Toronto Blue Jays: Adam Cimber shows why wins are a questionable stat
Middle relievers typically do not generate much attention. Toronto Blue Jays reliever Adam Cimber is changing that with his win total.
Cimber did what he does best on Wednesday. After giving up a base hit in the bottom of the ninth in a 2-2 game, he generated a double play grounder and retired the next batter on a groundout. The Blue Jays scored in the top of the tenth, and when Jordan Romano shut down the Red Sox in the bottom of the inning, Cimber earned the victory.
Adam Cimber – Toronto Blue Jays victory vulture
That win gave Cimber his tenth victory on the year, trailing only Alek Manoah for the team lead and breaking what had been a three way tie for second. Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios also had nine wins, putting three vastly different seasons in the same category.
Cimber is what he is – a middle reliever who typically generates ground balls and is brought in for that key double play. He leads the American League with 57 appearances entering Thursday, but has thrown a total of 53.1 innings. While he has pitched well over his career, he has typically toiled in anonymity.
Gausman, despite a 9-9 record, could lay claim to being the Blue Jays ace. He has posted a stellar 2.99 ERA and a 1.237 WHiP over his 129.1 innings, striking out 149 batters with just 22 walks. The only thing that has slowed him down this season has been a comebacker that struck him in the ankle.
Berrios, meanwhile, has struggled for most of this season. While he does have nine wins, he has also posted a 5.28 ERA and a 1.351 WHiP over his 134.2 innings. His 123 strikeouts and 33 walks are both solid, but he has allowed 27 homers on the year at this point.
Despite the pushback against wins as a pitching category, they do matter. Teams will not reach the postseason without winning games. However, not all wins are created equally, especially when it comes to the stat line. For Cimber, it is a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
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Adam Cimber is now second on the Toronto Blue Jays in wins this year. He has been in the right place at the right time for the stat line.