1981 American League Pitching Leaders

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Other Leagues: Major Leagues, NL

Pennant Winner: New York Yankees

AL Most Valuable Player: Rollie Fingers

AL Cy Young: Rollie Fingers

AL Rookie of the Year: Dave Righetti

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1981 AL Menu

American League Pitching Leaders

Wins Above Replacement--all

Wins Above Replacement A single number that presents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player (think AAA or AAAA) would add. Scale for a single-season: 8+ MVP Quality, 5+ All-Star Quality, 2+ Starter, 0-2 Reserve, < 0 Replacement Level Developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com

1. Evans • BOS 6.7

2. Henderson • OAK 6.7

3. Bell • TEX 6.2

4. Blyleven • CLE 5.6

5. Grich • CAL 5.5

6. Yount • MIL 4.9

7. Burleson • CAL 4.5

8. McCatty • OAK 4.5

9. Stieb • TOR 4.4

10. Murphy • OAK 4.4

WAR for Pitchers

Wins Above Replacement for Pitchers A single number that presents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player (think AAA or AAAA) would add. This value includes defensive support and includes additional value for high leverage situations. Scale: 8+ MVP Quality, 5+ All-Star Quality, 2+ Starter, 0-2 Reserve, < 0 Replacement Level Developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com

1. Blyleven • CLE 5.6

2. McCatty • OAK 4.5

3. Stieb • TOR 4.4

4. Fingers • MIL 4.2

5. Burns • CHW 3.9

6. Gura • KCR 3.7

7. Righetti • NYY 3.5

8. Leonard • KCR 3.4

9. Morris • DET 3.4

10. Forsch • CAL 3.3

Stewart • BAL 3.3

Earned Run Average

9 * ER / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played. Bold indicates lowest ERA using current stats Gold means awarded ERA title at end of year.

1. Stewart • BAL 2.32

2. McCatty • OAK 2.33

3. Lamp • CHW 2.41

4. John • NYY 2.63

5. Burns • CHW 2.64

6. Gura • KCR 2.72

7. Guidry • NYY 2.76

8. Blyleven • CLE 2.88

9. Forsch • CAL 2.88

10. Leonard • KCR 2.99

Wins

1. Martínez • BAL 14

McCatty • OAK 14

Morris • DET 14

Vuckovich • MIL 14

5. Leonard • KCR 13

McGregor • BAL 13

7. Langford • OAK 12

Norris • OAK 12

Wilcox • DET 12

10. Blyleven • CLE 11

Caldwell • MIL 11

Forsch • CAL 11

Guidry • NYY 11

Gura • KCR 11

Haas • MIL 11

Honeycutt • TEX 11

Stieb • TOR 11

Win-Loss %

Win-Loss Percentage W / (W + L) For players, leaders need one decision for every ten team games. For managers, minimum to qualify for leading is 320 games.

1. Vuckovich • MIL .778

2. Torrez • BOS .769

3. Hoyt • CHW .750

4. Martínez • BAL .737

5. Clear • BOS .727

6. McGregor • BAL .722

7. Guidry • NYY .688

8. Righetti • NYY .667

McCatty • OAK .667

Renko • CAL .667

Morris • DET .667

Walks & Hits per IP

(BB + H)/IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Guidry • NYY 0.992

2. Gura • KCR 1.010

3. Righetti • NYY 1.073

4. Honeycutt • TEX 1.073

5. McCatty • OAK 1.083

6. Forsch • CAL 1.111

7. Stieb • TOR 1.138

8. Lamp • CHW 1.150

9. Blyleven • CLE 1.161

10. Morris • DET 1.167

Hits per 9 IP

9 x H / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Righetti • NYY 6.408

2. McCatty • OAK 6.786

3. Morris • DET 6.955

4. Guidry • NYY 7.087

5. Darwin • TEX 7.089

6. Stewart • BAL 7.131

7. Stieb • TOR 7.252

8. Gura • KCR 7.259

9. Lamp • CHW 7.299

10. Petry • DET 7.340

Bases On Balls per 9 IP

9 x BB / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Honeycutt • TEX 1.198

2. Forsch • CAL 1.588

3. Gura • KCR 1.828

4. Leonard • KCR 1.830

5. Guidry • NYY 1.843

6. Abbott • SEA 1.934

7. Eckersley • BOS 2.045

8. Medich • TEX 2.072

9. Rozema • DET 2.163

10. McGregor • BAL 2.250

Strikeouts per 9 IP

9 x SO / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Righetti • NYY 7.604

2. Barker • CLE 7.406

3. Guidry • NYY 7.370

4. Bannister • SEA 6.305

5. Burns • CHW 6.204

6. Blyleven • CLE 6.044

7. Darwin • TEX 6.041

8. Denny • CLE 5.808

9. Koosman • 2TM 5.637

10. Flanagan • BAL 5.586

Games Played

Games Played or Pitched

1. Corbett • MIN 54

2. Fingers • MIL 47

3. Rawley • SEA 46

4. Easterly • MIL 44

5. Davis • NYY 43

Hoyt • CHW 43

7. Farmer • CHW 42

Hassler • CAL 42

9. Andersen • SEA 41

Hickey • CHW 41

Saves

1. Fingers • MIL 28

2. Gossage • NYY 20

3. Quisenberry • KCR 18

4. Corbett • MIN 17

5. Saucier • DET 13

6. Aase • CAL 11

Martinez • BAL 11

8. Farmer • CHW 10

McLaughlin • TOR 10

Hoyt • CHW 10

Innings Pitched

1. Leonard • KCR 201.2

2. Morris • DET 198.0

3. Langford • OAK 195.1

4. McCatty • OAK 185.2

5. Stieb • TOR 183.2

6. Martínez • BAL 179.0

7. Norris • OAK 172.2

8. Gura • KCR 172.1

9. Wilcox • DET 166.1

10. Zahn • CAL 161.1

Strikeouts

1. Barker • CLE 127

2. Burns • CHW 108

3. Blyleven • CLE 107

Leonard • KCR 107

5. Guidry • NYY 104

6. Darwin • TEX 98

7. Morris • DET 97

8. Denny • CLE 94

9. McCatty • OAK 91

10. Righetti • NYY 89

Stieb • TOR 89

Games Started

1. Leonard • KCR 26

2. Morris • DET 25

Stieb • TOR 25

Zahn • CAL 25

5. Dotson • CHW 24

Langford • OAK 24

Martínez • BAL 24

Wilcox • DET 24

9. Burns • CHW 23

Caldwell • MIL 23

Eckersley • BOS 23

Gura • KCR 23

Norris • OAK 23

Redfern • MIN 23

Tanana • BOS 23

Vuckovich • MIL 23

Complete Games

Complete Game

1. Langford • OAK 18

2. McCatty • OAK 16

3. Morris • DET 15

4. Norris • OAK 12

Gura • KCR 12

6. Stieb • TOR 11

7. Forsch • CAL 10

Keough • OAK 10

9. Blyleven • CLE 9

Barker • CLE 9

Leonard • KCR 9

Martínez • BAL 9

Zahn • CAL 9

Shutouts

Shutouts No runs allowed and a complete game.

1. Dotson • CHW 4

Medich • TEX 4

Forsch • CAL 4

McCatty • OAK 4

5. Barker • CLE 3

Denny • CLE 3

McGregor • BAL 3

8. Langford • OAK 2

Tanana • BOS 2

Stieb • TOR 2

Rozema • DET 2

Petry • DET 2

Norris • OAK 2

Martínez • BAL 2

Leonard • KCR 2

Bannister • SEA 2

Keough • OAK 2

Honeycutt • TEX 2

Gura • KCR 2

Flanagan • BAL 2

Eckersley • BOS 2

Darwin • TEX 2

Home Runs

Home Runs Hit/Allowed

1. Caldwell • MIL 18

Zahn • CAL 18

3. Norris • OAK 17

Tanana • BOS 17

5. Leonard • KCR 15

6. Abbott • SEA 14

Bannister • SEA 14

Burns • CHW 14

Gale • KCR 14

Jenkins • TEX 14

Langford • OAK 14

Morris • DET 14

Palmer • BAL 14

Bases on Balls

Bases on Balls/Walks

1. Morris • DET 78

2. Denny • CLE 66

3. Clancy • TOR 64

4. Norris • OAK 63

5. Martínez • BAL 62

6. McCatty • OAK 61

Stieb • TOR 61

8. Langford • OAK 58

9. Darwin • TEX 57

Petry • DET 57

Stewart • BAL 57

Vuckovich • MIL 57

Hits

Hits/Hits Allowed

1. Leonard • KCR 202

2. Langford • OAK 190

3. Zahn • CAL 181

4. Martínez • BAL 173

Waits • CLE 173

6. McGregor • BAL 167

7. Eckersley • BOS 160

Williams • MIN 160

9. Morris • DET 153

10. Wilcox • DET 152

Strikeouts / Base On Balls

SO/W or SO/BB For recent years, pitching leaders need 1 IP per team game played. No batting leaders computed.

1. Guidry • NYY 4.000

2. Barker • CLE 2.761

3. Blyleven • CLE 2.675

4. Leonard • KCR 2.610

5. Honeycutt • TEX 2.353

6. Righetti • NYY 2.342

7. Eckersley • BOS 2.257

8. Burns • CHW 2.204

9. Bannister • SEA 2.179

10. McGregor • BAL 2.050

Home Runs per 9 IP

9 x HR / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Righetti • NYY 0.085

2. Lamp • CHW 0.283

3. Barker • CLE 0.408

4. Forsch • CAL 0.412

5. Stieb • TOR 0.490

6. Waits • CLE 0.499

7. Medich • TEX 0.502

8. Martínez • BAL 0.503

9. Trout • CHW 0.505

10. Blyleven • CLE 0.508

Losses

1. Leal • TOR 13

Berenguer • 2TM 13

Koosman • 2TM 13

4. Clancy • TOR 12

5. Leonard • KCR 11

May • NYY 11

Zahn • CAL 11

8. Arroyo • MIN 10

Langford • OAK 10

Stieb • TOR 10

Tanana • BOS 10

Waits • CLE 10

Williams • MIN 10

Earned Runs

Earned Runs Allowed

1. Zahn • CAL 79

2. Eckersley • BOS 73

3. Norris • OAK 72

4. Waits • CLE 69

5. Clancy • TOR 68

Haas • MIL 68

May • NYY 68

Williams • MIN 68

9. Barker • CLE 67

Leonard • KCR 67

Morris • DET 67

Wild Pitches

1. Norris • OAK 14

2. Clancy • TOR 12

3. Denny • CLE 10

4. Leal • TOR 8

Rawley • SEA 8

6. Bannister • SEA 7

Clark • SEA 7

8. Bomback • TOR 6

Clear • BOS 6

Cleveland • MIL 6

Flanagan • BAL 6

Guidry • NYY 6

John • NYY 6

Lerch • MIL 6

Martínez • BAL 6

May • NYY 6

Hit By Pitch

Times Hit by a Pitch.

1. Stieb • TOR 11

Witt • CAL 11

3. Norris • OAK 10

4. Burns • CHW 6

Darwin • TEX 6

Stanley • BOS 6

Wilcox • DET 6

8. Arroyo • MIN 5

Blyleven • CLE 5

Clancy • TOR 5

Leal • TOR 5

Saucier • DET 5

Berenguer • 2TM 5

Batters Faced

1. Leonard • KCR 837

2. Langford • OAK 823

3. Morris • DET 798

4. Martínez • BAL 753

5. Stieb • TOR 748

6. McCatty • OAK 741

7. Norris • OAK 721

8. Zahn • CAL 689

9. Wilcox • DET 686

10. Gura • KCR 680

Games Finished

Games Finished Credited to the last pitcher to appear for a team in a game. Complete Games are not counted as Games Finished.

1. Corbett • MIN 45

2. Fingers • MIL 41

3. Quisenberry • KCR 35

4. Aase • CAL 32

5. Gossage • NYY 30

Hoyt • CHW 30

7. Rawley • SEA 28

8. McLaughlin • TOR 26

9. Farmer • CHW 25

10. Drago • SEA 24

Martinez • BAL 24

Adjusted ERA+

ERA+ 100*[lgERA/ERA] Adjusted to the player’s ballpark(s).

1. Righetti • NYY 174

2. Stewart • BAL 157

3. McCatty • OAK 148

4. Lamp • CHW 148

5. John • NYY 136

6. Burns • CHW 135

7. Gura • KCR 133

8. Guidry • NYY 129

9. Blyleven • CLE 127

10. Forsch • CAL 126

Fielding Independent Pitching

Fielding Independent Pitching this stat measures a pitcher's effectiveness at preventing HR, BB, HBP and causing SO <tt>(13*HR + 3*(BB+HBP) - 2*SO)/IP + Constantlg</tt> The constant is set so that each season major-league average FIP is the same as the major-league avg ERA

1. Righetti • NYY 2.12

2. Barker • CLE 2.46

3. Guidry • NYY 2.83

4. Blyleven • CLE 2.84

5. Lamp • CHW 2.93

6. Eckersley • BOS 3.07

7. Forsch • CAL 3.08

8. Medich • TEX 3.15

9. Leonard • KCR 3.16

10. May • NYY 3.28

Adj. Pitching Runs

Adjusted Pitching Runs A set of formulas developed by Gary Gillette, Pete Palmer and others that estimates a pitcher’s total contributions to a team’s runs total via linear weights. 0.0 is an avg performance, <0 is worse than avg and >0 is better than avg

1. McCatty • OAK 26

2. Fingers • MIL 23

3. Righetti • NYY 19

4. Morris • DET 18

5. Stewart • BAL 16

6. Blyleven • CLE 16

7. Burns • CHW 16

8. Gura • KCR 16

9. Lamp • CHW 15

10. Stieb • TOR 15

Adj. Pitching Wins

Adjusted Pitching Wins A set of formulas developed by Gary Gillette, Pete Palmer and others that estimates a pitcher’s total contributions to a team’s wins with his arm. 0.0 is an avg performance, <0 is worse than avg and >0 is better than avg

1. McCatty • OAK 3.0

2. Fingers • MIL 2.5

3. Righetti • NYY 2.2

4. Morris • DET 2.0

5. Blyleven • CLE 1.8

6. Burns • CHW 1.8

7. Stewart • BAL 1.8

8. Gura • KCR 1.7

9. Lamp • CHW 1.7

10. Stieb • TOR 1.7

Base-Out Runs Saved (RE24)

Base-Out Runs Saved Given the bases occupied/out situation, how many runs did the pitcher save in the resulting play. Compared to average, so 0 is average, and above 0 is better than average

1. McCatty • OAK 32.78

2. Fingers • MIL 24.20

3. Morris • DET 22.14

4. Righetti • NYY 21.88

5. Blyleven • CLE 19.40

6. Saucier • DET 16.80

7. Gura • KCR 16.75

8. Leonard • KCR 16.60

9. Burns • CHW 16.32

10. Lamp • CHW 16.25

Win Probability Added (WPA)

Win Probability Added by Pitcher Given average teams, this is the change in probability. A change of +/- 1 would indicate one win added or lost.

1. McCatty • OAK 3.8

2. Fingers • MIL 3.4

3. Stieb • TOR 2.7

4. Gura • KCR 2.4

5. Martínez • BAL 2.4

6. Righetti • NYY 2.2

7. Quisenberry • KCR 2.1

8. Beattie • SEA 2.1

9. Wilcox • DET 2.0

10. Hoyt • CHW 1.9

Sit. Wins Saved (WPA/LI)

Situational Wins (WPA/LI) It is the sum of WPA divided by the leverage index for each play. WPA depends greatly on the context of the at bats. This stat does not.

1. McCatty • OAK 2.8

2. Gura • KCR 2.3

3. Righetti • NYY 2.2

4. Guidry • NYY 2.1

5. Stieb • TOR 2.1

6. Fingers • MIL 2.0

7. Lamp • CHW 2.0

8. Blyleven • CLE 2.0

9. Morris • DET 1.8

10. Petry • DET 1.6

Championship WPA (cWPA)

Championship Win Probability Added by Pitcher Given average teams, this is the change in probability, displayed in percentage points. A change of +/- 100% would indicate one world series win added or lost.

1. Leonard • KCR 5.0

2. McCatty • OAK 3.8

3. Fingers • MIL 3.4

4. Splittorff • KCR 2.8

5. Petry • DET 2.5

6. Beard • OAK 2.4

7. Quisenberry • KCR 2.2

8. Vuckovich • MIL 1.9

9. Martínez • BAL 1.6

10. Burns • CHW 1.5

Base-Out Wins Saved (REW)

Base-Out Wins Saved This is the number of wins above average the player was worth by their performance measured by the 24 base-out situations.

1. McCatty • OAK 4.0

2. Fingers • MIL 2.7

3. Righetti • NYY 2.6

4. Morris • DET 2.4

5. Blyleven • CLE 2.2

6. Gura • KCR 1.9

7. Leonard • KCR 1.8

8. Burns • CHW 1.8

9. Guidry • NYY 1.8

10. Lamp • CHW 1.8

A ** by the stat's value indicates the player had fewer than the required number of at bats or plate appearances for the BA, OBP, SLG or OPS title that year. In order to rank the player, the necessary number of hitless at bats were added to the player's season total. The value printed here is their actual value and not the value used to rank them, therefore some numbers may appear out of order.

For rate stats, generally a minimum of 3.1 Plate Appearances/Team Game (batting), 1.0 IP/Team Game (pitching), 0.67 Gm and Chances/Team Game (fielding), 0.2 SB att/Team Game (catchers), 0.1 SB att/Team Game (baserunners only since 1951), and 0.1 decision/Team Game (W-L%) is needed for single-season leaderboards. For pitcher fielding the minimums are reduced by a third. For LF, CF, RF fielding stats, we only have reliable data since 1898, so all leaders are since 1898. Explanation of min. requirements