Well remember a Bill James comment on Randy Johnson before he became the Unit. "He does win SOME games now, despite the walks."
Paxton is 13-11, 3.19 lifetime, but you'd have thought he was 6-18, 5.19 the way folks wrote about him. Even during his growing pains he contributed.
....
Really do like the age 27, 28 parameter Moe, and especially the reminder about Paxton having < 200 innings (along with the interrupted career at various points). Age 28 was Unit's transition year - started to get good then, 10.3 K and 6.2 walks but a nice ERA. Age 29, he jelled to 308 K's and 99 walks.
Koufax was getting good at ages 25-26, but it was age 27 he took over the league. Gio Gonzalez had ERA's of 7.68 and 5.75 that Billy Beane didn't worry about. Nor did Beane worry about Mark Mulder's 5.44 ERA as a rookie.
Age 31, about 300 K's and down to 65 walks. Once the light comes on, a pitcher like that still has years of sharpening and polishing his shiny new weapons. Paxton's had his for what ... a month.