AUTiger7222 (07-15-2013)
Smoltz never had a year as dominating as Kimbrel's as a reliver, While you have a point about steroids era, Kimbrel's ERA and FIP are like a full run lower on his career than Smoltz as a closer, from 02-04 Smoltz had a 173 ERA+, Kimbrel is sitting at 266. Kimbrel hasn't even had 1 season where his ERA+ is below Smoltz's average from his closing years. Smoltz was great, Kimbrel is other worldly. Using fWAR, Kimbrel has compiled an 8.0 WAR in under 200 IP. Meaning if he has a somewhat healthy career and gets to 800 IP, odds are he'll be the 2nd best reliever of the last 20 years ahead of Wagner, Hoffman, Nathan, and Papelbon. Kimbrel is on pace to be special, legendary even. We're talking about a guy who if he's healthy enough could eclipse Mo except for post season success, no one will beat him there.
Heyward (07-16-2013)
Kimbrell's 2012 and Smoltz's 2003 are virtually identical (strkeouts aside). Plus let's not forget that Smoltz's 2002 was warped by his 2nd outing of the yr in which Cox left him in and he gave up 8 runs to the Mets. Had Smoltz not gone back to a starter, he would have been ahead of Wagner, Hoffman, Nathan, etc as well.
Last edited by Carp; 07-16-2013 at 01:12 AM.
Smoltz's 2003 and Kimbrel's 2012 aren't close aside from ERA.
Smoltz went 64.1 innings, walked 8 struck out 73 gave up 2 homers, for a ERA of 1.12 a FIP of 1.54 and an xFIP of 2.50 (meaning he was pretty danged fortunate to not give up more homers) and a SIERA of 2.02. Amazing numbers. But that was his one dominant season. His other 2 don't come close to it and I look at more than just one season usually, don't know if you realized that but I digress.
Kimbrel's 2012 he went 62.2 IP walked 14 struck out 116, gave up 3 homers for an ERA of 1.01 a FIP of 0.78 an xFIP of 0.88 and a SIERA of 0.68
Smoltz was awesome, but he was fortunate (can't say the L word around Meta or he'll melt down) to have given up so few runs, while Kimbrel by all indications was a smidge unfortunate in the runs allowed department, and he bested Smoltz in those. So Smoltz's best season he overachieved his peripherals and couldn't catch Kimbrel's best season where he underachieved his peripherals.
But Smoltz is close to Kimbrel ha.
Care to bring up a larger sample though? Like 02-04 for Smoltz vs Kimbrel's career? Care to bring that up?
I will.
From 02-04 Smoltz compiled these rate stats 9.66 K/9 1.79 BB/9 2.47 ERA 2.27 FIP 2.72 xFIP 2.39 SIERA
From 10-now for Kimbrel he's got these rate stats 15.5 K/9 3.4 BB/9 1.47 ERA 1.42 FIP 1.70 xFIP 1.41 SIERA
Of relief pitchers with 190 IP, Kimbrel is 1st in K/9 by over 1 first in ERA by half a run (though Mo has slipped a little lately) first in FIP by about 7/10 of a run and for those who qualify for SIERA (02 til now) has a 3/10 of a run advantage.
Kimbrel is not a great closer, far and away he's the best reliever in the game over a healthy sample, and Smoltz wasn't that.