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With the 2022 Winter Olympics fast approaching and NHL players still on track to participate, excitement is growing for American fans.

(Not over Team USA’s new sweaters, unless Patrick Kane will be playing rugby in Beijing. But USA Hockey has answered the nagging question of what the men’s national team would look like if Mike Ditka designed the jerseys.)

The U.S. team’s goaltending depth is stronger than Canada’s. The team has forwards like Auston Matthews, which is great, although not “Canada great,” considering our friends from the North could have Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon playing on their second line.

But the most fascinating part of the potential Team USA roster is the defense, because the growth of that position in this hockey nation has itself been fascinating.

The country has produced Hall of Fame defensemen like Phil Housley, Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios and Mark Howe. The current crop has the potential to yield a few more.

Here’s a look at the state of American defensemen, taking into account recent history and their starts to the season. We’ve ranked them in tiers according to our own observations and with input from those we informally polled, including Chelios, now an ESPN studio analyst.

The elite

Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins

They’re the consensus top two American-born defensemen in the NHL today. Fox, 23, has 107 points in his first 143 NHL games with the Rangers, winning the Norris Trophy last season. McAvoy, 23, is still looking for his awards breakthrough, but with 134 points in 250 games and a 200-foot game, he’s the next in the great tradition of outstanding Bruins defensemen.

The main differences between the two: Fox has been an ace on the power play, with 6.38 points per 60 minutes with the man advantage. McAvoy (4.05) is no slouch, and he finally has been given the keys to the Bruins’ power play and has excelled (7.87 this season). McAvoy also gets credit for being a stouter defender in his own zone.

“McAvoy has the best overall game. You can put him on the No. 1 power play, the penalty kill, he can play a physical game against physical players and can play the speed game against the faster players,” said one NHL veteran. “Fox is a very good player in the offensive zone. He’s a heck of a defenseman. But if he’s going against a physical player in the corners, he might not come up with that puck as often as McAvoy would.”


The divisive ones

John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks

Perhaps having a name that sounds like “Karlsson” means dominating offensively but getting dragged for defensive deficiencies. No American-born defenseman has more points (349) since 2014-15 than the 31-year-old Carlson, whose passing acumen has helped power the Capitals at even strength and on their deadly power play. But his only Norris Trophy nomination was in 2019-20, when he was the runner-up. The winner that season, Roman Josi, was seen to have a more “complete” all-around game. Despite 75 points in 69 games, Carlson couldn’t overcome that perception.

Jones, 27, has represented one of the widest gaps between the analytics community and the NHL’s “eye test” dogma for a few seasons, to the point where it’s become a study in and of itself.

“Players like Jones force us to consider the ways that flashy displays of talent do not necessarily translate to macro-level on-ice results; how a player can be really good at certain very visible things but quietly ineffective in other areas,” noted the analytics writer JFresh.

Jones is having a bounce-back campaign with the Blackhawks, after a tough start. “He likes to get up the ice and lead the play. He’s settled down quite a bit from the beginning of the year. He’s playing a lot smarter,” Chelios said.

Former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman committed eight years, $76 million and full no-move protection to Jones in a contract that starts next season. That salary did little to help bridge the perception gap. One NHL veteran we spoke with believed that Jones is actually a better defenseman than Adam Fox, but that his contract with the Blackhawks obscures that.

“He’s a really good defenseman, but not at $9.5 million [against the cap],” he said.


The expected Olympians

Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

Jones has already been named to the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team for the Beijing Games in 2022. It’s assumed that Fox and McAvoy will join him. Carlson played in Sochi and is one of the youngest of the old guard, so he’s expected to be there, too.

Three other spots could go to these three defensemen. Hughes, 22, is an instant-offense player with speed and creativity, although his defensive game is still coming along.

Chelios said he likes everything about Hughes but his size, as he’s listed at 5-foot-10. “He’s not a hard guy to play against in D-zone, but he’s great with the puck. He’s got unbelievable skill,” he said.

Slavin, 27, graduated from annual “most underrated player” lists to become one of the NHL’s most respected defensive defensemen, and the perfect complement for players like Hughes and Carlson. “He’s awesome,” said one NHL veteran of Slavin. “If you’re looking for an all-around guy you can throw out there in all situations, then Jaccob Slavin is my guy.”

Werenski has emerged from the shadow that Seth Jones cast as his partner in Columbus. The 24-year-old signed a long-term deal with the Blue Jackets, and had 13 points through 16 games for them to start the season.

Chelios pushed back on the idea that Werenski was overshadowed by Jones. “I would say the opposite. I think he’s a more complete defenseman,” he said. “I’m a big fan of him. Size, strength. He’s good in every aspect.”


The old guard

Justin Faulk, St. Louis Blues
Erik Johnson, Colorado Avalanche
Alec Martinez, Vegas Golden Knights
Ryan McDonagh, Tampa Bay Lightning
Kevin Shattenkirk, Anaheim Ducks
Ryan Suter, Dallas Stars
Keith Yandle, Philadelphia Flyers

Some of these names were synonymous with U.S.-born defensemen in the past decade, and a few are proving to have a bit more left in the tank.

Suter (36), Johnson (33), McDonagh (32) and Shattenkirk (32) are all previous Olympians. Of the four, Shattenkirk has arguably had the best 2021-22 season, with 14 points in 19 games with the surprising Ducks. Martinez, 34, has gained newfound respect since joining the Golden Knights, after being an overlooked performer with the Kings. Yandle, 35, isn’t the offensive powerhouse he once was, but is closing in on Doug Jarvis’ NHL ironman streak record (964 games), having played in 939 straight as of Wednesday.

Faulk is the youngest of the “old guard” at 29 years old. It only seems like he’s been around forever because he started with the Hurricanes as a 19-year-old rookie in 2011. He has been the embodiment of “solid but unspectacular” for St. Louis.


The regression squad

Jakob Chychrun, Arizona Coyotes
Matt Grzelcyk, Boston Bruins
Jeff Petry, Montreal Canadiens
Mike Reilly, Boston Bruins
Brady Skjei, Carolina Hurricanes

Chychrun, 23, has dual citizenship and has represented Canada internationally but was born in Florida. With four points in his past five games, he’s starting to pick up the pace offensively, but he has a long way to go: A player who quietly built a Norris Trophy case last season started this campaign with five points in 19 games, potentially dashing his Team Canada Olympic hopes.

Petry, 33, has suffered an even steeper decline. He had four straight seasons with at least 40 points playing for the Canadiens. This season, he tallied two points in his first 20 games, which is a big yikes.

Chelios said the absence of Carey Price so far this season has impacted Petry. “When you’ve got a good goalie behind you, it bails you out. I’ve been in that position a lot in my career. But I still like [Petry] a lot,” he said.

Grzelcyk, 27, has struggled to fulfill the promise of his potential. Grzelcyk had two points in his first 15 games this season after posting 20 points in 37 games last season. A decrease in power-play time can carry some of that blame.

Skjei, 27, has four points in 17 games, but some of his underlying numbers are both underwhelming relative to his teammates and continue a two-year dive into below-average play.

Reilly, 28, went from being one of the best-kept secrets in the league with Montreal and Ottawa to a solid contributor for the Bruins last season, who kicked him a new three-year deal in the offseason. But it hasn’t been the best start for him, as the Bruins made him a healthy scratch on a couple of occasions. After being one of the better defensemen in puck retrieval for them, “he’s leaving some of that dirty work to his partner too often when it’s his turn,” said coach Bruce Cassidy.


The resurgent squad

Shayne Gostisbehere, Arizona Coyotes
Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks
Noah Hanifin, Calgary Flames
Nick Jensen, Washington Capitals
John Marino, Pittsburgh Penguins
Torey Krug, St. Louis Blues
Nate Schmidt, Winnipeg Jets

It took a season, but Krug looks like Krug again. Leaving Boston to ostensibly replace Alex Pietrangelo in St. Louis was a tough transition, but he’s playing improved defense and is on his way to generating a great portion of points on the power play, where he was extremely effective in Boston.

Fowler, 29, is off to a great start offensively (13 points in 19 games) after a couple of middling scoring campaigns for the Ducks.

Marino, 24, has been unable to build on an outstanding rookie season (2019-20), but he has shown signs early this season that he might be bouncing back from his sophomore slump. Hanifin, 24, has also rebounded from a couple of rough campaigns, with better possession numbers under coach Darryl Sutter, which is to be expected. He’s got something good going with partner Rasmus Andersson.

A couple of players just needed new addresses. Schmidt, 30, has wiped off the stink from his ill-fated stint with the Vancouver Canucks and has helped steady the game of Josh Morrissey in Winnipeg. And how about that Ghost Bear with the Coyotes, huh? Gostisbehere is currently posting his highest points-per-60 minutes average (2.1) since the 2017-18 season with the Flyers.

Jensen, meanwhile, has seen his ice time jump by nearly two minutes with the Capitals as Dmitry Orlov‘s primary partner. The 31-year-old is fourth in the league among defensemen at 5.5 goals scored above average.


The underrated

Brandon Carlo, Boston Bruins
Nick Leddy, Detroit Red Wings
Ryan Lindgren, New York Rangers
Brett Pesce, Carolina Hurricanes
Neal Pionk, Winnipeg Jets

With Slavin having graduated off the “underrated” list, he has symbolically passed the torch to his teammate Pesce. The 27-year-old can contribute offensively and play steady on defense, and has been mentioned as being on a long list for the Olympics.

Pionk, 26, plays a solid blue-collar game for the Jets. He had breakout offensive seasons from 2019-20 to 2020-21, yet still hasn’t landed on many radar screens as a Winnipeg defenseman. But his underlying numbers are strong and he can play in all phases of the game.

The Islanders could certainly still use Leddy, who was a steadying regular-season presence for them since 2015. But the salary cap dictated his move to the Red Wings, where he has been a good veteran partner to Filip Hronek and Moritz Seider this season.

Lindgren, 24, has been one of the secrets to Adam Fox‘s success in the NHL, pairing perfectly with the Norris winner. He’s solid in his defensive role and not a bad skater himself, either.


The unbalanced

Tony DeAngelo, Carolina Hurricanes
Connor Murphy, Chicago Blackhawks
Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers

All three of these players cannot claim to have great all-around games, even if they have some great facets to their games.

Trouba, 27, was an average defenseman with some outstanding offensive potential with the Jets. In his two previous seasons with the Rangers, he didn’t fulfill that potential offensively. His underlying numbers are promising at the start of this season, and he had seven points through his first 18 games.

Murphy has contributed offensively here and there, despite being a defensive defenseman. But that’s dried up so far: 0.3 points per 60 minutes through 19 games this season. Then again, it hasn’t exactly been the best ride for him overall with a 35.8% Corsi for percentage.

DeAngelo, whom the Rangers infamously let go last season, has reminded everyone why he was sought after despite his reputation: 16 points in 17 games with the Hurricanes, with six of them coming on the power play. They brought him in to help fill the offensive hole left by Dougie Hamilton, and fill it he has. But he remains a player whose offensive prowess can help obscure his shortcomings.


The next ones

Mikey Anderson, Los Angeles Kings
Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils
K’Andre Miller, New York Rangers
Scott Perunovich, St. Louis Blues
Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators

The next class of American defensemen features some who have already made the show — Anderson (22), Miller (21) and Perunovich (23), who was just called up by the Blues — and a couple of recent draftees in Sanderson and Hughes.

The past was solid. The present is outstanding. With these players, and the young stars who are still improving, the future is bright for U.S.-born defensemen.

Three things about jerseys

1. Jersey Devils

I grew up a New Jersey Devils fan. I understand the initial disappointment fans had from seeing their all-black third jerseys, because they were radically different than the ones we’d all imagined since the team switched its color palette three decades ago. There wasn’t a radical reimagining of the logo or a menacing visage of a devil on the front. It’s a jersey that has “JERSEY” on the front of it and more white stripes than an alt-rock station’s 2003 playlist.

When something doesn’t match what the mind’s eye sees, disenchantment sets in, and the dunk party begins. Fun as it’s been, I can’t join the party, because (shrug) I like them. Sure, I could use fewer stripes and some sort of logo — either a Devils insignia or a silhouette of the state — near the wordmark on the front. But I like them for their boldness. I like that’s a little street art adjacent. And I like that for millions of us who say “we’re from Jersey” when asked about our geographic lineage, the only major pro team with the state’s name in its moniker wears that with pride.

Now, go make the hat that says “HAT,” will ya, Devils?

2. Team USA

There’s so much wrong with these national team jerseys that it’s hard to know where to start, so I’ll focus on the absurdity of that third jersey, aka a second blue jersey.

From the ad copy: “Drawing inspiration from American ‘muscle cars’ and traditionally bold hockey designs, Team USA’s alternate jersey bears a deep blue double stripe running around the chest and arms.” Finally, a hockey sweater for Jay Leno!

Inside the collar is the message “Driven By Pride,” a statement meant to inspire our athletes to win for their nation … or buy a BMW, which made that slogan its ad campaign in 2020.

3. Team Canada

I have no idea what Canada was thinking with this logo, because the maple leaf on the front of its national team’s jerseys looks like the backside of a turkey. I hate that I’m the one that had to point this out, because it makes it absolutely impossible for you to see anything but the posterior of a Meleagris gallopavo domesticus when you see Team Canada at the Olympics. I’m truly sorry, although not really.


Winners and losers of the week

Winner: Jared Bednar

What a pleasant surprise. Bednar, the winningest coach in Colorado Avalanche history, looked destined to take the fall if the team fell apart in the playoffs again. Another postseason dud, and general manager Joe Sakic would dump Bednar and opt for “the guy with the Stanley Cup ring” to get the Avalanche over the top. (A Claude Julien or Mike Babcock type.)

Instead, Bednar was extended through the 2023-24 season. That’s an endorsement not only of his coaching prowess, but an indication that Sakic isn’t going to overreact if Colorado can’t scale the mountain again. More on the move here from Adrian Dater.

Loser: Travis Green

Can the plummeting Vancouver Canucks finally excuse this man from the apocalypse? Green’s hands aren’t clean in this mess — at a .350 points percentage, this appears to be the fourth of his five seasons in Vancouver with a team under .500. But this version of the team’s problem is construction and not coaching, and word is that total regime change is coming. As Patrick Johnston reports, a disagreement among team owners may be preventing GM Jim Benning from doing what should have already been done.

Winner: Calgary Flames

The Flames haven’t lost in regulation in seven games (5-0-2) and shredded the Eastern Conference on a recent road trip. We figured coach Darryl Sutter was going to get this team in shape defensively, and they’re first in the league with a 1.90 goals-against average. But the Flames have a plus-30 goal differential because they’re seventh in team offense (3.40 goals per game). Hiring Sutter was a Hail Mary last season from GM Brad Treliving. Sometimes those passes connect for a score.

Loser: New York Islanders

Losing players to COVID-19 protocols and injuries, the Islanders opened UBS Arena with three straight losses — part of a seven-game losing streak overall in which they were outscored 31-7. But hey, at least there are 17 bars to take the edge off.

Winner: Connor McDavid‘s house

Here’s the problem with Connor McDavid’s house: perception. Architectural Digest used the word “cozy” in its description, which is like describing McDavid’s skating as “plodding.” This is not a warm sweater of a house. This is an ostentatious luxury hotel with a dog. And that’s OK! It’s gorgeously designed and a stunner. You do you, Connor and Lauren.

Loser: The discourse on the discourse

For years, I’ve been told that NHL players who say controversial things shouldn’t get goofed on by fans, because they’ll run away like scared little bunnies and never say anything interesting again. Now I’m hearing “don’t goof on a player’s Architectural Digest spread or else they won’t show us their houses anymore.”

If players require 100% approval ratings to do and say things, we might as well ban booing at games. Or, you know, assume they understand what comes with the territory as a famous person in professional sports, which is a depository for our hyperbolic reactions and emotions.


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Kershaw joins the 3K club! Where does he rank among pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts?

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Kershaw joins the 3K club! Where does he rank among pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts?

The 3,000-strikeout club has grown by one, with Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers whiffing the Chicago White Sox‘s Vinny Capra in the sixth inning Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, becoming the 20th pitcher in baseball history to reach that milestone.

The 3K pitching club doesn’t generate as much hullabaloo as its hitting counterpart, but it is more exclusive: Thirty-three players have reached 3,000 hits.

When you look at the list of pitchers with 3,000 strikeouts, and Kershaw’s place on it, a few things jump out.

• None of them pitched at Ebbets Field, at least not in a regular-season game. I frame it like that to illustrate that this level of whiffery is a fairly recent phenomenon. The Dodgers bolted Brooklyn after the 1957 season, and at that point, Walter Johnson was the only member of the 3,000-strikeout club. A career Washington Senator, he never pitched against the Dodgers. Every other 3K member made his big league debut in 1959 or later. Half of them debuted in 1984 or later. Three of them (Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander) are active.

• For now, Kershaw has thrown the fewest career innings of any 3K member, though he’s likely to eventually end up with more frames than Pedro Martinez.

• Kershaw has the highest winning percentage of the 20 (.697) and the best ERA+ (155), though his edges over Martinez (.685 and 154) are razor thin.

• Kershaw tops the list in average game score (61.9) and is tied for second (with Bob Gibson) for quality start percentage (68%), behind only Tom Seaver (70%).

• Kershaw lags behind in bWAR, at least among this group of current, future and should-be Hall of Famers with 77.1, ranking 16th.

So where does Kershaw really rank in the 3K club? I’m glad you asked.

First, what should be obvious from the above bullet points is that the response to the question will vary according to how you choose to answer it. The ranking below reflects not only how I chose to answer the question but how I’d like to see starting pitchers rated in general — even today, in the wildly different context from the days of Walter Johnson.

1. Roger Clemens

FWP: 568.8 | Strikeouts: 4,672 (3rd in MLB history)

Game score W-L: 477-230 (.675)

The top three pitchers on the list, including Rocket, match the modern-era top three for all pitchers, not just the 3K guys. (The string is broken by fourth-place Christy Mathewson.) Before running the numbers, I figured Walter Johnson, with his modern-era record of 417 career wins (the old-fashioned variety), would top the list. But Clemens actually started more games (relief appearances don’t factor in) and had a better game score win percentage.


2. Randy Johnson

FWP: 532.9 | Strikeouts: 4,875 (2nd)

Game score W-L: 421-182 (.698)

Since we’re lopping off pre-1901 performances, the method does Cy Young dirty. Only two pitchers — Young (511 wins) and Walter Johnson got to 400 career wins by the traditional method. By the game score method, the club grows to nine, including a bunch of players many of us actually got to see play. The Big Unit is one of the new 400-game winners, and of the nine, his game score winning percentage is the highest. The only thing keeping Johnson from No. 1 on this list is that he logged 104 fewer career starts than Clemens.


3. Walter Johnson

FWP: 494.7 | Strikeouts: 3,509 (9th)

Game score W-L: 437-229 (.656)

Don’t weep for the Big Train — even this revamping of his century-old performance record and the fixation on strikeouts can’t dim his greatness. That fact we mentioned in the introduction — that every 3K member except Walter Johnson debuted in 1959 or later — tells you a lot about just how much he was a man out of his time. Johnson retired after the 1927 season and surpassed 3,000 strikeouts by whiffing Cleveland’s Stan Coveleski on July 22, 1923. It was nearly 51 years before Gibson became 3K member No. 2 on July 17, 1974.


4. Greg Maddux

FWP: 443.3 | Strikeouts: 3,371 (12th)

Game score W-L: 453-287 (.612)

There is a stark contrast between pitcher No. 4 and pitcher No. 5 on this ranking. The wild thing about Maddux ranking above Nolan Ryan in a group selected for strikeouts is that no one thinks of Maddux as a strikeout pitcher. He never led a league in whiffs and topped 200 just once (204 in 1998). He was just an amazingly good pitcher for a really long time.


5. Nolan Ryan

FWP: 443.1 | Strikeouts: 5,714 (1st)

Game score W-L: 467-306 (.604)

Ryan is without a doubt the greatest strikeout pitcher who ever lived, and it’s really hard to imagine someone surpassing him. This is a guy who struck out his first six batters in 1966, when Lyndon Johnson was in the White House, and his last 46 in 1993, when Bill Clinton was there. Ryan was often criticized during his heyday for his win-loss record, but the game score method clears that right up. Ryan’s revised winning percentage (.604) is markedly higher than his actual percentage (.526).


6. Max Scherzer

FWP: 385.7 | Strikeouts: 3,419 (11th)

Game score W-L: 315-145 (.685)

Here’s another club Mad Max is in: .680 or better game score winning percentage, minimum 100 career starts. He’s one of just eight members, along with Kershaw. The list is topped by Smoky Joe Wood, who dominated the AL during the 1910s before hurting his arm and converting into a full-time outfielder. The full list: Wood, Martinez, Randy Johnson, Lefty Grove, Mathewson, Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg and Scherzer.


7. Justin Verlander

FWP: 385.0 | Strikeouts: 3,471 (10th)

Game score W-L: 349-190 (.647)

Like Scherzer, Verlander is fresh off the injured list. Thus, the two active leaders in our version of FWP have resumed their tight battle for permanent supremacy. Both also resume their quests to become the 10th and 11th pitchers to reach 3,500 strikeouts. Verlander, who hasn’t earned a traditional win in 13 starts, is 4-9 this season by the game score method.


8. Pedro Martinez

FWP: 383.5 | Strikeouts: 3,154 (15th)

Game score W-L: 292-117 (.714)

By so many measures, Martinez is one of the greatest of all time, even if his career volume didn’t reach the same levels as those of the others on the list. His 409 career starts are easily the fewest of the 3K club. But he has the highest game score winning percentage and, likewise, the highest score for FWP per start (.938).


9. Steve Carlton

FWP: 379.8 | Strikeouts: 4,136 (4th)

Game score W-L: 420-289 (.592)

When you think of Lefty, you think of his 1972 season, when he went 27-10 (traditional method) for a Phillies team that went 59-97. What does the game score method think of that season? It hates it. Kidding! No, Carlton, as you’d expect, dominated, going 32-9. So think of it like this: There were 32 times in 1972 that Carlton outpitched his starting counterpart despite the lethargic offense behind him.


10. Tom Seaver

FWP: 371.3 | Strikeouts: 3,640 (6th)

Game score W-L: 391-256 (.604)

Perhaps no other pitcher of his time demonstrated a more lethal combination of dominance and consistency than Seaver. The consistency is his historical differentiator. As mentioned, his career quality start percentage (70%) is tops among this group. Among all pitchers with at least 100 career starts, he ranks fifth. Dead ball era pitchers get a leg up in this stat, so the leader is the fairly anonymous Jeff Tesreau (72%), a standout for John McGraw’s New York Giants during the 1910s. The others ahead of Seaver are a fascinating bunch. One is Babe Ruth, and another is Ernie Shore, who in 1917 relieved Ruth when The Babe was ejected after walking a batter to start a game. Shore replaced him, picked off the batter who walked, then went on to retire all 26 batters he faced. The other ahead of Seaver: Jacob deGrom.


11. Clayton Kershaw

FWP: 370.9 | Strikeouts: 3,000 (20th)

Game score W-L: 301-137 (.687)

And here’s the guest of honor, our reason for doing this ranking exercise. As you can see, Kershaw joined the 300-game-score win club in his last start before Wednesday’s milestone game, becoming the 38th member. In so many measures of dominance, consistency and efficiency, Kershaw ranks as one of the very best pitchers of all time. When you think that he, Verlander and Scherzer are all in the waning years of Hall of Fame careers, you can’t help but wonder who, if anyone, is going to join some of the elite starting pitching statistical clubs in the future.


12. Don Sutton

FWP: 370.6 | Strikeouts: 3,574 (7th)

Game score W-L: 437-319 (.578)

For a post-dead ball pitcher, Sutton was a model of durability. He ranks third in career starts (756) and seventh in innings (5,283⅓). During the first 15 seasons of his career, Sutton started 31 or more games 14 times and threw at least 207 innings for the Dodgers in every season.


13. Ferguson Jenkins

FWP: 353.8 | Strikeouts: 3,192 (14th)

Game score W-L: 363-231 (.611)

Jenkins is in the Hall of Fame, so we can’t exactly say he was overlooked. Still, it does feel like he’s a bit underrated on the historical scale. His FWP score ranks 17th among all pitchers, and the game score method gives him a significant win-loss boost. That .611 percentage you see here is a good bit higher than his actual .557 career winning percentage. He just didn’t play for very many good teams and, in fact, never appeared in the postseason. He’s not the only Hall of Famer associated with the Chicago Cubs who suffered that fate.


14. Gaylord Perry

FWP: 335.6 | Strikeouts: 3,534 (8th)

Game score W-L: 398-292 (.577)

Perry, famous for doing, uh, whatever it takes to win a game, famously hung around past his expiration date to get to 300 wins, and he ended up with 314. Poor Perry: If my game score method had been in effect, he’d have quit two wins shy of 400. Would someone have given him a shot at getting there in 1984, when he was 45? One of history’s great what-if questions.


15. Phil Niekro

FWP: 332.5 | Strikeouts: 3,342 (13th)

Game score W-L: 408-308 (.570)

Knucksie won 318 games, and lost 274, the type of career exemplified by his 1979 season, when he went 21-20. We aren’t likely to see anyone again pair a 20-win season with a 20-loss season. His .537 traditional winning percentage improves with the game score method, but he’s still the low man in the 3K club in that column. Niekro joins Ryan and Sutton on the list of those with 300 game score losses. Sutton, at 319, is the leader. The others: Tommy John, Tom Glavine and Jamie Moyer. Of course, they were all safely over the 300-game-score win threshold as well.


16. CC Sabathia

FWP: 323.2 | Strikeouts: 3,093 (18th)

Game score W-L: 339-221 (.605)

Sabathia will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next month, and his place in this group only underscores how deserving he is of that honor. Sabathia debuted in 2001, and to reach the 250 traditional-win level (he won 251) in this era is an amazing feat. The only pitcher in that club who debuted later is Verlander, stuck at 262 wins after debuting in 2005. Right now, it’s hard to imagine who, if anyone, will be next. Of course, if we just went with game score wins, that would be different.


17. Bob Gibson

FWP: 321.0 | Strikeouts: 3,117 (16th)

Game score W-L: 305-177 (.633)

Gibson, incidentally, also won 251 games — and also gets enough boost from the game score method to climb over 300. His revised percentage is better than his traditional mark of .591. His average game score ranks third in this group, a reflection of his steady dominance but also of the era in which he pitched. Gibson is tied for eighth in quality start percentage among all pitchers. In 1968, when Gibson owned the baseball world with a 1.12 ERA, he went 22-9 by the traditional method. The game score method: 26-8. You’d think it would be even better, but it was, after all, the Year of the Pitcher.


18. Bert Blyleven

FWP: 320.2 | Strikeouts: 3,701 (5th)

Game score W-L: 391-294 (.571)

It took a prolonged campaign by statheads to raise awareness about Blyleven’s greatness and aid his eventual Cooperstown induction. He finished with 287 traditional wins, short of the historical benchmark. Here he would fall short of the 400-win benchmark, but, nevertheless, he is tied with John and Seaver for 11th on the game score wins list. His actual winning percentage was .534.


19. Curt Schilling

FWP: 307.1 | Strikeouts: 3,116 (17th)

Game score W-L: 281-155 (.644)

There are 31 pitchers who have broken the 300 FWP level, and it’s hard for me to imagine how anyone in that group could be left out of Cooperstown. You can sort this out for yourself in terms of baseball and not baseball reasons for this, but the group not there is Clemens, Schilling, John and Andy Pettitte, plus the greats (Kershaw, Verlander, Scherzer) who are still active.


20. John Smoltz

FWP: 273.8 | Strikeouts: 3,084 (19th)

Game score W-L: 290-191 (.603)

Smoltz won 213 games the traditional way, and he falls just short of 300 by the revised method. But all of this is about starting pitching, and with Smoltz, that overlooks a lot. After missing the 2000 season because of injury, he returned as a reliever, and for four seasons he was one of the best, logging 154 saves during that time. He’s the only member of the 200-win, 100-save club.

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Dodgers’ Muncy (knee) helped off, set for MRI

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Dodgers' Muncy (knee) helped off, set for MRI

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw‘s 3,000th career strikeout was preceded by a scary, dispiriting moment, when Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy injured his left knee and had to be helped off the field Wednesday night.

Muncy is set to undergo an MRI on Thursday, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said initial tests have them feeling “optimistic” and that the “hope” is Muncy only sustained a sprain.

With one out in the sixth inning, Muncy jumped to catch a throw from Dodgers catcher Will Smith, then tagged out Chicago White Sox center fielder Michael A. Taylor on an attempted steal and immediately clutched his left knee, prompting a visit from Roberts and head trainer Thomas Albert.

Muncy wrapped his left arm around Albert and walked toward the third-base dugout, replaced by Enrique Hernandez. His injury, caused by Taylor’s helmet slamming into the side of his left knee on a headfirst slide, was so gruesome that the team’s broadcast opted not to show a replay.

Taylor also exited the game with what initially was diagnosed as a left trap contusion.

The Dodgers went on to win 5-4 on Freddie Freeman‘s walk-off single that scored Shohei Ohtani.

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Kershaw becomes MLB’s 4th lefty with 3,000 K’s

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Kershaw becomes MLB's 4th lefty with 3,000 K's

LOS ANGELES — His start prolonged, the whiffs remained elusive, and the Dodger Stadium crowd became increasingly concerned that Clayton Kershaw might not reach a hallowed milestone in front of them Wednesday. Finally, with two outs in the sixth inning, on his 100th pitch of the night, it happened — an outside-corner slider to freeze Chicago White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra and make Kershaw the 20th member of the 3,000-strikeout club.

Kershaw came off the mound and waved his cap to a sold-out crowd that had risen in appreciation. His teammates then greeted him on the field, dispersing hugs before a tribute video played on the scoreboard, after which Kershaw spilled out of the dugout to greet the fans once more.

Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ longtime ace, is just the fourth lefty to reach 3,000 strikeouts, joining Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton and CC Sabathia. He is one of just five pitchers to accumulate that many with one team, along with Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and John Smoltz. The only other active pitchers who reached 3,000 strikeouts are the two who have often been lumped with Kershaw among the greatest pitchers of this era: Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the latter of whom reached the milestone as a member of the Dodgers in September 2021.

Kershaw’s first strikeout accounted for the first out of the third inning — immediately after Austin Slater’s two-run homer gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead. Former Dodger Miguel Vargas fell behind in the count 0-2, becoming the ninth batter to get to two strikes against Kershaw, then swung through a curveball low and away. The next strikeout, No. 2,999 of his career, came on his season-high-tying 92nd pitch of the night, a curveball that landed well in front of home plate and induced a swing-and-miss from Lenyn Sosa to end the fifth inning.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not even look at Kershaw as he made his way back into the dugout, a clear sign that Kershaw would not be taken out. The crowd erupted as Kershaw took the mound for the start of the sixth inning. Mike Tauchman grounded out and Michael A. Taylor hit a double, then was caught stealing on a play that prompted Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy to come down hard on his left knee, forcing him to be helped off the field.

The mood suddenly turned somber at Dodger Stadium. Then, four pitches later, came elation.

Kershaw reached 3,000 strikeouts in 2,787⅓ innings, making him the fourth-fastest player to reach the mark, according to research from the Elias Sports Bureau. The only ones who got there with fewer innings were Johnson (2,470⅔), Scherzer (2,516) and Pedro Martinez (2,647⅔).

The Dodgers came back to win 5-4, capping their rally with three runs in the bottom of the ninth.

Before the game, Roberts called the 3,000-strikeout milestone “the last box” of a Hall of Fame career — one whose spot in Cooperstown had already been cemented by three Cy Young Awards, 10 All-Star Games, an MVP, five ERA titles and more than 200 wins.

Kershaw’s 2.51 ERA is the lowest in the Live Ball era (since 1920) among those with at least 1,500 innings, even though Kershaw has nearly doubled that. He was a force early, averaging 200 innings and 218 strikeouts per season from 2010 to 2019. And he was a wonder late, finding ways to continually keep opposing lineups in check with his body aching and his fastball down into the high 80s.

Kershaw went on the injured list at least once every year from 2016 to 2024. A foot injury made him a spectator last October, when the Dodgers claimed their second championship in five years. The following month, Kershaw underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and a ruptured plantar plate in his left big toe, then re-signed with the Dodgers and joined the rotation in mid-May. He allowed five runs in four innings in his debut but went 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his next seven starts, stabilizing a shorthanded rotation that remains without Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Tony Gonsolin.

Since the start of 2021, Kershaw has somehow managed to put up the sixth-lowest ERA among those with at least 400 innings.

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