WHY I THINK JONATHAN PAPELBON SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK JONATHAN PAPELBON SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Jonathan Papelbon was probably the best closer of all time behind Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, and Billy Wagner. He pitched for twelve years in the Major Leagues (2005-2016), eleven as a full time finisher, and was of ace level quality in nine of them. Despite not making his MLB debut until he was 24 ½ years old, Papelbon recorded 41 wins and 368 saves. He had an incredibly low ERA of 2.44 (lower than that of any Hall of Fame reliever excepting Rivera), including a 2.33 mark in 396 games with the Boston Red Sox, who play in the most hitter friendly ballpark in the league. Papelbon was also lights out in postseason play, as he went 2-1 with seven saves and an ERA of 1.00 in 27 career postseason innings, winning a World Series ring with Boston in 2007. He appeared on his first Hall of Fame ballot this year, and received only 1.3% of the vote, a number that I can’t quite understand. Jonathan Papelbon started his career with the Red Sox in 2005, posting a 2.65 ERA in 17 games (three starts). He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2006 with 35 saves and an 0.92 ERA. He was an all-star in each of his first four seasons as a qualifier out of six overall. Papelbon signed with the Phillies as a free agent after the 2011 season, and rewarded them with an all-star season in 2012, his seventh straight with at least 30 saves. He barely missed out in 2013 when he had 29, but saved 39 games in 2014 to go along with a 2.04 ERA. Papelbon had one last signature season in 2015, but his performance fell off in 2016, when he posted a 4.37 ERA for the Nationals. He was released in August, never again to play in another MLB game. Now in hindsight, I think that the Nats shouldn’t have given up on him so quickly. He had pitched only 35 innings at the time of his release (with 31 strikeouts), and recorded 19 saves, proving that he could still get them out of a situation if he had to. He was coming off a great 2015 season, and was one of the best relievers in the league. If Papelbon had played with another team in 2017, then he wouldn’t be eligible for the Hall of Fame yet, but I think he would have had a better chance to eventually get in. As it is, he is worthy. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games Pitched career: 689 season high: 70 in 2012 

Starts career: 3 season high: 3 in 2005 

Complete Games career: 0 

Shutouts career: 0 

Games Finished career: 585 season high: 64 in 2012 led NL: 64 in 2012 

Wins career: 41 season high: 5 in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013 

Losses career: 36 season high: 7 in 2010 

Winning Percentage career: .532 season high: .833 in 2013 

ERA career: 2.44 season low: 0.92 in 2006 

WHIP career: 1.043 season low: 0.771 in 2007 

Innings Pitched career: 725 ⅔ season high: 70 in 2012 

Strikeouts career: 808 season high: 92 in 2012 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 10.0 season high: 13.0 in 2007 

Walks career: 185 (18 intentional) season high: 28 in 2010 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 4.37 season high: 9.63 in 2008 

Saves career: 368 season high: 41 in 2008 

Fielding Percentage career: .901 season high: 1.000 in 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 

Double Plays career: 1 season high: 1 in 2015 

Putouts career: 37 season high: 7 in 2015 

Assists career: 45 season high: 9 in 2012 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .162 season high: .800 in 2005 

Pickoffs career: 2 season high: 1 in 2008 and 2013 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-pitched 5 ⅓ innings on his MLB debut, striking out seven and allowing only two earned runs 

-won both the Deliveryman of the Year Award (for the game’s best relief pitcher) and the AL Babe Ruth Award (for outstanding postseason performance) in 2007 

-had an ERA of 0.00 in all-star play, capturing the win in the 2009 contest 

-was the first rookie ever to record 10+ saves in April, earning him the AL Rookie of the Month award 

-finished off the deciding Game 4 of the 2007 World Series 

-holds the MLB record for the most consecutive scoreless innings to start a postseason career (25) 

-is both the Red Sox’s and Phillies’ leader in career saves 

-ranks tenth in career saves and 20th in games finished