#4: Jamie Moyer: 1999 w/6.5 WAR. Also, 1998 w/5.6, 2002 w/5.6
“I love Jamie Moyer.” I think that’s a pretty universal statement. The only people who don’t like him would have some odd hatred of lefties or soft-tossers. OH! Or maybe bat manufacturers. Then again, they could really like Moyer, since he helped keep them in business.
It’s odd for someone who threw that slow, but he was always breaking bats because of how well he changed speed and located pitches. The late 90s were a great time for Moyer, and the best season of his career came in 1999.
This falls in line with what I mentioned about Freddy Garcia earlier for 1999. Runs were being scored at a premium. So, when Moyer finished with an ERA of 3.87, it was actually quite impressive. He threw 228 innings that year, and finished 6th in the Cy-Young voting in the American League.
I can see the argument for his 1998 season just the year prior. His ERA, WHIP, and FIP were all better. However, a huge part is the runs per 9 for an average pitcher stat. That number was a 5.92 in 1999, and a 5.05 in 1998. An average pitcher facing the same opponents as Moyer would’ve had a 5.92 ERA in 1999. Moyer had a 3.87. That’s a massive difference and earns the nod as his best season.