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1981 Major League Pitching Leaders

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Other Leagues: AL, NL

World Series Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers

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Major 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. Schmidt • PHI 7.7

2. Dawson • MON 7.4

3. Evans • BOS 6.7

4. Henderson • OAK 6.7

5. Bell • TEX 6.2

6. Blyleven • CLE 5.6

7. Carlton • PHI 5.5

8. Grich • CAL 5.5

9. Valenzuela • LAD 5.3

10. Ryan • HOU 5.1

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. Carlton • PHI 5.5

3. Valenzuela • LAD 4.8

4. Ryan • HOU 4.7

5. McCatty • OAK 4.5

6. Stieb • TOR 4.4

7. Fingers • MIL 4.2

8. Reuss • LAD 4.1

9. Seaver • CIN 4.0

10. Burns • CHW 3.9

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. Ryan • HOU 1.69

2. Righetti • NYY 2.05

3. Knepper • HOU 2.18

4. Hooton • LAD 2.28

5. Reuss • LAD 2.30

6. Stewart • BAL 2.32

7. McCatty • OAK 2.33

8. Lamp • CHW 2.41

9. Carlton • PHI 2.42

10. Blue • SFG 2.45

Wins

1. Martínez • BAL 14

McCatty • OAK 14

Morris • DET 14

Vuckovich • MIL 14

Seaver • CIN 14

6. Leonard • KCR 13

McGregor • BAL 13

Carlton • PHI 13

Valenzuela • LAD 13

10. Langford • OAK 12

Norris • OAK 12

Wilcox • DET 12

Rogers • MON 12

Ruthven • PHI 12

Soto • CIN 12

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. Seaver • CIN .875

2. Vuckovich • MIL .778

3. Torrez • BOS .769

4. Carlton • PHI .765

5. Hoyt • CHW .750

Camp • ATL .750

7. Martínez • BAL .737

8. Clear • BOS .727

9. McGregor • BAL .722

10. Reuss • LAD .714

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. Sutton • HOU 1.015

4. Valenzuela • LAD 1.045

5. Knepper • HOU 1.060

6. Righetti • NYY 1.073

7. Honeycutt • TEX 1.073

8. Reuss • LAD 1.081

9. McCatty • OAK 1.083

10. Forsch • STL 1.086

Hits per 9 IP

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

1. Ryan • HOU 5.980

2. Righetti • NYY 6.408

3. Seaver • CIN 6.493

4. Valenzuela • LAD 6.551

5. McCatty • OAK 6.786

6. Berenyi • CIN 6.929

7. Morris • DET 6.955

8. Blue • SFG 7.003

9. Guidry • NYY 7.087

10. Darwin • TEX 7.089

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. Perry • ATL 1.434

3. Forsch • CAL 1.588

4. Reuss • LAD 1.592

5. Sutton • HOU 1.645

6. Sorensen • STL 1.667

7. Gura • KCR 1.828

8. Leonard • KCR 1.830

9. Guidry • NYY 1.843

10. Reuschel • 2TM 1.900

Strikeouts per 9 IP

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

1. Carlton • PHI 8.479

2. Ryan • HOU 8.456

3. Valenzuela • LAD 8.423

4. Soto • CIN 7.766

5. Righetti • NYY 7.604

6. Berenyi • CIN 7.571

7. Barker • CLE 7.406

8. Guidry • NYY 7.370

9. Gullickson • MON 6.578

10. Bannister • SEA 6.305

Games Played

Games Played or Pitched

1. Lucas • SDP 57

2. Minton • SFG 55

3. Corbett • MIN 54

4. Hume • CIN 51

Tidrow • CHC 51

6. Sambito • HOU 49

7. Camp • ATL 48

Lyle • PHI 48

Sutter • STL 48

10. Fingers • MIL 47

Holland • SFG 47

Saves

1. Fingers • MIL 28

2. Sutter • STL 25

3. Minton • SFG 21

4. Gossage • NYY 20

5. Quisenberry • KCR 18

Allen • NYM 18

7. Corbett • MIN 17

Camp • ATL 17

9. Saucier • DET 13

Hume • CIN 13

Lucas • SDP 13

Innings Pitched

1. Leonard • KCR 201.2

2. Morris • DET 198.0

3. Langford • OAK 195.1

4. Valenzuela • LAD 192.1

5. Carlton • PHI 190.0

6. McCatty • OAK 185.2

7. Stieb • TOR 183.2

8. Martínez • BAL 179.0

9. Soto • CIN 175.0

10. Norris • OAK 172.2

Strikeouts

1. Valenzuela • LAD 180

2. Carlton • PHI 179

3. Soto • CIN 151

4. Ryan • HOU 140

5. Barker • CLE 127

6. Gullickson • MON 115

7. Burns • CHW 108

8. Blyleven • CLE 107

Leonard • KCR 107

10. Berenyi • CIN 106

Games Started

1. Leonard • KCR 26

2. Morris • DET 25

Stieb • TOR 25

Zahn • CAL 25

Krukow • CHC 25

Soto • CIN 25

Valenzuela • LAD 25

8. Dotson • CHW 24

Langford • OAK 24

Martínez • BAL 24

Wilcox • DET 24

Alexander • SFG 24

Boggs • ATL 24

Carlton • PHI 24

Eichelberger • SDP 24

Niekro • HOU 24

Zachry • NYM 24

Reuschel • 2TM 24

Complete Games

Complete Game

1. Langford • OAK 18

2. McCatty • OAK 16

3. Morris • DET 15

4. Gura • KCR 12

Norris • OAK 12

6. Stieb • TOR 11

Valenzuela • LAD 11

8. Forsch • CAL 10

Keough • OAK 10

Carlton • PHI 10

Soto • CIN 10

Shutouts

Shutouts No runs allowed and a complete game.

1. Valenzuela • LAD 8

2. Knepper • HOU 5

3. Hooton • LAD 4

Medich • TEX 4

Dotson • CHW 4

McCatty • OAK 4

Forsch • CAL 4

8. Barker • CLE 3

Niekro • ATL 3

Berenyi • CIN 3

Rogers • MON 3

Ryan • HOU 3

McGregor • BAL 3

Soto • CIN 3

Sutton • HOU 3

Denny • CLE 3

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. Berenyi • CIN 77

3. Eichelberger • SDP 74

4. Ryan • HOU 68

5. Denny • CLE 66

Seaver • CIN 66

7. Clancy • TOR 64

8. Norris • OAK 63

9. Martínez • BAL 62

Carlton • PHI 62

Hits

Hits/Hits Allowed

1. Leonard • KCR 202

2. Langford • OAK 190

3. Perry • ATL 182

4. Zahn • CAL 181

5. Martínez • BAL 173

Waits • CLE 173

7. McGregor • BAL 167

8. Ruthven • PHI 162

Reuschel • 2TM 162

10. Eckersley • BOS 160

Williams • MIN 160

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. Sutton • HOU 3.586

3. Gullickson • MON 3.382

4. Valenzuela • LAD 2.951

5. Carlton • PHI 2.887

6. Barker • CLE 2.761

7. Blyleven • CLE 2.675

8. Leonard • KCR 2.610

9. Perry • ATL 2.500

10. Sanderson • MON 2.484

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. Ryan • HOU 0.121

3. Gullickson • MON 0.172

4. Hooton • LAD 0.190

5. Sorensen • STL 0.192

6. Berenyi • CIN 0.214

7. Lamp • CHW 0.283

8. Knepper • HOU 0.287

9. Eichelberger • SDP 0.318

10. Sutton • HOU 0.340

Losses

1. Mura • SDP 14

Zachry • NYM 14

3. Leal • TOR 13

Boggs • ATL 13

Berenguer • 2TM 13

Koosman • 2TM 13

7. Clancy • TOR 12

8. Leonard • KCR 11

May • NYY 11

Zahn • CAL 11

Reuschel • 2TM 11

Earned Runs

Earned Runs Allowed

1. Ruthven • PHI 84

2. Zahn • CAL 79

3. Eckersley • BOS 73

4. Norris • OAK 72

5. Waits • CLE 69

6. Clancy • TOR 68

Haas • MIL 68

May • NYY 68

Williams • MIN 68

10. Barker • CLE 67

Leonard • KCR 67

Morris • DET 67

Wild Pitches

1. Ryan • HOU 16

2. Norris • OAK 14

3. Clancy • TOR 12

4. Denny • CLE 10

5. Carlton • PHI 9

6. Leal • TOR 8

Rawley • SEA 8

Krukow • CHC 8

9. Bannister • SEA 7

Clark • SEA 7

Berenyi • CIN 7

Blue • SFG 7

Lollar • SDP 7

Niekro • HOU 7

Smith • CHC 7

Hit By Pitch

Times Hit by a Pitch.

1. Stieb • TOR 11

Witt • CAL 11

3. Norris • OAK 10

4. Griffin • SFG 7

5. Burns • CHW 6

Darwin • TEX 6

Stanley • BOS 6

Wilcox • DET 6

9. Arroyo • MIN 5

Blyleven • CLE 5

Clancy • TOR 5

Leal • TOR 5

Saucier • DET 5

Berenguer • 2TM 5

Reuschel • 2TM 5

Batters Faced

1. Leonard • KCR 837

2. Langford • OAK 823

3. Morris • DET 798

4. Carlton • PHI 763

5. Valenzuela • LAD 758

6. Martínez • BAL 753

7. Stieb • TOR 748

8. McCatty • OAK 741

9. Norris • OAK 721

10. Soto • CIN 717

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. Minton • SFG 44

3. Fingers • MIL 41

4. Hume • CIN 40

Lucas • SDP 40

6. Sutter • STL 36

7. Quisenberry • KCR 35

Allen • NYM 35

9. Camp • ATL 33

Reardon • 2TM 33

Adjusted ERA+

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

1. Ryan • HOU 195

2. Righetti • NYY 174

3. Stewart • BAL 157

4. Knepper • HOU 151

5. Carlton • PHI 151

6. McCatty • OAK 148

7. Lamp • CHW 148

8. Hooton • LAD 148

9. Reuss • LAD 146

10. Seaver • CIN 140

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. Gullickson • MON 2.11

2. Righetti • NYY 2.12

3. Ryan • HOU 2.28

4. Carlton • PHI 2.33

5. Sutton • HOU 2.35

6. Valenzuela • LAD 2.44

7. Barker • CLE 2.46

8. Hooton • LAD 2.57

9. Sorensen • STL 2.71

10. Guidry • NYY 2.83

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. Ryan • HOU 27

2. McCatty • OAK 26

3. Carlton • PHI 24

4. Fingers • MIL 23

5. Valenzuela • LAD 22

6. Knepper • HOU 21

7. Seaver • CIN 19

8. Righetti • NYY 19

9. Reuss • LAD 19

10. Morris • DET 18

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. Ryan • HOU 3.2

2. McCatty • OAK 3.0

3. Carlton • PHI 2.8

4. Fingers • MIL 2.5

5. Valenzuela • LAD 2.5

6. Knepper • HOU 2.4

7. Seaver • CIN 2.2

8. Righetti • NYY 2.2

9. Reuss • LAD 2.1

10. Morris • DET 2.0

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. Valenzuela • LAD 30.29

3. Ryan • HOU 29.72

4. Carlton • PHI 25.17

5. Fingers • MIL 24.20

6. Reuss • LAD 23.80

7. Seaver • CIN 22.50

8. Morris • DET 22.14

9. Knepper • HOU 21.97

10. Righetti • NYY 21.88

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. Valenzuela • LAD 4.3

2. McCatty • OAK 3.8

3. Fingers • MIL 3.4

4. Ryan • HOU 3.3

5. Knepper • HOU 3.1

6. Carlton • PHI 3.0

7. Stieb • TOR 2.7

8. Hooton • LAD 2.5

9. Gura • KCR 2.4

10. Martínez • BAL 2.4

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. Carlton • PHI 3.3

2. Valenzuela • LAD 3.2

3. Ryan • HOU 3.0

4. McCatty • OAK 2.8

5. Sutton • HOU 2.5

6. Gullickson • MON 2.5

7. Reuss • LAD 2.4

8. Knepper • HOU 2.3

9. Gura • KCR 2.3

10. Righetti • NYY 2.2

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. Ryan • HOU 4.9

3. McCatty • OAK 3.8

4. Fingers • MIL 3.4

5. Valenzuela • LAD 3.1

6. Splittorff • KCR 2.8

7. Reardon • 2TM 2.8

8. Petry • DET 2.5

9. Beard • OAK 2.4

10. Rogers • MON 2.3

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. Ryan • HOU 3.7

3. Valenzuela • LAD 3.6

4. Carlton • PHI 2.8

5. Reuss • LAD 2.8

6. Fingers • MIL 2.7

7. Knepper • HOU 2.6

8. Righetti • NYY 2.6

9. Seaver • CIN 2.6

10. Morris • DET 2.4

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