Mike Marshall’s 1974 season remains one of the most remarkable in Major League Baseball history. Marshall’s Herculean efforts saw him pitch an astounding 200 innings in relief, a feat that netted him the National League Cy Young Award. His achievement etched a new standard for relievers, showcasing their potential to dominate a category traditionally reserved for starters.
Following in Marshall’s pioneering footsteps, several relievers have managed to clinch the prestigious Cy Young Award, proving their indispensability and excellence on the mound.
The Era of Dominant Closers
Three years after Marshall’s landmark season, Sparky Lyle emerged triumphant, capturing the 1977 American League Cy Young Award. Another key figure in the era of elite closers, Bruce Sutter, secured the 1979 NL Cy Young, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most formidable relievers of his time. Rollie Fingers further highlighted the value of relievers in 1981 when he achieved the rare double of winning both the AL MVP and Cy Young Award with just 78 innings pitched.
Showing Consistency and Versatility
Willie Hernandez’s accomplishment in 1984 exemplified the blend of consistency and versatility necessary to excel as a reliever. Winning both the AL MVP and Cy Young with a 1.92 ERA over 140 1/3 innings pitched, Hernandez’s performance that season was nothing short of phenomenal. Likewise, Steve Bedrosian demonstrated consistency by clinching the 1987 NL Cy Young Award with 40 saves in 48 chances and 89 innings pitched.
Specialized Excellence
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw another wave of exceptional relievers leaving their mark. Mark Davis’s 1989 NL Cy Young win followed his remarkable conversion of 44 saves in 48 opportunities, spanning 92 2/3 innings. Dennis Eckersley’s 1992 season was equally impressive, as he claimed both the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards, having worked 80 innings in relief. Eric Gagne’s impressive 2003 campaign earned him the NL Cy Young Award, marking him as the last reliever to achieve this honor post-Eckersley.
Modern-Day Relievers
The influence and importance of adept relievers remain evident today. Craig Kimbrel has been a reliable fixture in bullpens ever since transitioning to a full-time reliever, a path similarly taken by Aroldis Chapman in 2010. These pitchers have underscored the evolving role of relievers from occasional stoppers to dependable game-changers.
Recently, Emmanuel Clase has solidified his stature among the elite. Saving 38 games out of 41 chances, Clase boasts a minuscule 0.59 ERA and 0.67 WHIP. Such extraordinary figures, complemented by 53 strikeouts and only seven unintentional walks over 61 1/3 innings, demonstrate how modern relievers can be both precise and overpowering.
However, it’s worth noting that despite Clase’s phenomenal statistics, pitchers like Tarik Skubal, Erick Fedde, Tyler Anderson, and Cole Ragans rank higher than him in the American League pitcher WAR. This statistic highlights the broader spectrum of value that starters typically bring, given their greater volume of work.
Fedde has since transitioned to the National League, while Skubal is expected to adopt a cautious approach through September. Anderson continues to pitch with a 4.46 FIP and 1.23 WHIP, and Ragans is projected to sustain his strong performance despite recent injury concerns.
The journey of these pitchers, particularly relievers like Marshall, Fingers, and Clase, accentuates the evolving narrative in Major League Baseball where the role of the bullpen is not just supplementary but fundamental to a team’s success. The path laid by the likes of Marshall shows that with enough grit and skill, relievers can not only compete for but also dominate awards reserved for the game's most impactful players.