"When Bad Teams Happen to Good Players"

[WiffleWOOD]

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/when-bad-teams-happen-to-good-players/

another reason to stop looking at W/L records for pitchers, in case the point hasn't been made enough already...

[RIyankee]

I agree W/L PCT is overrated in the determination of the quality a pitcher. But adequate and great aren't the same. If a pitcher has a great W/L record with a mediocre ERA and WHIP it tells me that he is pitching well enough for his team to win - not good pitcher, but adequate in relation to the team he's on.

Derek Lowe in 2003 had an ERA of 4.47 and a WHIP of 1.42. Yet he was 17-7 with 203.3 IP. Not a good pitcher by any means, but an adequate one nonetheless. And a major contributor of their playoff run for that year.

In 2004 Vazquez is such a pitcher: 13-7 ERA 4.32 WHIP 1.20 IP 162.3. Despite the mediocre numbers, Vazquez has been adequate for the Yankees and a solid contributor this season.

I don't believe W/L PCT should be a factor in choosing FA pitchers (WHIP is my preferred stat). But it shouldn't be discarded in judging a pitcher's perfomance.