A 2.66 ERA, a .220 opponents' average, a .184 opponents' average in those rare instances when Iwakuma dealt with runners in scoring position. The sabermetricians will tell you Iwakuma was worth seven wins above replacement level that year, an extremely good mark and better even than that of King Felix. With control, with efficiency, with the ability to get people to beat ground balls into the turf, Iwakuma was simply one of baseball's best. He followed it up with a 2014 season that didn't rate as well at surface level (ERA and innings) but was actually quite comparable in the peripheral stats.
Kuma makes history in flashing vintage form
