it around in my head for awhile and I could definitely decide someone else deserves my vote more.

[Dington]

de' Medici up to 324 K , 17.6 K/9, and 0.78 WHIP. Opponent OPS of .556., .155 BA, .283 BABIP

[aaronweiner]

Don't be silly. If you're voting for Leach I don't see any reason to put a gun to your head.

[usnspecialist]

de' Medici up to 324 K , 17.6 K/9, and 0.78 WHIP. Opponent OPS of .556., .155 BA, .283 BABIP

That is in fact the modern era single season record for strikeouts. Previously held by recently inducted HOFer Amen Mitrani with 321 in 1999.

[aaronweiner]

de' Medici up to 324 K , 17.6 K/9, and 0.78 WHIP. Opponent OPS of .556., .155 BA, .283 BABIP

That is in fact the modern era single season record for strikeouts. Previously held by recently inducted HOFer Amen Mitrani with 321 in 1999.

Even more fucked up - he actually IMPROVED his K/9 after this article. 17 K/9 doesn't just take down the all time record, it makes it into hamburger.

https://statspl.us/brewster/reports/new ... 0_217.html

[aaronweiner]

Leach would be fifth among modern era players BTW (about 28th overall) for qualifying pitchers, but he can't touch de Medici.

[Dington]

While he might not be a better overall pitcher than Leach, I'd say he's scarier to face. It's like Randy Johnson vs. Greg Maddux

[sjshaw]

The dearth of decent SP coming into the league will make this type of player almost required on winning teams.

[usnspecialist]

The dearth of decent SP coming into the league will make this type of player almost required on winning teams.

im guessing you said almost because the San Fernando bullpen exists lol?