Trevor Williams Has Been Historically Good

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 03: Trevor Williams #34 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on September 3, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 03: Trevor Williams #34 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on September 3, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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Trevor Williams has been making history since the All-Star Break

Think back to the 2015 season. Are we there? Yes? Okay, good.

Remember how the Pittsburgh Pirates won 98 games that season only to be stuck playing in the National League Wild Card Game due to a broken playoff system? Remember, worst of all, knowing the Pirates had no shot at winning that game due to how good Cubs’ starter Jake Arrieta had been since the All-Star Break? Well, since this past July’s All-Star Break Pirate starting pitcher Trevor Williams has been even better than 2015 Arrieta.

On Monday afternoon Williams made his eighth start since the All-Star Break. After firing 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Reds on Monday, Williams owns a 0.72 ERA in these eight starts. This is the lowest post-break ERA in Major League history, surpassing Arrieta’s 0.81 ERA in 14 post-break starts in 2015.

In these eight starts Williams has allowed just four earned runs in 49 2/3 innings pitched. He has allowed just 37 hits, three home runs, and has issued just 14 walks.

Taking it back one more start to July 11th, and Williams is currently riding the best nine-game stretch in the long history of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his last nine starts Williams’ ERA is 0.66 which the lowest ERA in any nine-game stretch for a starting pitcher in franchise history.

Williams has now made nine starts this season in which he has pitched 5+ innings without allowing a run. This is two more such starts than anyone else in the Majors, and, in these games, the Pirates are 9-0 with eight shutouts.

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Right now, Trevor Williams is on a historically good run. Not only is he riding the best nine-start stretch in Pirate history, he is also rewriting MLB history for success after the All-Star Break. Watching to see if Williams can remain this hot throughout the final month of the season will be worth watching.

Due to the run Williams is on, he finds himself sitting ninth in the National League in ERA. Do not be surprised to see Williams receive some votes for the NL Cy Young Award after the season.