Byline: Max Offen Sichtlich
Off Topic
Let's Face It, Félix Has Been Very Good
September 1, 2055
After posting the Too-Early Prediction Poll for FL Nebraska, I got to thinking about Félix Vidaca and his chances of being included in the mix.
In other words, wasting my time.
But it was still fun.
Vidaca came to the team from Atlantic City, so to be included in the conversation, one would need to accept his partial splits in a single league. That puts voters off to begin with. He also changed roles in the process, stepping out of the rotation and into the bearing it takes to pitch essentially every day. That really puts the keee-bosh on the old ballot boxers. How is one supposed to assess a starter/stopper.
[Aside, there is only a small amount of truth to the rumors that I wrote this entire team news so I could use the term starter/stopper.]
But the fact is that a fun case can be made for Félix Vidaca to at least be under consideration.
Let’s start with his 9-7, 5 saves, 140 K, 137 IP, 3.29 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 3.48 FIP, 85 FIP-.
Solid.
Not great, but definitely solid enough, especially when you consider that the bulk of his losses came from his time in Atlantic City. That FIP- number of 85 is better than some that are being publicly feted as real candidates, anyway. And that K/9 number is mighty good in this day and age. That bulk rate view says “meh” when it comes to the Nebraska. Dude would need a monster September to get into the conversation.
But when we look at the JL, where Charm City’s Gerardo Rea sits in the conversation the numbers get more fun. Rea is a throwback bullpen arm in the Jimmie’s organization. He’s likely to finish with over 100 IP and got some voting in that prediction poll.
So, let’s take some projections, shall we?
I’ll set Rea’s full-season projection with Vidaca’s projection if he’d been with Sacramento the full season, and was used and performed at the same rates. Just for fun, right?
| Year/Team/League | G | W | L | SV | ERA | ERA+ | IP | HA | ER | HR | BB | K | WHIP | BABIP | FIP | FIP- | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rea | 62 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1.68 | 265 | 112.1 | 63 | 21 | 9 | 29 | 95 | 0.82 | 0.183 | 3.31 | 74 | 1.9 |
| Vidaca | 62 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 1.66 | 258 | 119.1 | 63 | 22 | 6 | 32 | 104 | 0.79 | 0.189 | 2.95 | 68 | 2.8 |
Bottom line: with the exception of wins and losses—which are really not in a bullpen guy’s control, Vidaca would be a pretty clear winner, as noted by the full WAR difference in the overall numbers.
Which is kinda cool, really.
To be clear, of course, I’m not suggesting Vidaca should be the FL Nebraska winner, though is combined FIP- of 77 says he’s having that kind of a season.
There’s a month left, of course, and if it were to finish right now, that winner really should be Carlos Flores, with a challenge from maybe Des Moines’ Ji-e Woo or maybe Toomy Akers. Anyone else is really going to need a big month to get into the picture.
But I’m here to say that if it did happen … if Vidaca did rise up with a huge September, and did win the award … well, it wouldn’t be the end of the world as we know it.
I should have at least put him on the list.
