Best closer/relief seasons by Angels

[Angelsjunky]

In the Gameday thread, I mentioned that I haven't felt this confident in the Angels closer since 2008, Francisco Rodriguez's last year. @AngelsLakersFan suggested that Iglesias might be the best closer we've ever had, to which I said for a single season, I'd probably take Bryan Harvey in 1991. @Slegnaac brought up F-Rod's 62 save season, although I mentioned his 34 walks in 68.1 IP.

So I thought I'd do a bit of research. WAR is obviously problematic, especially for pitchers - but I actually like it for relievers, because it--or the Fangraphs version--is based on FIP, which means it mostly weighs strikeouts, walks, and HR.

Anyhow, here are the top 15 relief seasons by Angels pitchers:

Frankie is on top - but notice that was his first full year, when Percival was still the closer (similarly, Percy's best season was also his first, when he was setting up for Lee Smith).

Harvey in 1991 is actually the best Angels closer season (at least according to fWAR), and then you have Frankie in 2006, Donnie Moore (RIP) in '85, and Percival in '96. Again, these are full seasons as a closer.

Iggy's 2021 is 15th, and hopefully this year will rise up the ranks. 

By the way, the top two closer seasons by fWAR are both from Bruce Sutter, in 1977 (5.2) and '79 (4.8). But that was back when relievers often pitched over 100 IP - He was just over that both times. The best modern day closer season was, unsurprisingly, Eric Gagne in 2003, when he had 4.7 WAR in 82.1 IP. He was so good there for a few years. No other reliever has had a 4 WAR season in the 21st century, although Liam Hendricks was close in 2019 with 3.8.

Like Frankie and Percy, Mariano Rivera's best season by WAR was also his first (4.3 in 1996), when he was setting up for John Wetteland. 

Harvey's '91 season is all the way down at #66 - but that's among all reliever seasons. Frankie's 3.7 WAR 2004 season is #17.

Edited May 14, 2022 by Angelsjunky

[HeavenlyHalos]

Nice post, AJ. It will be interesting to see where Iglesias ends up this year. PS - I miss Scot Shields.

[gurn67]

Iglesias got off to a shaky start last year. His ERA was 7.20 on May 3rd.

His ERA was 1.80 after that.

His ERA was 1.15 after July 6th.

[Angels 1961]

Without a doubt 1962 bullpen, 47 saves by 11 different pitchers. Tom Morgan was leader with 9. Bill Rigney invented closer by committee. 

[Erstad Grit]

Shields was so good. His ability to throw unlimited innings and mow through the heart of a lineup was probably more valuable than a closer.

Shiggy was really fun.

Street wasn't top tier but underrated. 

[HanfordGuy]

So according to fWAR, because a lights out set up reliever usually logs more innings, he is better than a lights out closer numerically?

[HanfordGuy]

Brian Harvey and his forkball, was deadly in the 9th. 
 

Crazy to see Percy’s BABIP.

[aznhockeyguy]

1 hour ago, HanfordGuy said:

So according to fWAR, because a lights out set up reliever usually logs more innings, he is better than a lights out closer numerically?

Yes, WAR takes into consideration playing time because it's a season long stat that measures how much more valuable the player is over the course of the season over a "replacement player."   Think of it this way, for 2021 R. Iglesias's season, over the 70 IPs, he himself helped win 2 more games because of his performance over the average reliever during those Games/Innings pitched.  Since set up relievers get into more games and pitch more innings over the course of the season, they sometimes produce more WAR than closers.   

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

Im assuming this is for RPs overall, not just Closer seasons? (Only asking because a few of those names / years were as Setup guys, not Closers)

[stormngt]

10 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

In the Gameday thread, I mentioned that I haven't felt this confident in the Angels closer since 2008, Francisco Rodriguez's last year. @AngelsLakersFan suggested that Iglesias might be the best closer we've ever had, to which I said for a single season, I'd probably take Bryan Harvey in 1991. @Slegnaac brought up F-Rod's 62 save season, although I mentioned his 34 walks in 68.1 IP.

So I thought I'd do a bit of research. WAR is obviously problematic, especially for pitchers - but I actually like it for relievers, because it--or the Fangraphs version--is based on FIP, which means it mostly weighs strikeouts, walks, and HR.

Anyhow, here are the top 15 relief seasons by Angels pitchers:

Frankie is on top - but notice that was his first full year, when Percival was still the closer (similarly, Percy's best season was also his first, when he was setting up for Lee Smith).

Harvey in 1991 is actually the best Angels closer season (at least according to fWAR), and then you have Frankie in 2006, Donnie Moore (RIP) in '85, and Percival in '96. Again, these are full seasons as a closer.

Iggy's 2021 is 15th, and hopefully this year will rise up the ranks. 

By the way, the top two closer seasons by fWAR are both from Bruce Sutter, in 1977 (5.2) and '79 (4.8). But that was back when relievers often pitched over 100 IP - He was just over that both times. The best modern day closer season was, unsurprisingly, Eric Gagne in 2003, when he had 4.7 WAR in 82.1 IP. He was so good there for a few years. No other reliever has had a 4 WAR season in the 21st century, although Liam Hendricks was close in 2019 with 3.8.

Like Frankie and Percy, Mariano Rivera's best season by WAR was also his first (4.3 in 1996), when he was setting up for John Wetteland. 

Harvey's '91 season is all the way down at #66 - but that's among all reliever seasons. Frankie's 3.7 WAR 2004 season is #17.

2003 was KRod first full season, not 2004.  

[Angelsjunky]

1 hour ago, stormngt said:

2003 was KRod first full season, not 2004.  

Ah yes, true - my bad. He started transitioning to closer in 2004, which was Percy's last year as an Angel (and last good year) - but was still mostly the set-up guy, 12 saves to Percy's 33.

[failos]

11 hours ago, Erstad Grit said:

Street wasn't top tier but underrated. 

I remember him being injured all the time, but yeah he was solid otherwise.

[aznhockeyguy]

I forgot how good K-Rod was when he first came up.  That 2004 season during the steroid era was absolutely killer.  .21 HR/9 insanity. 

[Taylor]

Bump

[tdawg87]

You were bound to do it at some point, AJ.

Edited May 14, 2022 by tdawg87

[beatlesrule]

[rageous]

Please ban him from starting any more threads

[failos]

Can we start blaming AJ for things out of his control, again? Asking for a friend.

[eligrba]

On May 14th, 2022, it was NOT Iglesias. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

This one isnt actually AJs fault. This one is @AngelsLakersFan

[tdawg87]

2 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

This one isnt actually AJs fault. This one is @AngelsLakersFan

[Angelsjunky]

1 hour ago, tdawg87 said:

You were bound to do it at some point, AJ.

[Angelsjunky]

I think maybe you'd have an argument to blame me if this thread was about Iglesias, but it ain't. 

I mean, if I write a thread on the greatest center field seasons and Trout strikes out four times, is that my Sith powers? 

[AngelsLakersFan]

1 hour ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

This one isnt actually AJs fault. This one is @AngelsLakersFan

Don’t you fall for AJ’s tricks. Just because he tags me in one of his hex pieces don’t forget who holds the power.

[3pitchwalk]

i just want you to know that i went through the trouble of creating an account just say:

you are a menace.