Chicago Cubs: Jake Arrieta’s place amongst all-time team greats

Best four-year runs? 

Assessing Arrieta’s four peak seasons is even more difficult. Again, no question who tops the list. Jenkins’ six-consecutive 20-win seasons from 1967 to 1972 puts him in an elite class. Only 12 pitchers in baseball history have posted more consecutive 20-win seasons, with only three after 1900 and none after 1933.

In his stretch, Jenkins averaged 306 innings, a 3.00 ERA, 2.77 FIP and 1.072 WHIP. Though I’m not a big WAR guy, Jenkins’ best four-year WAR of 30.8 WAR completely eclipses Arreita’s 19.3 and illustrates just how elite Jenkins was.

For what it’s worth, since 1920, Arrieta’s 19.3 ranked 9th among other Cubs pitchers’ best four-consecutive seasons. Calculating using Fangraph’s fWAR mostly just reshuffled the Top 10, with Arrieta moving up to a more impressive 6th place tie:

     WAR, 4 consecutive years                             fWAR, 4 consecutive years
1. Ferguson Jenkins (1968-71) – 30.8         1. Ferguson Jenkins (1968-71) – 33.6
2. Pete Alexander (1920-23) – 26.5            2. Greg Maddux (1989-92) – 23.6
3. Rick Reuschel (1977-1980) – 26.3          3. Rick Reuschel (1976-1979) – 20.5
4. Carlos Zambrano (2003-06) – 23.4         4. Bill Hands (1969-72) – 20.4
5. Lon Warneke (1932-35) – 22.9                 5. Pete Alexander (1920-23) – 20.2
6. Greg Maddux (1989-92) – 21.6                 6(t) Jake Arrieta (2014-17) – 18.5
7. Bill Lee (1936-39) – 21.3                             6(t) Claude Passeau (1939-42) – 18.5
8. Bill Hands (1969-72) – 20.7                       8. Bob Rush (1952-55) – 18.1
9. Jake Arrieta (2014-17) – 19.3                   9(t) Carlos Zambrano (2003-06) – 17.5
10. Claude Passeau (1939-42) – 18.6         9(t) Lon Warneke (1932-35) – 17.5

Shorter runs for elite pitchers common

Are these fair rankings? However you cut it, it would appear Jenkins, Maddux, Reuschel and Alexander occupy a higher tier. But since I never saw the old-timers (except Jenkins during his brief early ’80s Cubs return), your guess is as good as mine.

But this examination did separately reveal that most great Cubs pitchers have far shorter tenures that the team’s offensive stars. This includes the five Hall of Famers most associated with the Cubs (Jenkins, Maddux, Brown, Clarkson and Alexander), none of whom pitched more than 10 Cubs seasons.

Next: In last two years' LaStella has turned complete 180

Might a Kyle Hendricks change this? Perhaps, but with just 38 wins in his first four years, he’s got quite a haul ahead to surpass the heretofore not mentioned Charlie Root and his franchise-leading 201 career wins.

(Pop Quiz answer: Jake Arrieta’s Cubs number was 49.)