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Pull up a chair while we talk about all things Blue Jays-related.
Healthy discussion is always encouraged!
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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Why the 'pitcher wins' stat is outdated & pointless


Like most sports, the baseball decision-makers are an old-boys club who are slow to accept change - if they accept it at all. Hence, there's a reticence to employ, look at, learn, or acknowledge new or advanced statistics. At best, useful and indicative stats like WAR, BABIP, OPS+, FIP, UZR, wRC+, etc are accepted at a glacial pace.

Case in point: pitcher wins. During baseball broadcasts and in many written pieces, a pitcher's won/lost record is displayed before any other stat. The colour commentator and the analyst always lead their roundup of the pitcher with the number of wins he's accumulated, or losses he's endured.

The dichotomy of the situation is incredible; is there a more prominent stat that's as pointless as pitcher wins?