10 MLB Pitchers Who Receive the Most Run Support

There’s more to being a pitcher in the MLB than just a win-loss record.

So often, we talk about things like earned run average, wins, K/9 and WHIP, but we fail to take into account a very important category—run support.

Thanks to a handy chart at ESPN.com, an aggregate for this statistic can be used to determine which pitchers in MLB are backed by their team’s offense better than the rest. Some of the results will surprise you.

A few of this year’s hottest pitchers can be found near the top, but not necessarily in the top 10.

New York Mets knuckle-baller R.A. Dickey, who is 12-1 on the season, only ranks No. 23 in run support with an average of 7.06. 

Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox also comes in pretty high on the list at No. 17, but even his run support average of 7.40 is far from being the highest.

People have long argued the validity of run support, but the following list should illustrate the importance of a team supporting their pitcher.

10. Jake Arietta: 7.73

Jake Arietta of the Baltimore Orioles is one of the pitchers on the list who illustrates why run support isn’t everything.

Despite being backed by, on average, 7.73 runs scored per game, he has only put together a 3-9 record to date.

He has a decent strikeout total, but has given up a lot of runs (69).

9. Zack Greinke: 8.22

Greinke, on the other hand, is a prime example of a pitcher who has benefited from run support.

With a decent 3.57 ERA, Greinke has held opposing teams to only 46 earned runs.

A hefty 117 strikeouts in 116 is also a nice benefit.

Greinke, assuming the Milwaukee Brewers do in fact trade him, can expect a hefty pay day in the offseason.  

8. Rick Porcello: 8.36

In 18 starts, Rick Porcello has reeled in a 6-5 record for the Detroit Tigers. An 8.36 RS average has been a real benefit for Porcello, who has a 4.66 ERA and an opposing BA of .320. 

7. Mike Minor: 8.51

Mike Minor is another pitcher who has struggled to get the job done with good run support.

The Atlanta Braves hurler ranks 99^th in ERA (5.97) in all of MLB and has given up 61 earned runs in only 92 innings.

Minor has held together a 5-6 record in 2012.

6. Max Scherzer: 8.53

While Scherzer’s ERA might be a bit inflated (4.82), good run support and a small mountain of strikeouts (125) have helped him put together a solid 8-5 record.

Despite the fact that opposing batters are hitting .276 off of him, he is still putting together a good season.

The Detroit Tigers take good care of Scherzer backing him with an average of 8.53 runs per nine innings.

5. Ricky Romero: 8.53

Romero ranks 92^nd in ERA (5.22), but has held things together with an 8-6 record for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012.

He’s thrown an impressive total of 122.1 innings for the Jays so far in 2012, and they have rewarded him with some serious run support.

Romero receives an average of 8.53 runs behind him in every nine innings.

4. Jered Weaver: 8.77

Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is near the top in a lot of categories.

In 2012, Weaver sports the third best ERA in all of MLB (2.26) and a top notch 11-1 record.

Weaver is good with or without run support—that happens when opposing batters are hitting only .202 off of you.

He has surrendered only 26 earned runs this season, nowhere near the amount that his offense has given him.

3. Lance Lynn: 8.84

Lance Lynn of the St. Louis Cardinals has had an amazing first year as a major league starting pitcher.

He has an 11-4 record with 115 strikeouts in 110 innings. He keeps runs to a minimum having given up only 40 this year.

Even without the team-leading 8.84 RS average, Lynn would be off to a great start.

2. Clay Buchholz: 9.32

Clay Buchholz and his 8-3 record have been a blessing to the Boston Red Sox in 2012.

He sports a hefty 5.54 ERA, but he’s made great strides to improve that with a 4.10 ERA in his last 10 starts.

Coming in at No. 2, the Boston Red Sox have done a good job of making sure that Buchholz has the runs he needs behind him to get the job done.

1. Felix Doubront: 10.38

The Red Sox take the top two spots on the list with Felix Doubront sitting at the helm.

Doubront has had a whopping 10.38 runs of support on average. That’s more than a full point ahead of his closest competition.

It’s been handy for him, too.

Doubront has a 9-4 record on the season and a 4.41 ERA. He’s a good strikeout pitcher (98) and has held opposing batters to a .258 average.

While there may not be a specific correlation between run support and wins, there’s no doubt that pitchers prefer the backup.

Another interesting point is that six of the 10 pitchers listed fall below 80^th in ERA among all of MLB.

This is a subject that will continue to be debated for years to come, but one thing is for sure—teams that support their pitcher win games.