Email a copy of 'Arbitration Breakdown: Craig Kimbrel' to a friend
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By Matt Swartz | at
Email a copy of 'Arbitration Breakdown: Craig Kimbrel' to a friend
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Calvin
Ahh Before naming kimbrel the best all-time.. Check this out. Remember K-Rod. Electric most save in a season record most save at his age and how much saves has he got the last 3 years? It is not how you start it is how you finish. Ken Griffey Jr./Albert Pujols/Alex Rodrigues/Frank Thomas all first 10 years great and last 10 well do a stats research. 3 years and you crown him king? I don’t think so. Mariano Rivera the Greatest Closer. Imagine if he has a second pitch, he would had become the next Greg Maddux.
iLIKEtheGIANTSmucho
Saves reflect on how many opportunities given, how big of a lead the offense/bullpen maintain, etc. K-Rod had 69 opportunities when he got 62 saves (Kimbrel has blown as many saves in 99 chances the last two seasons), and while his ERA and peripherals were very impressive, Kimbrel tops him in just about everything.
Calvin
Ahh its National League NO DH if your going to go that far. Also is steroid era when Krod prime play, now all batters playing without juice/ no 330avg after 320 avg with 45 plus homeruns. I am not saying he is not good just not the best of all time. When his fastball goes down a click and which they all do like GAGNE/wholers/etc. and he is still performing at top for another 10 years then we can put him on the top 3.
iLIKEtheGIANTSmucho
K-Rod’s ERA+ pre-arbitration: 180. Kimbrel’s: 282. K-Rod’s ERA+ in platform year before arbitration: 159. Kimbrel’s: 320. K-Rod was one of the best pre-arbitration, Kimbrel IS the best
Calvin
WE HAVE A kimball lover here.
iLIKEtheGIANTSmucho
We have no idea how Kimbrel’s career will play out, but Kimbrel’s first three years are better than any other reliever’s first three years, at least in terms of determining where they stand in arbitration. There are no true comparables. Even Mariano was a peg below through his first three years, but he kept it up and then some for two decades. Not saying Kimbrel will be the best, just saying he is at the juncture compared to when others were there. And I was initially pointing out how using saves as an indicator of a closer’s effectiveness (as with K-Rod) is very flawed. K-Rod got more saves but was certainly the lesser pitcher
Calvin
I am not arguing with the numbers of his first 3 years. The article is about the brain who posted earliar said kimball was the greatest closer ever live in MLB HISTORY.