Good news on Smyly. I would love to have him back; my "off the radar" comment wasn't pointing out that we've got better guys lurking at the back of the rotation, just that I've quit worrying about his return. But a BP session yesterday for him is terrific. Post-All-Star Break it is.
If I might, I'm going to toot Miranda's horn a bit, too. 8 of his last 9 starts have been of the Quality (or better) variety and he now sports a career H/9 of 7.1. Pax's carrer # is 6.4, Kershaw's is 6.6 and Chris Sales' is 7.4. Those three are pretty famously tough lefties, you might remember. Oh, they K more guys and BB less (Miranda's K rate is up 1.3 this season), but I think we're watching a REAL good pitcher get even better. Sudden Sam McDowell, did just fine with a 7 H/9 rate and more than your average # of BB's. His homer rate was phenominally low, .06, however. Miranda's was 1.9 last years, is 1.3 this year. It looks like he's walking a few more guys, but missing in the wheelhouse fewer times, too.
Miranda's 7.1 H/9 and 3.2 BB/9 looks weirdly like the 6.8 and 3.2 career numbers put up by some dude named Koufax, btw. :)
Speaking of whom: Sandy Koufax had his best run of seasons from '62 to '66, when his ERA+ 143, 159, 186, 160, 190. He was 30 years old when he threw that last pitch in '66, his final year.
Clayton Kershaw is now 29, his last SEVEN seasons ('17 included) have seen ERA+ numbers of 161, 150, 194, 197, 173, 235, 185. Koufax never did that.
Carlton never even came close, not in the same zip code, in fact. Ditto Whitey Ford.
Glavine? Topped out at 168, his only season above 153, led the league only once.
Carl Hubbell? Had an impressive six season run of 139, 149, 193, 168, 118, 169. Tht isn't Kershaw-esque, however. Want to hear something weird? Hubbell K'ed only 4.2 guys per 9. Of course that was back in the day when hitters who K'ed were frowned upon.
Spahn? Had single seasons (7 years apart) of 170 and 188, but never again exceeded 130 over a long LONG career.
Lefty Carlton, you ask? Only once did he have two consecutive seasons above 150 (162, 151). Even he isn't Kershaw, not even a low-rent one.
Only when you get to Lefty Grove do you find a guy (other than Koufax) who can compare. Grove had a seven-season run of 165, 132, 155, 149, 185, 217, 160 and then after a dismal, injury-plagued '34, he tallied 5 more seasons of 175, 189, 159, 160 and 185. OK, that is in the Kershaw neighborhood. Of course, that run started in '26 and ended in '39, about the time DaddyO was born. :)
This is all off the "Young Blood" subject, I know, but it is worth noting that Clayton Kershaw may well be the best LH pitcher in the history of the game. At comparable ages, he's gone 134-62 with a 2.36 ERA and 3 Cy's, compared to Koufax's 165-87, 2.76, and 3 Cy's.
Kershaw is better.
And remember (comparing ERA's) Koufax was done in '66, never pitching after the mound was lowered following the '68 season and Gibson's 1.12. Gibson, btw, never even sniffed this level of Kershaw multi-season phenominal consistency.
Is Kershaw better than Grove? Make your own call, but I'm pretty sure where I sit.
Of course, Randy Johnson sits in the lefty pantheon, too. Hss best streak was ELEVEN years of 152, 193, 136, 197, 135, 184, 181, 188, 195, 110, 176!!! Kershaw is knocking on that kind of door.
As I've pointed out, Mike Trout is on the very short list of the greatest hitters in the history of the game. He and Kershaw are playing in the same city at the same time.
I'm betting Vin Scully just loves that. We should, too.