Just How Good is Craig Kimbrel?

by J Tadpole on Aug 24, 2011 7:18 AM EDT

With Craig Kimbrel tying the all-time rookie saves record, not to mention leading all of MLB in that category, thought I'd have a look at some of his stats and compare them with his peers in 2011 (like he has any.) There are exactly twenty players who have 30 or more save opportunities this season. Among those, Craig compares very favorably in pretty much every important category. He is:

#1 in K/9 at 14.66 (!)

#1 in ERA at 1.70

#2 in BAA at .175

#1 (tie) in fewest HR allowed with 1 (Walden, Hanrahan.)

If he has a slight blemish it's a pedestrian BB/9 rate of 3.5. He has logged 65 appearances already, significantly more than anyone else on that list, so we'll need to monitor that. What a season he's having though.

This FanPost does not express the views or opinions of Talking Chop.

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He's no Chris Reitsma

that’s for sure.

"Jason Heyward was a Greek philosopher reincarnated as a baseball player." - Don Sutton

by UMDBHIK on Aug 24, 2011 7:58 AM EDT reply actions

And he’s not near the LFer that Chris Resop was.

"I should have followed Rhyno's advice..." Mr. Sanchez 06/18/2010

by Rhyno18 on Aug 24, 2011 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions

he was actually really good

Just not as a closer. He lacked the proper mentality, which is what makes watching Kimbrel so fun. Reitsma, non-save situations from the year he was forced into the closer role (along with whomever was hot at that moment it seemed that year): 39IP, 3.25k/bb, 1.077 WHIP, 50 OPS+

He just wasn’t tough enough I think…

by atlbravosfan on Aug 26, 2011 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t understand how it takes more mental fortitude to get 3 outs when the scoreboard has the “9” lit up.

3 outs are 3 outs.

My dad taught me how to make meat for sloppy joes and my mom let me turn over hot dogs on the grill.

by ChopMaster on Jun 25, 2011 7:25 PM CDT

by justincredubil02 on Aug 27, 2011 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't think anyone can explain that

but damn if it doesn’t seem to affect some folks.

'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban

by J Tadpole on Aug 27, 2011 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

He's legit.

By how much is he leading these catagories?

by vooodooo on Aug 24, 2011 10:16 AM EDT reply actions

That would take a little more time...

for the K rate, but he leads it by quite a bit in that group; I don’t see anybody else over 12K/9. Hanrahan has a 1.76 ERA for second place, but he’s the only other guy in the group under 2.25. Santos has a BAA of .158, good for first place, but Cordero (.187) and Feliz (.199) are the only others below .200. Wilson and Bell have each given up 2 HR; the other 15 have given up three or more.

by J Tadpole on Aug 24, 2011 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks J T!

by vooodooo on Aug 26, 2011 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Also

he’s 23!

Dude’s the next Billy Wagner.

You'd think I was Travis Tritt struttin my FINE ASS on down to Florida

by Fatvirus on Aug 24, 2011 11:27 AM EDT reply actions

Billy Wags brother...

From a right-handed muther?

I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us. ~Walt Whitman

by Chopaholic on Aug 24, 2011 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, Wags is naturally RH too, so… maybe just his brotha.

You'd think I was Travis Tritt struttin my FINE ASS on down to Florida

by Fatvirus on Aug 25, 2011 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions

he's as lights out as i've seen in the braves uni since #29

by walknbalk on Aug 24, 2011 11:28 AM EDT reply actions

F*** your jynx haha

by willlinn on Aug 24, 2011 12:10 PM EDT reply actions

I’m saying 46 saves for #46. Our pitching staff’s record is also proof of what kind of game-caller that Brian McCann has become.

by rxadam on Aug 24, 2011 3:56 PM EDT reply actions

FIP: 1.21 & fWAR: 3.1 are far more impressive than ERA or BAA.

by Ultada on Aug 24, 2011 6:55 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Just looking at easily sortable stuff.

by J Tadpole on Aug 24, 2011 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions

I disagree slightly concerning BAA. Kimbrel’s BAA is pretty damned impressive, even if you don’t attach much importance to BA.

by Chopaholic on Aug 24, 2011 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions

BAA is a very poor way to look at pitcher performance.

by Ultada on Aug 24, 2011 11:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Indeed.

Because when the batters he has faced have only recorded a hit against him less than 1-in-6 at-bats, clearly it is a poor stat to look to when pointing out just how dominate Kimbrel has been.

by Chopaholic on Aug 25, 2011 1:13 AM EDT up reply actions

BAA ignores power and walks. I wasn’t saying Kimbrel hasn’t been dominant. In fact I’m saying the exact opposite. He has been the best reliever in MLB. Any list that looks at his dominance should start at FIP, WARs, and K/BB before moving on to sub par stats like BAA.

by Ultada on Aug 26, 2011 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions