Friday, February 27, 2009

The Worst K/BB Ratios, Minimum 50 IP

This Beyond the Box Score post mentions Mariano Rivera's seventy-seven strikeouts and six walks last season and how his 12.83 K/BB ratio is stunningly high. As a commenter on that post revealed, Dennis Eckersley is the only reliever ever to record a higher ratio in 50 or more innings pitched. Eck had ratios of 18.33 and 18.25 in 1989 and 1990, respectively, with 128 strikeouts against seven walks in the two seasons combined. In fact, only two other pitchers had better ratios than Eckersley. Both pitched in the nineteenth century and both had, suspiciously, only one base on balls allowed. In 1879, Fred Goldsmith struck out 31 batters in 63 innings for Troy of the National League. In 1882, Bert Dorr struck out 34 batters in 66 innings for St. Louis of the American Association. Given the relatively fluid rules and the vagaries of record-keeping back then, I don't think it's unreasonable to discount Goldsmith and Dorr.

But even if you count Goldsmith and Dorr, there's no such controversy on the other end of the list. The all-time worst K/BB among pitchers with 50+ IP in a season belongs to Ted Wingfield. After a couple seasons as a reliable swingman who didn't strike many people out for the Red Sox, Wingfield totally lost his strikeout ability in 1927. In 74 2/3 innings, Wingfield went 1-7 with a 5.06 ERA. He also issued 27 walks against only one strikeout, good for a 0.04 K/BB. He wasn't the only pitcher to struggle in that era, as a look at the ten worst K/BB since 1901 shows.

Worst K/BB Since 1901, Minimum 50 IP

NameTeamIPKBBK:BB
Ted Wingfield1927 BOS74.2127.037
Ray Moss1928 BRO60.1535.143
Jack Berly1933 PHI50.0422.182
Skinny Graham1929 DET51.2733.212
Jack Dunn1901 PHI/BLA64.1628.214
Dewey Metivier1923 CLE73.1938.237
Les Sweetland1928 PHI135.12397.237
Bob Kline1933 BOS127.01667.239
Joe Coleman1950 PHA54.01250.240
Norman Plitt1927 BRO/NYG69.7937.243

The combination of low strikeout and high walk rates in both major leagues was lethal to these guys. For a more recent feel, let's turn to the worst K:BB rates of the last 10 years:

Worst K/BB Since 1999, Minimum 50 IP

NameTeamIPKBBK:BB
Dan Serafini
1999 CHC
62.1
17
32
.531
Kirk Rueter
2005 SFG
107.1
25
47
.532
Scott Erickson
2005 LAD
55.115
25.600
Steve Avery
1999 CIN
96.0
51
78
.654
Russ Ortiz
2005 ARI
115.0
46
65
.708
Dewon Brazelton
2005 TBD
71.043
60
.717
Steve Trachsel
2007 BAL/CHC
158.056
76
.737
Jimmy Anderson
2002 PIT
140.247
63
.746
Aaron Cook
2003 COL
124.0
43
57
.754
Ken Cloude
1999 SEA
72.1
35
46
.761

Both 1999 and 2005 show up three times on the list. If you're curious, here are the six major leaguers with 50+ IP and a K:BB of 1.000 or lower in 2008:
  • Tom Glavine, ATL, 37 K, 37 BB, 1.000
  • Tom Gorzelanny, PIT, 67 K, 70 BB, .957
  • Miguel Batista, SEA, 73 K, 79 BB, .924
  • Greg Reynolds, COL, 22 K, 26 BB, .846
  • Kason Gabbard, TEX, 33 K, 39 BB, .846
  • Fausto Carmona, CLE, 58 K, 70 BB, .829