Runs At A Premium in Postseason

By MARK SIMON

As you watch the 2020 postseason unfold, keep this in mind: Runs are very much at a premium at this time of year.

Friend of the company, Pat Quinn passed along this chart, which we share with you.

Regular Season vs Postseason – 2016 vs 2019

The Nationals demonstrated the importance of pitching and defense last October. Stephen Strasburg (1.98 postseason ERA in 36 1/3 innings) and Max Scherzer (2.40 ERA in 30 innings) were at the front of the line in leading the team to its first championship.

In 2018, it was pitchers like Nate Eovaldi (1.61 ERA in 22 1/3 innings) and Joe Kelly (0.79 ERA in 11 1/3 innings) who were shutdown arms for the Red Sox, with David Price producing a 1.98 ERA in two starts.

In 2017, Justin Verlander (2.21 ERA in 36 1/3 innings) dominated much of the postseason for the Astros, and Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers combined to be shutdown arms in Game 7 of the ALCS and World Series.

Much of the 2016 postseason belonged to Corey Kluber (1.83 ERA in 34 1/3 innings) and Jon Lester (2.02 ERA in 35 2/3 innings) with Lester’s Cubs prevailing over Kluber’s Indians in an epic World Series.

We’ll see if the scoring tendencies change with more teams in the postseason, though inevitably we know that some pitchers will rise to the challenge. We look forward to watching with you as the drama takes shape.