R.A. Dickey: Mets Pitcher Is Most Inexplicable MLB Success Story of 2012

In a lot of ways, R.A. Dickey mirrors the 2012 New York Mets. No one had any real expectations for them coming into the season, yet here they are, nearly three months into the season, shocking the world every step of the way. 

Dickey, more so than the team, has been one of the most hard-to-explain success stories in Major League Baseball this season. It's not that he has been terrible in the past and is dominating now. He posted an ERA of 2.84 and 3.28 in 2010 and 2011, respectively, so there is a history of success.

But after posting his second consecutive one-hitter on Monday night against Baltimore, Dickey is showing the world that he is not your typical knuckleball pitcher. 

Dickey might be getting everyone's attention right now, yet he has been doing this all season. His numbers right now are insane—an ERA of 2.00, 103 strikeouts to 21 walks in 99 innings pitched.

According to Fangraphs' WAR, Dickey has been worth 2.6 wins above replacement so far this season. For comparison, that is right behind Stephen Strasburg at 2.7 and the exact same as Matt Cain. 

Yet Dickey is not doing it with the same arsenal that they are. He is throwing a knuckleball, and actually commanding it in the strike zone, which is nearly impossible to do. 

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweeted out Dickey's stats over his last five starts, adding his own personal comment on just how dominant the Mets pitcher has been, especially recently. 

"

Last five starts for Dickey: 41.2 IP, 16 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 52 K. I'll bet decent coin no knuckleball guy has had a run like that.

— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) June 19, 2012"

There are certain players where you just look at their skills and natural talent, and think to yourself that they are going to be stars. 

Dickey certainly does not fit that bill. He made his Major League debut in 2001 with the Texas Rangers, having no success in five seasons. His lowest ERA during that span was 5.09 in 2003, and his stuff was nothing special. His fastball was in the mid- to high-80s. 

He added the knuckleball to his repertoire in 2005, but it is such a strange pitch to throw that no one was going to predict success for Dickey. He would end up being a journeyman who flamed out after a few years. 

Yet here we are, and Dickey is the toast of the baseball world right now. There is no quantifiable way to explain what is happening, or why it is happening. He is just one of those pitchers who seems to defy all the logic fans and analysts try to put into the game of baseball. 

All we know for sure is that Dickey is really, really good. Sometimes that is all you need to know. 

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