Quote Originally Posted by smootness View Post
I don't agree with that, at least not over a full season, which is when WAR becomes useful. I don't think there is extra value to relief pitchers at least until you actually get into the postseason and they're facing the highest leverage situations.

One inning in May is basically the same as any other, generally speaking. Obviously a guy like Davies might not even make a team's postseason rotation, so in that case, a high-leverage RP will be more valuable. But is a late-inning RP more valuable than a guy in the rotation even in a playoff series? I can't say they are. Both become extremely valuable at that point.
RPs are certainly more valuable in the post season than regular season. So you need them to win a World Series, which increases their value. There's also an intangible factor of being able to consistently close out games. Teams become demoralized by blown saves & such. There is some value in that.

I like WAR. I'm not disagreeing with the stat. I'm just saying that it's a little light on relievers in the same way that recruiting rankings don't fully represent transfers.

You take Josh Hader 100 times out of 100 times over Zach Davies yet WAR says they are basically the same guy