Quote:I agree with you that Max Scherzer likely would be the Game # 1 pitcher in a playoff situation.   He's an ace caliber pitcher in his own right.   Plus,  Anibal Sanchez did struggle against Oakland in the playoffs last season.   Yet, overall,  I like the consistency over the course of a long season that Sanchez brings to the table.  I can't think of any starting pitcher in MLB that has been able to match Sanchez'  ERA and innings to hits ratio over the last two seasons.    IMO,  Sanchez is the most underrated starting pitcher in MLB.  

 

To be fair, Sanchez is sporting a .229 BABIP right now that is unsustainable, which is a big reason his WHIP is so phenomenal right now. Also, his HR/FB% is 0. Those are two important numbers and are likely to revert back to his mean (.298 BABIP and 7.8 HR/FB%) and raise his hits per inning.

 

Last year, Scherzer game up 152 hits in 214 innings.

Sanchez gave up 156 hits in 182 innings.

 

Scherzer has given up 0.758 hits per inning the past two seasons combined.

Sanchez has given up .801 hits per inning the past two seasons combined.

 

I do agree that Sanchez is criminally underrated. He would be the #1 pitcher on a lot of teams. I just don't think he is better than the 2013 AL Cy Young winner.

---