In the 2010’s, A.J. Burnett and Gerrit Cole easily had the two best seasons of the decade by a Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher. While each pitcher had multiple great seasons for the Pirates, Burnett’s best was in 2013 and Cole’s came in 2015. The question the becomes – which of the two seasons was better?
Now, on paper, you’d automatically think Cole. Better ERA, 19 wins, and finished 4th in Cy Young Award voting. However, pitcher wins and losses are an awful stat to use when comparing players. One player doesn’t win or lose a game, so why is it fair to judge a player based on how many wins or losses they were a part of?