All year this team has been giving me the same vibe as 1999’s team, a team that came out of nowhere and vanished just as quick.
I see quite a few similarities
Both teams lauded by their fans as having a great offense and bad pitching, when however, the numbers bear out a different reality.
- 1999 - OPS+ = 96
- 2021 – OPS+ = 92
1999 is one of the biggest run scoring years in MLB history, the Reds scored an insane amount runs and only the Marlins failed to score 700 runs, it looks like as many as six NL teams will score under 700 runs this season.
The 1999 team had a young dynamic RH leadoff hitter who hit .273/.366/.498/.864 from the first slot.
The 2021 team has a young dynamic RH leadoff hitter who is hitting .281/.387/.496/.882 from the first slot.
- The 1999 team had an aging HOF player who at times polarized the fan base but also hit .293/.390/.420/.810 OPS+ 103
- The 2021 team has an aging HOF player who at times polarized the fan base but also is hitting .264/.366/.543/.909 OPS+ 120
- The 1999 team had a strong RH hitter who hit .245/.347/.535/.881 and was known for his fiery nature
- The 2021 team has a strong RH hitter who is hitting .314/.368/.576/.944 and is known for his fiery nature
- The 1999 team had a young LH hitter with on base skills and a huge personality who hit .332/.399/.539/.938 OPS+ 132
- The 2021 team has a young LH hitter with on base skills and a huge personality who has hit .307/.395/.560/.955 OPS+ 141
- 1999 team had a light hitting middle infielder who had an OPS+ of 86 but only had 7 errors
- 2021 has a light hitting middle infielder who has an OPS+ of 80 but only has 5 errors.
- The 1999 team had an outfielder cast off from an AL team that performed better than expected .279/.347/.523/.870 OPS+ 114
- The 2021 team has an outfielder cast off from an AL team who has performed better than expected .270/.333/.477/.809 OPS+ 104
- The 1999 team had Michael Tucker, 2021 has Aquino, both teams had LH starting catchers who were 30 and both could see a RH mid 20’s guy in their rear-view mirror.
- 1999 had Dmitri Young and Aaron Boone which is better than Moose and Geno, also cheaper. 1999 didn’t spread as many AB’s around as 2021 (18 vs 23) has
Despite looking stronger than 2021 the 1999 team was seventh in the NL in runs per game (5.31) and this year’s team is fourth (4.87)
Pitching wise it’s a different take
- 1999 ERA+ 117
- 2021 ERA+107
The 1999 team led the NL in saves with 55
- Graves, Sullivan and Williamson all pitched more than 90 innings, the former two over 110, all had ERA+ over 150, Willy was at 193.
- Tejay Antone pitched 32 innings and had a 222 ERA+ the rest of the pen is average or worse, but Antone created the same buzz that Willy did and of course that means a starter vs reliever debate
- 32-year-old Pete Harnisch won the fans and the press with his down to earth style and his command of the mound going 16-10 with and an ERA+ of 127
- 34-year-old Wade Miley won the fans and the press with his down to earth style and his command of the mound going 12-6 with an ERA+ of 157
The starters are different in results, Tomko was disappointing as is Castillo, yet Tomko was never the pitcher Luis is, Mahle is giving us the same year that Steve Parris gave the 1999 team
Neagle and Sonny Gray, effective when on the field, injuries limit innings pitched all year.
The league has more teams that linger near .500 this year than in 1999, average of three per division, so there seems to be less wins to get this season than in 1999, ten teams that season were under .500 this season we might end up with only seven (or eight)