Top Ten American League pitchers of 2011 MLB regular season – Part 1
Baseball is an unexpected game in which a single hit and a single strike-out can alter the result altogether. Being players of such a diverse game, pitchers and batters are always on the move to create something new to be safe at their end.
Every single player has to take the responsibility, but what a starter takes on is the largest amount of pressure in the game. If he makes it through the entire club enjoys, but if he fails he is left to face all the criticism alone.
Toss perfectly and win the game, has always been a dream of every pitcher. The hurler tries to take his club into the top position through devastating throws, but only few manage to accomplish their dream. Major League Baseball’s 2011 regular season has
passed leaving us with some extraordinary performances.
It is not hard to scrutinise the most valuable pitcher of the season, as statistics completely distinguish Justin Verlander from others who have taken the most wins in the American League during the 2011 regular season. Verlander led the season with 24 wins
having an exceptional 2.40 ERA in 34 starts. He not only snatched the first position in AL in most wins, but also topped the chart in innings pitched, strike-outs, earned run averages and WHIP winning percentage. The right-hander reached to 1000 strike-outs
this season and achieved 8.3 strikeouts-per-9-innings-pitched, the best in Tigers’ history. He had the second best career win-loss .652 percentage, the fourth best percentage of all active pitchers.
One of the best performers of the 2011 regular season, the New York Yankees’ Carsten Charles Sabathia holds the second position in the list. Sabathia was at his best in the entire season with outstanding pitching. Left-handed Sabathia earned 19 wins with
a 3.00 ERA in 33 starts. Being the only reliable pitcher in Joe Girardi’s bullpen, Sabathia fulfilled his duties in almost all occasions and was the main pitcher in taking the Yankees into the post-season. Sabathia made his way also through most strike-outs
(second with 230), most pitches (fourth with 237.1) and winning percentage (fourth with .704). Unfortunately the Yankees could not enter into the 2011 ALCS, but Sabathia’s performance shines distinctly.
An unsurpassed right-hander of the Los Angeles Angels remained only one win behind Sabathia and snatched the third position. With 18 wins in 33 starts, Jered Weaver also became the first of the two Angels’ pitchers, who got the most wins. Weaver also holds
the second position in the AL in ERA and WHIP and the impetus he displayed in the season was one of the best of his career. Weaver recorded a 2.40 ERA which was the lowest by any Angels’ player since Chuck Finley made 2.40 in 1990. Weaver was also given the
appreciation of starting the 2011 All-Star Game for the American League on July 11. Due to his brilliance in the park, Weaver gained fame with his fans as “Dreamweaver.”
Another Angels’ pitcher, Dan Haren followed Weaver to hold the fourth position in the most wins list. Haren had a 16-10 record with a 3.17 ERA over 238.1 innings of his 34 starts. The right-hand pitcher made 192 strike-outs to lower his strike-out rate to
7.25 per nine innings, his lowest since 2006. Haren’s season was more equipped with cutters than fastballs and changeups and he also scored 2.99 FIP, the best of his career, which provides a clear view of the performance 31-year-old displayed during the 2011
regular season.
Continued in Part 2
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