Willie Hernández is one of 11 MLB pitchers in history to win both the MVP and Cy Young award in the same season. In that 1984 season, he appeared in 80 games out of the bullpen, going 9-3 with 32 saves in 33 chances. He had a 1.92 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 112 strikeouts against just 28 walks in a whopping 140 1/3 innings. The 4.8 WAR is one of the 25 highest marks ever by a reliever. The Tigers went on to win 104 games that regular season, and went 7-1 in the playoffs to win the World Series.
October 11, 2024