Brad Radke 2000 12-16 4.45 ERA 1.376 WHIP 6.2 WAR
Max Scherzer 2016 20-7 2.96 ERA .968 WHIP 6.2 WAR
Cy Young Award
All Star
IP Leader
SO Leader

So according to WAR Radke was just as good in 2000 as Scherzer was in 2016. Ok.

Fangraphs has Radke with 4.2 WAR, Scherzer with 5.6

This was from Baseball Reference. We'll put aside the whole 'There are multiple WARs out there' argument and just focus on this. How can these two guys be measured to have had the same value season???

Simply having the same WAR does not necessarily state the two pitchers had the same value season at all. WAR stands for Wins Above Replacement- it simply compares a player's season to someone else's season during that same year. Since "replacement" can change over time, it is difficult to compare WAR values during different time periods.

Posted by gumbercules on 6/27/2017 11:04:00 AM (view original):
Simply having the same WAR does not necessarily state the two pitchers had the same value season at all. WAR stands for Wins Above Replacement- it simply compares a player's season to someone else's season during that same year. Since "replacement" can change over time, it is difficult to compare WAR values during different time periods.

I don't think this is right. It compares them to their contemporaries based on that season. Radke had the same value to his team as Schezer.

We need BL to come here and explain "context" to us.

nobody NEEDS BL anywhere

Posted by sjpoker on 6/27/2017 9:06:00 AM (view original):
Brad Radke 2000 12-16 4.45 ERA 1.376 WHIP 6.2 WAR
Max Scherzer 2016 20-7 2.96 ERA .968 WHIP 6.2 WAR
Cy Young Award
All Star
IP Leader
SO Leader

So according to WAR Radke was just as good in 2000 as Scherzer was in 2016. Ok.

You think it's possible that Scherzer's 2016 ERA would be significantly higher if we magically moved his performance to the the AL in the year 2000?

Posted by gumbercules on 6/27/2017 11:04:00 AM (view original):
Simply having the same WAR does not necessarily state the two pitchers had the same value season at all. WAR stands for Wins Above Replacement- it simply compares a player's season to someone else's season during that same year. Since "replacement" can change over time, it is difficult to compare WAR values during different time periods.

The whole purpose of WAR is supposed that - to be able to compare seasons across eras. That's why this is a great example of how flawed it is.

Posted by bad_luck on 6/27/2017 12:56:00 PM (view original):

Posted by sjpoker on 6/27/2017 9:06:00 AM (view original):
Brad Radke 2000 12-16 4.45 ERA 1.376 WHIP 6.2 WAR
Max Scherzer 2016 20-7 2.96 ERA .968 WHIP 6.2 WAR
Cy Young Award
All Star
IP Leader
SO Leader

So according to WAR Radke was just as good in 2000 as Scherzer was in 2016. Ok.

You think it's possible that Scherzer's 2016 ERA would be significantly higher if we magically moved his performance to the the AL in the year 2000?

Do you?

Yeah. Do you?

we'll never know, will we? Obviously Scherzer's ERA would be different if he pitched in 2000 instead of 2016, but how much different there is no way to know.

Posted by bad_luck on 6/27/2017 2:41:00 PM (view original):
Yeah. Do you?

Would it be higher? Prob. Appreciably higher? Doubtful. I think he would have tore up most of those lineups like he does now.

Posted by sjpoker on 6/27/2017 3:02:00 PM (view original):

Posted by bad_luck on 6/27/2017 2:41:00 PM (view original):
Yeah. Do you?

Would it be higher? Prob. Appreciably higher? Doubtful. I think he would have tore up most of those lineups like he does now.

2000 AL r/g was about a run higher than 2016 r/g. It was easier for a pitcher to prevent runs in 2016 than it was in 2000.

Because of all the swinging and missing in today's game?