Saturday, January 25, 2020

Soriano Soared to New Heights in 2010, Part 2

Rafael Soriano was a pedestrian 3-2 as the Tampa Bay Rays' closer in 2010. However, that doesn't really do his effectiveness justice that year. The Rays starting five were very solid. David Price won nineteen games against just six losses. Mark Garza was 15-10. James Shields was only 13-15 with an ERA over five, but Jeff Neiman was 12-10 and Wade Davis was 12-8. They won the majority of the games, leaving the bullpen little.

But Joaquin Benoit, Lance Cormier, Dan Wheeler, Randy Choate, Andy Sonnanstine and Grant Balfour made for one awesome bullpen. They were able to hold the fort when the starters couldn't. Those six relievers combined for 72 holds. Here's where Rafael Soriano comes into the equation.

Soriano saved a league-leading 45 saves. Amazingly, he only blew three saves all year. And there were more eye-popping stats Rafael put up that year. In his 62 1/3 innings pitched, Soriano averaged nearly a strikeout per inning (Rafael got 57 K's that year, or 8.2 per 9 innings).

Perhaps most impressive was the Rays' closer's WHIP. Soriano had actually set a career-low of 0.792 back in 2003 with Seattle. It seemed unlikely Soriano could do better. But here Rafael was seven years later with a 0.802 WHIP! He came close to topping his '03 career-best. Also in 2003, Rafael posted a career-low 1.53 ERA. Seven seasons later, it was 1.73. But the difference between 2003 and 2010 was more than just a different team. Rafael was pitching a new role.

The New York Yankees signed Soriano as a free agent for the 2011 season, but Rafael didn't exactly do what they were hoping for that season. Obviously, he wouldn't be the closer, as Mariano Rivera posted 44 saves. The Yankees' bullpen that season had David Robertson with his 1.08 ERA, Rivera with his 1.91 earned run average, and two more excellent relievers. Luis Ayala was only 2-2 but had a 2.09 ERA. Corey Wade was not only 6-1, but his earned run average was 2.04.

Soriano was inconsistent. Although he made 42 appearances, Rafael was able to pitch just 39 1/3 innings. His ERA rose to over four. But Soriano rebounded the next season. 42 saves, 2.26 ERA. 2013 saw Rafael join the Washington Nationals. Now in the National League, Rafael actually had more saves in '13 than he did in 2012, 43. Soriano had one last good season in 2014, posting a 4-1 record with 32 saves for the 'Nats.

The next year, Rafael was on the Chicago Cubs. He was 2-0 in six appearances, but was cut on September 5th, so Soriano wasn't with 'em when they went to the postseason. Although he tried to catch on with the Toronto Blue Jays in the spring of next season, Rafael retired in March of 2016.


Greatest Relief Seasons of All-Time Stat Set 2



Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Bernhard 1899 0 ? ? ? 2.65 23 1.6 1.179 2.0
                     
Walsh 1904 1 ? ? ? 2.60 57 4.6 1.102 0.1
                     
Griffith 1905 1 ? ? ? 1.68 46 4.1 0.954 3.3
                     
Ferguson 1906 7 ? ? ? 2.58 32 5.5 1.280 0.2
                     
Keefe 1907 3 ? ? ? 2.50 20 3.1 1.387 2.0
                     
Chappelle 1908 0 ? ? ? 1.79 23 2.9 1.095 0.3
                     
Leever 1909 2 ? ? ? 2.83 23 3.0 1.257 -0.1
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Phillipe 1910 4 ? ? ? 2.29 30 2.2 0.986 2.0
                     
Benz 1911 0 ? ? ? 2.26 28 4.5 1.168 0.7
                     
Baskette 1912 1 ? ? ? 3.18 51 4.0 1.336 2.2
                     
Crandall 1913 6 ? ? ? 2.86 42 3.9 1.290 0.5
                     
Wolfgang 1914 0 ? ? ? 1.89 50 3.8 1.073 1.8
                     
Bressler 1914 2 ? ? ? 1.77 96 5.9 1.138 3.5
                     
Mays 1915 7 ? ? ? 2.60 65 4.4 1.063 1.0
                     
Danforth 1917 9 ? ? ? 2.65 79 4.1 1.324 3.2
                     
Dubuc 1919 3 ? ? ? 2.66 32 2.2 1.182 0.6
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Morton 1921 1 ? ? ? 2.76 45 3.8 1.207 2.3
                     
Baumgartner 1925 3 ? ? ? 3.57 18 1.4 1.368 2.5
                     
Marberry 1926 22 ? ? ? 3.00 43 2.8 1.348 3.1
                     
Clark 1927 2 ? ? ? 2.32 32 2.3 1.262 2.8
                     
Haid 1928 5 ? ? ? 2.30 21 4.0 1.064 0.4
                     
Rommel 1929 4 1 0.800 1 2.85 25 2.0 1.484 1.6
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Lindsey 1931 7 1 0.875 ? 2.77 32 3.9 1.634 1.1
                     
Quinn 1932 13 ? ? ? 2.66 24 3.5 1.383 1.1
                     
Russell 1933 13 ? ? ? 2.69 28 2.0 1.218 3.1
                     
Malone 1936 9 1 0.900 0 3.81 72 4.8 1.515 2.9
                     
Brown 1938 5 ? ? ? 3.80 55 3.7 1.500 0.4
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Beggs 1940 7 4 0.636 0 2.00 25 2.9 1.161 2.2
                     
Murphy 1941 15 7 0.682 0 1.98 29 3.4 1.397 2.2
                     
Adams 1943 9 2 0.818 0 2.82 46 3.0 1.254 3.0
                     
Heving 1944 10 ? ? 0 1.96 46 3.5 1.228 1.9
                     
Maltzberger 1944 12 ? ? 0 2.96 49 4.8 1.095 1.8
                     
Berry 1944 12 4 0.750 0 1.94 44 3.6 0.907 3.7
                     
Karl 1945 15 1 0.938 1 2.99 51 2.5 1.245 3.6
                     
Christopher 1947 12 2 0.857 0 2.90 33 3.7 1.277 1.4
                     
Wilks 1948 13 1 0.929 1 2.62 72 4.9 1.163 4.8
                     
Page 1949 27 11 0.711 0 2.59 99 6.6 1.315 4.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Konstanty 1950 22 4 0.846 0 2.66 56 3.3 1.039 4.7
                     
Aloma 1951 3 1 0.750 0 1.82 25 3.2 1.096 3.2
                     
Wilhelm 1952 11 1 0.917 1 2.43 108 6.1 1.155 2.7
                     
Paige 1952 10 5 0.667 1 3.07 91 5.9 1.254 3.4
                     
Kinder 1953 27 8 0.771 4 1.85 39 3.3 1.140 4.5
                     
Mossi 1954 7 0 1.000 0 1.94 55 5.3 1.022 3.3
                     
Narleski 1955 19 2 0.905 6 3.71 94 7.6 1.281 2.5
                     
Freeman 1956 18 3 0.857 2 3.40 50 4.1 1.344 2.6
                     
Farrell 1957 10 3 0.769 0 2.38 54 5.8 1.320 2.4
                     
Zuverink 1957 9 8 0.529 0 2.48 36 2.9 1.278 2.7
                     
Hyde 1958 18 5 0.783 0 1.75 49 4.3 1.136 4.9
                     
Duren 1959 14 7 0.667 1 1.88 96 11.3 1.200 3.8
                     
Staley 1959 15 4 0.789 2 2.24 54 4.2 1.169 2.5
                     
Face 1959 10 9 0.526 1 2.70 69 6.7 1.243 3.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
McDaniel 1960 26 6 0.813 1 1.29 95 8.2 0.863 6.0
                     
Brosnan 1960 12 2 0.857 2 2.36 62 5.6 1.020 2.7
                     
Arroyo 1961 29 10 0.744 1 2.19 87 6.6 1.109 3.3
                     
Fox 1961 12 2 0.857 3 1.41 32 5.0 1.012 2.6
                     
Radatz 1963 25 3 0.893 0 1.97 162 11.0 1.096 5.7
                     
Perranoski 1963 21 8 0.724 0 1.67 75 5.2 1.202 4.5
                     
Baldschun 1963 16 5 0.762 1 2.30 89 7.0 1.240 2.0
                     
Lee 1964 19 8 0.704 1 1.51 111 7.3 1.058 4.3
                     
Ellis 1964 14 2 0.875 1 2.57 125 9.2 1.054 3.1
                     
Miller 1965 24 1 0.960 1 1.89 104 7.8 0.997 4.3
                     
Regan 1966 21 7 0.750 1 1.62 88 6.8 0.934 5.0
                     
Hoerner 1966 13 3 0.813 4 1.54 63 7.5 1.026 3.0
                     
Drabowsky 1967 12 5 0.706 3 1.60 96 9.1 0.955 3.2
                     
Abernathy 1967 28 6 0.824 1 1.27 88 7.4 0.978 6.2
                     
Wood 1968 16 5 0.762 7 1.87 74 4.2 1.006 5.4
                     
Tatum 1969 22 1 0.957 2 1.36 65 6.8 1.042 4.3
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Williams 1970 15 4 0.789 7 1.99 76 6.0 1.032 2.8
                     
McMahon 1970 19 5 0.792 0 2.96 74 7.1 1.219 3.0
                     
Sanders 1971 31 4 0.886 0 1.91 80 5.3 1.064 4.1
                     
Giusti 1972 22 5 0.815 0 1.93 54 6.5 1.058 2.3
                     
Knowles 1972 11 3 0.786 5 1.37 36 4.9 1.310 2.5
                     
Brewer 1972 17 7 0.708 0 1.26 69 7.9 0.843 3.5
                     
Hiller 1973 38 4 0.905 0 1.44 124 8.9 1.021 8.1
                     
Borbon 1973 14 5 0.737 6 2.16 60 4.5 1.421 2.5
                     
Beene 1973 1 0 1.000 0 1.68 49 4.8 1.033 3.0
                     
Marshall 1974 21 12 0.636 9 2.42 143 6.2 1.186 3.1
                     
Gossage 1975 26 5 0.839 1 1.84 130 8.3 1.193 8.2
                     
Eastwick 1976 26 9 0.743 1 2.09 70 5.9 1.115 2.8
                     
Lyle 1977 26 8 0.765 1 2.17 68 4.5 1.197 3.7
                     
Sutter 1977 31 9 0.775 0 1.34 129 10.8 0.857 6.5
                     
Johnson 1977 15 7 0.682 1 3.13 87 5.3 1.806 2.5
                     
Stanley 1978 10 5 0.667 1 2.60 38 2.2 1.242 4.1
                     
Blair 1978 28 5 0.848 2 1.97 91 8.2 1.246 4.1
                     
Tekulve 1979 31 6 0.838 8 2.79 75 5.0 1.176 3.2
                     
Lopez 1979 21 5 0.808 1 2.41 106 7.5 1.150 5.3
                     
Davis 1979 9 10 0.474 2 2.85 43 4.5 1.313 2.2
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
McGraw 1980 20 5 0.800 0 1.46 75 7.3 0.921 4.7
                     
Garvin 1980 8 5 0.615 5 2.29 52 5.7 1.173 3.4
                     
Fingers 1981 28 6 0.824 0 1.04 61 7.0 0.872 4.2
                     
Caudill 1982 26 6 0.813 0 2.35 111 10.4 1.045 4.4
                     
Reardon 1982 26 8 0.765 2 2.06 86 7.1 1.128 3.5
                     
L.Smith 1983 29 4 0.879 1 1.65 91 7.9 1.074 4.8
                     
Stewart 1983 8 5 0.615 5 2.60 78 5.2 1.237 3.1
                     
Quisenberry 1983 45 8 0.849 0 1.94 48 3.1 0.928 5.5
                     
Orosco 1983 17 5 0.773 1 1.47 84 6.9 1.036 3.8
                     
Hernandez 1984 32 1 0.970 0 1.92 112 7.2 0.941 4.8
                     
Lamp 1985 2 5 0.286 8 3.32 68 5.8 1.164 1.3
                     
B.Smith 1985 27 6 0.818 1 2.27 40 4.5 1.084 1.6
                     
Lahti 1985 19 1 0.950 6 1.84 41 5,4 1.302 2.3
                     
D. Moore 1985 31 8 0.795 0 1.92 72 6.3 1.087 3.6
                     
Eichhorn 1986 10 4 0.714 7 1.72 166 9.5 0.955 7.4
                     
Righetti 1986 46 10 0.821 0 2.45 83 7.0 1.153 3.8
                     
Todd Worrell 1986 36 10 0.783 0 2.08 73 6.3 1.225 2.5
                     
Henke 1987 34 8 0.810 1 2.49 128 12.3 0.926 3.3
                     
Burke 1987 18 4 0.818 5 1.19 58 5.7 0.890 4.3
                     
Dayley 1987 4 6 0.400 6 2.66 63 9.3 1.393 1.5
                     
Henneman 1988 22 7 0.759 2 1.87 58 5.7 1.051 3.3
                     
Parrett 1988 6 4 0.600 2 2.65 62 6.1 1.211 1.6
                     
Lancaster 1989 8 3 0.727 7 1.36 56 6.9 1.032 3.9
                     
Russell 1989 38 6 0.864 0 1.98 77 9.5 0.950 2.5
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Eckersley 1990 48 2 0.960 0 0.61 73 9.0 0.614 3.3
                     
Thigpen 1990 57 8 0.877 0 1.83 70 7.1 1.038 3.4
                     
Nelson 1990 5 3 0.625 18 1.57 38 4.6 0.964 2.3
                     
Henry 1991 15 1 0.938 3 1.00 28 7.0 0.833 2.2
                     
Aguilera 1991 42 9 0.824 0 2.35 61 8.0 1.072 2.4
                     
Ward 1992 12 4 0.750 24 1.95 103 9.1 1.135 3.1
                     
Rojas 1992 10 1 0.909 13 1.43 70 6.3 1.043 3.9
                     
Olin 1992 29 7 0.806 0 2.34 47 4.8 1.211 2.7
                     
Wetteland 1993 43 1 0.977 0 1.37 113 12.0 1.008 4.2
                     
Harvey 1993 45 4 0.918 0 1.70 73 9.5 0.841 4.0
                     
Beck 1993 48 4 0.923 0 2.16 86 9.8 0.882 2.4
                     
Martinez 1993 2 1 0.667 14 2.61 119 10.0 1.243 3.0
                     
Hoffman 1998 53 1 0.981 0 1.48 86 10.6 0.849 4.1
                     
Urbina 1998 34 4 0.895 0 1.30 94 12.2 1.010 3.2
                     
Williamson 1999 19 7 0.731 5 2.41 107 10.3 1.039 2.8
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Rhodes 2001 3 4 0.429 31 1.72 83 11.0 0.853 2.5
                     
Smoltz 2003 45 4 0.918 0 1.12 73 10.2 0.870 3.3
                     
Tim Worrell 2003 38 7 0.844 1 2.87 65 7.5 1.302 0.8
                     
Timlin 2005 13 7 0.650 24 2.24 59 6.6 1.320 2.9
                     
Nathan 2006 36 2 0.947 0 1.58 95 12.5 0.790 3.3
                     
Ryan 2006 38 4 0.905 1 1.37 86 10.7 0.857 3.6
                     
Putz 2007 40 2 0.952 0 1.38 82 10.3 0.698 4.0
                     
Rivera 2008 39 1 0.975 0 1.40 77 9.8 0.665 4.3
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR
                     
Bell 2010 47 3 0.940 0 1.93 86 11.1 1.200 1.9
                     
Soriano 2010 45 3 0.938 0 1.73 57 8.2 0.802 2.1
                     
Aceves 2011 2 3 0.400 11 2.61 80 6.3 1.105 2.7
                     
Axford 2011 46 2 0.958 0 1.95 86 10.5 1.140 2.3
                     
Downs 2011 1 3 0.250 26 1.34 35 5.9 1.006 2.0
                     
Cook 2012 14 7 0.667 21 2.09 80 9.8 0.941 2.6
                     
Chapman 2012 38 5 0.884 6 1.51 122 15.3 0.809 3.6
                     
Johnson 2012 51 3 0.944 0 2.49 41 5.4 1.019 2.4
                     
Smyly 2013 2 4 0.333 21 2.37 81 9.6 1.039 2.6
                     
Davis 2014 3 3 0.500 33 1.00 109 13.6 0.847 3.7
                     
Clippard 2014 1 6 0.143 40 2.18 82 10.5 0.995 1.5
                     
Rondon 2015 30 4 0.882 8 1.67 69 8.6 1.000 2.2
                     
Britton 2016 47 0 1.000 0 0.54 75 9.9 0.836 4.2
                     
Osuna 2016 36 6 0.857 0 2.68 82 10.0 0.932 2.1
                     
Brach 2016 2 5 0.286 24 2.05 92 10.5 1.038 2.5
                     
Miller 2016 12 2 0.857 25 1.45 123 14.9 0.686 3.8
                     
Robertson 2017 14 2 0.875 8 1.84 98 12.9 0.849 2.9
                     
Jansen 2017 41 1 0.976 1 1.32 109 14.4 0.746 2.9
                     
Albers 2017 2 4 0.333 14 1.62 63 9.3 0.852 2.5
                     
Kimbrel 2017 35 4 0.897 1 1.43 126 16.4 0.681 3.6
                     
Morrow 2018 18 1 0.947 0 1.46 25 9.1 1.135 1.1
                     
Trivino 2018 4 1 0.800 12 1.22 50 10.2 0.947 2.2
                     
Treinen 2018 25 4 0.862 0 1.06 65 11.5 0.980 2.4
                     
Jeffress 2018 4 4 0.500 17 1.29 63 10.2 1.006 2.4
                     
Yarbrough 2018 0 0 0.000 1 3.88 123 7.9 1.280 0.8
                     
Hader 2018 11 4 0.733 20 2.31 138 15.9 0.795 2.3
                     
Strop 2018 13 4 0.765 9 2.26 57 8.6 0.989 2.1
                     
Workman 2019 5 4 0.556 15 2.08 66 12.5 1.028 2.0
                     
Robles 2019 19 3 0.864 2 2.60 62 9.0 1.091 2.1
                     
Walden 2019 2 3 0.400 8 3.33 71 8.5 1.110 1.5
                     
W.Smith 2019 34 4 0.895 0 2.76 96 13.2 1.026 0.4
                     
Pitcher Year S BS S% H ERA K K/9 WHIP WAR

Notes

Baumgartner and Bernhard appeared as a starter twelve times

Wolfgang and Baskette appeared as a starter eleven times.

Danforth, Malone and Stewart appeared as a starter nine times.

Phillipe and Walsh appeared as a starter eight times.

Morton and Griffith appeared as a starter seven times.

Paige, Mays, Chappelle, Rommell and Yarbrough appeared as a starter six times.

Marberry, Mossi, Lee, Ellis and Dubuc appeared as a starter five times.

Leever, Aceves and Beene appeared as a starter four times.

Russell, Stanley, Adams and Keefe appeared as a starter three times.

Brown, McDaniel, Wood, Crandall, Brosnan, Lindsey, Karl, Wilks, Martinez and Clark appeared as a starter two times.

Beggs, Quinn, Narleski, McGraw, Aloma, Robles and Ferguson appeared once as a starter.

Maltzberger, Hyde, Konstanty, Duren, Brosnan, Tekulve and Henke all wore glasses.

Morrow's stats are through July 1, 2018.

Trivino's stats are through July 18, 2018.

Treinen's stats are through July 25, 2018.

Jeffress' stats are through August 13, 2018.

Yarbrough stats are through Sept 19, 2018.

Hader's stats are through September 24, 2018.

Workman's stats are through August 01, 2019.

Robles' stats are through September 05, 2019.

Walden's stats are through September 12, 2019


References


Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/.  25 Jan. 2020. Web.