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Jim Johnson Today, 2013


OFFNY

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I think it is safe to say now he is the best closer in the game right now passing Kimbrell who blew another save tonight.

If you look at him, his stuff etc nothing about it screams closer IMO but yet the guy is lights out the prob best closer in baseball right now and certainly in the top 5 IMO.

I love JJ as our closer because he rarely beats himself. If your going to beat him your gonna have to earn it. JJ in some ways reminds me of how Smoltz was as a closer. Not overpowering (but not throwing fluff either) but smart, in control and aggressive. We are very lucky to have him

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Perhaps the best thing about Johnson has been his relative consistency. Check his numbers back to 2008 and you'll see pretty similar seasons from '08 to '11-'12 and '13 so far. 2009 wasn't too far off and of course 2010 was a partial season.

Compare that to for example Fernando Rodney who had an outlier season last year and is currently sporting a 5.06 ERA and 1.781 WHIP.

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Perhaps the best thing about Johnson has been his relative consistency. Check his numbers back to 2008 and you'll see pretty similar seasons from '08 to '11-'12 and '13 so far. 2009 wasn't too far off and of course 2010 was a partial season.

Compare that to for example Fernando Rodney who had an outlier season last year and is currently sporting a 5.06 ERA and 1.781 WHIP.

Maybe Fernando and Strop were messed up by the WBC?

And Johnson has been pretty solid for us for years.

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Idunno. A number of starting pitchers from the WBC are doing well (Hisashi Iwakuma, Scot Shields, Yu Darvish). LaTroy Hawkins is doing alright, he hasn't given up a walk yet in the regular season. Brad Ziegler is having a fine start to the season for Arizona.

My point is that the conventional phrase is "relief pitching is volatile" but Johnson is an exception to that rule. Darren O' Day is, too.

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