Ranking Sergio Romo’s historic relief season

It’s no secret, but here at Bay City Ball, we’re huge fans of Sergio Romo. His slider is one of the best pitches in the game right now out of the bullpen – maybe one of the best in the game regardless of pitcher role. It’s a devastating pitch that right-handed batters continue to swing-and-miss at. They know it’s coming and they still can’t touch it.

Romo’s stats this year have been truly nuts: 36 IP, 19 H, 2 HR, 4 BB (!), 52 SO (!!), 210 ERA+, 1.0 BB/9, 13.0 SO/9, 13.00 SO/BB

Whenever I see numbers like that, I feel like I should go around town and spray paint them on the side of various buildings. Or maybe get a ’1.0 BB/9, 13.0 SO/9′ tattooed on my back between two flaming sliders. In 2011, Romo has been treating fans to one of the best relief seasons by a Giants pitcher in quite some time. Don’t believe me? Let’s run a few quick searches with the Baseball-Reference Play Index Tool to find where Romo currently stands.

Search criteria: 1950-2011, minimum of 35 innings pitched, 80% games in relief

By walks-per-nine innings (BB/9)

Rk          Player BB/9    IP Year Age  Tm
1      Sergio Romo 1.00  36.0 2011  28 SFG
2         Rod Beck 1.03  70.0 1997  28 SFG
3         Jim Barr 1.27  35.1 1971  23 SFG
4         Jim Barr 1.40 128.2 1982  34 SFG
5         Rod Beck 1.45  62.0 1996  27 SFG
6         Rod Beck 1.47  79.1 1993  24 SFG
7         Rod Beck 1.47  92.0 1992  23 SFG
8    Mike Caldwell 1.68 107.1 1976  27 SFG
9       Bill Henry 1.71  42.0 1965  37 SFG
10    Marv Grissom 1.79  80.2 1956  38 NYG

By strikeouts-per-nine innings (K/9)

Rk             Player  SO/9    IP Year Age  Tm
1         Sergio Romo 13.00  36.0 2011  28 SFG
2            Robb Nen 12.55  66.0 2000  30 SFG
3        Brian Wilson 11.21  74.2 2010  28 SFG
4            Robb Nen 11.17  88.2 1998  28 SFG
5     Michael Jackson 10.84  42.1 1994  29 SFG
6           Joe Price 10.80  35.0 1987  30 SFG
7            Robb Nen 10.78  77.2 2001  31 SFG
8      Scott Garrelts 10.75 106.1 1987  25 SFG
9    Jonathan Sanchez 10.73  52.0 2007  24 SFG
10       Alex Hinshaw 10.66  39.2 2008  25 SFG

By strikeout-to-walk ratio (SO/BB)

Rk            Player SO/BB   IP Year Age  Tm
1        Sergio Romo 13.00 36.0 2011  28 SFG
2           Rod Beck  6.63 70.0 1997  28 SFG
3           Rod Beck  6.62 79.1 1993  24 SFG
4           Rod Beck  5.80 92.0 1992  23 SFG
5        Sergio Romo  5.00 62.0 2010  27 SFG
6           Robb Nen  4.84 66.0 2000  30 SFG
7           Rod Beck  4.80 62.0 1996  27 SFG
8    Michael Jackson  4.64 42.1 1994  29 SFG
9           Robb Nen  4.40 88.2 1998  28 SFG
10        Bill Henry  4.38 42.0 1965  37 SFG

By adjusted ERA (ERA+)

Rk            Player ERA+   IP Year Age  Tm
1     Frank Williams  296 52.1 1986  28 SFG
2           Robb Nen  286 66.0 2000  30 SFG
3         Steve Reed  274 54.2 1998  33 SFG
4    Michael Jackson  269 42.1 1994  29 SFG
5           Robb Nen  266 88.2 1998  28 SFG
6        Frank Linzy  253 81.2 1965  24 SFG
7     Jeremy Affeldt  249 62.1 2009  30 SFG
8       Marv Grissom  243 80.2 1956  38 NYG
9    Felix Rodriguez  240 80.1 2001  28 SFG
10     Jeff Brantley  235 86.2 1990  26 SFG
...
13       Sergio Romo  210 36.0 2011  28 SFG

All data provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used Generated 8/4/2011.

To recap, among relievers since 1950 with 35 innings pitched, Romo ranks (1) in BB/9, (1) in SO/9, (1) in SO/BB, and (13) in ERA+. These lists, for the most part, are filled with bullpen aces. You’ve got players like: Rod Beck, Robb Nen, Brian Wilson, Felix Rodriguez, and Jeff Brantley. I think the most striking list is the SO/BB ratio ranking. Romo’s SO/BB (13.00) is nearly double the 2nd best pitcher, Rod Beck (6.63). That’s historic, and just sickening to look at.

Rarely has any reliever combined the ability to strikeout batters with the ability to not walk hitters. What Romo has done, to this point, is jaw-dropping, and bordering on sheer ridiculousness. Romo’s SO/BB is rubbing elbows with some of the most dominant seasons of all-time. Dennis Eckersley’s 1989 (18.33) and 1990 (18.25) are the only two seasons — within our search criteria — that beat Romo’s 2011.

Sergio Romo has quietly become one of the best relievers in baseball. For fans that have watched him pitch the last couple of years, that’s not surprising, but for the rest of the baseball world, they might scratch their heads at the funky frisbee slider throwing pitcher in San Francisco.