Dellin Betances should have won AL Reliever of the Month

With the calendar flipping to July, MLB announced today the monthly awards for notable performers. The American League Reliever of the Month award recipient was very deserving, but an old-school stat that most of the sport agrees has little to no value was the deciding factor over a more deserving candidate. The table below depicts stats from the winner and another pitcher who did not receive the award.

Photo Credit: AP

Name	IP	ERA	BAA	OPS	K	BB	StS
Pitcher A	14.1	1.88	.226	.532	20	2	17
Pitcher B	12.0	0.00	.028	.250	22	7	17

                    





Pitcher A pitched slightly more and did limit the walks more than Pitcher B, but Pitcher B was more dominant. He didn’t allow a run in any of his outings, struck out 16.5 K/9, and held opponents to a miniscule slash line. Pitcher A was the Seattle Mariners’ closer, Edwin Diaz, and Pitcher B was the Yankees’ Dellin Betances.

Edwin Diaz won the award simply because of the inning he pitches in, not because he was the best reliever in the American League. Diaz accumulated 12 saves in the month of June, which is an impressive total, but doesn’t really have any meaning other than he secured the last three outs in a close game. He had two outings where he allowed runs to score, and allowed at least one hit in over half his outings.

Meanwhile, Betances allowed one hit over the course of an entire month, while also pitching in close games for a playoff-bound team. His walks allowed total was slightly higher than Edwin’s, but they obviously did not hurt him as his ERA sat at a perfect zero when the calendar flipped to July.

Diaz was lockdown for month of June, and there is no denying that, but Betances was hands down the better pitcher. He had one hitter in an entire month earn a base as a result of a batted ball. That is incredible and should have been recognized with the award.

Article by: Ryan Thoms

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