Percentage of saves out of save opportunities (regular season) by the Mets’ primary closer:
2000: 89% (Benitez)
2001: 93% (Benitez)
2002: 89% (Benitez)
2003: 75% (Benitez)
2004: 85% (Looper)
2005: 78% (Looper)
2006: 70% (Wagner)
If you take out his injury-plagued 2000, Wagner has averaged 3.7 blown saves per year since 1998 – against 35 saves a year, a 90% conversion rate – whereas he’s blown 3 already this year. Granted, he’s mostly pitched well, his blazing fastball hardly inspires Looper-ish levels of anxiety, and most importantly the Mets have bounce back to win two of the three games he’s blown, lessening their impact. And granted, there’s this. But he’s going to have to do better than a 70% conversion rate or people are going to lose patience with him in a hurry.
UPDATE: Wagner’s career ERA before the All-Star Break: 2.71. After: 1.94.
6 thoughts on “Real, Actual, True Fact”
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I’ve already lost patience with him, but that’s because he’s also on my fantasy baseball team.
Heh.
Its too early guys. Wait until there’s a couple months in the books anyway.
Dwil-
Patience? We’re NYers! We’re Met fans.
We don’ need no stinkin’ patience.
At least he isn’t “everyday” Eddie.
Usually Wagner waits till crucial September games come up before he starts blowing saves-he was brutal in a critical series against the Astros near the end last year.
A lefty reliever who waits til September to start sucking?
Hmmm, sounds like Johnny Franco.