Is the CPBL's Mike Loree Asia's Pitching MVP?

Fubon Guardians' Mike Loree may be more valuable to his team than other pitchers on the continent.
Photo: The Oliver Photo 

When you think about the best and most valuable pitcher in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) over a span of the last two-and-a-half seasons, there is only one answer. But is Fubon Guardians’ Mike Loree the most valuable pitcher to his team on the entire continent? There is a really good case to prove that he is.

Since his return to Taiwan after a brief stint in Korea with the KT Wiz, Loree (pronounced low-Ray) has won the league's Top-Nine Award for the best pitcher each of the past two seasons. The uber-competitor has also led the league in ERA and wins in consecutive seasons while finishing first in strikeouts in 2015 and second in 2016. The clean sweep in 2015 earned the right-hander the CPBL's pitching triple crown, an accomplishment the pitcher describes as the personal goal which he is most proud of. His greatest professional achievement: his 2016 CPBL championship last year with the now-defunct EDA Rhinos.

“I always want to win,” Loree explained in the Fubon Guardians’ dugout before a game versus the Chinatrust Brothers earlier this year.  “It never gets boring. Nothing beats winning. Every time I go out there it is a new opportunity to do that. That's what I like doing, winning games.”

It's safe to say that the 6’5” pitcher has a gift for winning as he has been the winningest pitcher in the league since 2015. At a record of 33 wins and 17 losses, the Guardians ace has made 70 appearances covering nearly two-and-a-half seasons (120-game schedule). That works out to 24 percent of all the club's games.

The 2016 EDA Rhinos defeated the Chinatrust Brothers in six  games to capture the Taiwan Series.
Photo: The Oliver Photo 

If you dig a little deeper into Loree's starts, you see that even in the games where he was left with a no-decision, the self-proclaimed aggressive pitcher gave his team a chance to win on a nightly basis. In 78 percent of his starts since 2015, Iron-Mike’s team was leading or tied at the time of his departure. To simplify that, Loree’s team is losing about once a month after he is relieved. That's pretty insane.

“It's figuring out ways to get better and continually improve,” illustrated the Villanova alumnus. “Never try to stay stagnant or complacent. I'm always looking for new information and ways to improve as a pitcher.”

His 2016 numbers might not jump out at you, but understanding that every one of Loree’s opponents set franchise highs in runs scored, hits and home runs last year are important parts of why his 3.98 ERA led the league. Some data provided to CPBL English indicates that from 2015 to 2016, the league’s BABIP went up from .294 to .349, a 55-point increase. There is also this insane visual of how much home runs increased in 2016. Simply put, the league went bananas offensively but the New Jersey-born pitcher stayed consistently strong as his 149.57 ERA+ proves. The next best pitcher last year registered a 131.34 ERA+, 14 percent worse than Loree.

If the last two seasons were his Blood Sex Sugar Magik than that would make this year his Californication. After missing the first month of this season with a minor oblique injury, Loree came out of the gates on a mission. The Guardians hurler is 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in nine starts. What's even more impressive than those numbers is that the Guardians have won just 12 games since Loree’s return on April 16. Also, the defending champs are scoring just 4.35 runs per game while the rest of the league is averaging 5.67 runs a game.

“For a right-handed pitcher that doesn't break 144 kph (89 mph) and have the success he's had here is awesome,” said teammate and fellow Fubon Guardians pitcher Scott Richmond. “He's got a wipeout split and is pretty pinpoint with his fastball command and pitches on both sides of the plate early and late in counts.”

In five of his nine starts this year, Loree has yielded zero runs in 35 innings while striking out 10-plus batters three times. The uptick in strikeouts has been a huge improvement as his 2017 mark of 9.65 K/9—best in the league—is quite the improvement on his CPBL career mark of 6.7 K/9 since 2012. Not bad for a right-hander who tops out at 89 MPH.

Loree showing off his splitter before a game between the Fubon Guardians and the Chinatrust Brothers in early April, 2017.
Photo: The Oliver Photo 

Let's look at some other stats to support the argument that Loree is Asia’s pitching MVP:

• Loree has lasted seven innings or more in 31 of his 67 starts (46%); he has also allowed one run or less in 24, while in 16 of those starts he didn't give up a run at all.
• The righty has only lost back-to-back starts once in two-and-a-half years.  
• Since 2015, there have been 51 import players in the four-team league; Loree is the only one to begin and finish each of the last three seasons.
• In each of his last ten starts in 2015 and 2016, the former 50th-round MLB draft pick has gone 11-3 and his team was 14-5-1 in those games.
• The Rhinos/Guardians have a winning percentage of .469 (135-153) since 2015; Loree has s winning mark of .66 (33-17).
• Led the CPBL in WHIP and ERA+ in 2015 and 2016.
• Two-time CPBL Gold Glove Award winner (2013 and 2015).
• Two-time CPBL champion (2012 and 2015)

Mike Loree's stats covering two-and-a-half seasons beginning in 2015. No CPBL pitcher has been as statistically dominant as Loree over this period.

“Confidence, intelligence, willing to listen, being able to change, and setting goals,” the 2016 CPBL champion explained as five important qualities needed in order to be the best.

I understand that the NPB and KBO may have more talent when it comes to pitchers, (KBO’s Dustin Nippert, Hector Noesi, Eric Hacker and NPB’s Shohei Otani, Tomoyuki Sugano and Randy Messenger) hence them paying their players five-to-ten times more than here in Taiwan. However, when it comes down to total value to their team, Mike Loree can go toe-to-toe with any of the best in Asia.

As Richmond can attest, “It's insane pitching here. Mike is a unicorn 🦄”

Disagree with this assessment? Would happily publish any counter argument.  Just email us at cpblenglish@gmail.com