Biggest season-to-season drops in a pitcher's win percentage

[Brownieand45sfan]

What are some of the all-time biggest season-to-season drops in a pitcher's win percentage, minimum 135 IP** per year?

One that I remember from my youth is the Cincinnati Reds' Bob Purkey's.
He went from 23-5 in '62 (.821 pct.)
..to 6-10 in '63 (.375 pct.) a .446 point drop.


**About the average IP for a #4 starter today.

[ipitch]

Ray Kolp
14-4 to 5-12
.778 to .294

Steve Hargan
11-3 to 1-13
.786 to .071 (only 113 IP the 2nd year though)

[Utter Chaos]

Not as bad as Kolp but Jim Abbot went from 11-8 (.579) to 2-18 (.100)

On the flip side Carl Schieb went from 1-12 (.077) to 11-7 (.611)

[Buzzaldrin]

How about Jerry Koosman? He went from 21-10 to 8-20 (.677 to .286), AND THEN went from 3-15 to 20-13 (.167 to .606). On the reverse, Scott Stratton went from 3-13 to 34-14 (.188 to .708) as his team went from last to first.

[Brownieand45sfan]

SO FAR, THE LIST:

1. Ray Kolp SLB 1922-1923 14-4 5-12 .778 to .294 for .484
2. Jim Abbott CHW/CAL** 1995-1996 11-8 2-18 .579 to .100 for .479
3. Bob Purkey CIN 1962-1963 23-5 6-10 .821 to .375 for .446
4. Jerry Koosman NYM 1976-1977 21-10 8-20 .677 to .286 for .391

P.S. Roy Face's drop from 18-1 in '59 to 10-8 in '60 (still a winning record!) is a significant .392 drop, but since Face was a reliever he doesn't have the requisite 135 innings pitched to qualify.

**Playing for two teams may make him ineligible. It is less remarkable when a pitcher goes from a first division team to a second division team and the quality of the team is responsible for the sudden loss of wins.

[Buzzaldrin]

Bobo Newsom from 40-41, Vic Willis 1899-1900, were over 400 point drops.

Tom Seeaver 81 to 82- from .875 to .277, that's a 498 drop, but only 111 innings in 82.

Jasion Bere 94-95, .857 to .320- 537 point drop!

[Brownieand45sfan]

I have added Newsom and Willis to the rankings (below).

Seaver and Bere are not eligible because they did not pitch the requisite number of innings in both years (see thread above). Innings thresholds are necessary because, if you didn't have them, a guy who went from 1-0 to 0-1 would take the prize. The innings threshold was set as the amount of innings that might constitute a "full" year for a fourth starter. Inexact science, I know.

1. Ray Kolp SLB 1922-1923 14-4 5-12 .778 to .294 for .484
2. Jim Abbott CHW/CAL** 1995-1996 11-8 2-18 .579 to .100 for .479
3. Bob Purkey CIN 1962-1963 23-5 6-10 .821 to .375 for .446
4. Bobo Newsom DET 1940-1941 21-5 12-20 .808 to .375 for .433
5. Vic Willis BOS (NL) 1899-1900 27-8 10-17 .771 to .370 for .401
6. Jerry Koosman NYM 1976-1977 21-10 8-20 .677 to .286 for .391

Bobo Newsom from 40-41, Vic Willis 1899-1900, were over 400 point drops.

Tom Seeaver 81 to 82- from .875 to .277, that's a 498 drop, but only 111 innings in 82.

Jasion Bere 94-95, .857 to .320- 537 point drop!

[ipitch]

There's a new leader in the clubhouse.

Jose Lima
2004-2005
.722 to .238 = -.4841
(Ray Kolp is -.4836)

Cal McLish
.703 to .222 = -.481

George McConnell
.714 to .250 = -.464

[Utter Chaos]

.... Innings thresholds are necessary because, if you didn't have them, a guy who went from 1-0 to 0-1 would take the prize....

Or somebody like Aaron Small who went 10-0 in 2005 (76 IP) and 0-3 in 2006 (27 2/3 IP).

[brett]

Maybe we should look at most games above .500 dropping to most games below .500?

[Buzzaldrin]

There's a new leader in the clubhouse.

Jose Lima
2004-2005
.722 to .238 = -.4841
(Ray Kolp is -.4836)

Cal McLish
.703 to .222 = -.481

George McConnell
.714 to .250 = -.464

Nope, Jason Bere still has a 509 point drop (I did the math wrong before), in over 135 innings each season. I don't know why he's not being counted.

[Utter Chaos]

Chief Bender 1914 (17-3 .850) to 1915 (4-16 .200). A .650 drop although 1915 was in the Federal League.

[Buzzaldrin]

The that counts double! The FL was weaker than the AL and chalking up that kind of pct, especially for a HOFer, makes him a proud addition to the list.

[Brownieand45sfan]

W-O-W! That is a research subject there. What was it about the FL that stumped the Hall of Famer (Bender) so? And he had a winning record for the balance of his three seasons after the FL, so it was not like he was at the dead end of his career. Maybe the FL had stiffer competition than previously thought. Or maybe Bender suffered from the harsher travel, hotel, clubhouse, etc. accommodations that presumably the FL had as a former minor league.

P.S. apologies for not counting Bere earlier. and I will update the leader board later.

P.P.S. Games over .500 would make things easier, for sure. Maybe we could use PCT in the case of a tie. Please include the "Games Swing" from above .500 to below on future submissions. Thanks.

The that counts double! The FL was weaker than the AL and chalking up that kind of pct, especially for a HOFer, makes him a proud addition to the list.

[Utter Chaos]

Using largest number of "Game Swings" then here are some.

Charles Radbourne 1884 (+47), 1885 (+7) = difference of 40

Since 1900
Jack Chesbro 1904 (+29), 1905 (+4) = difference of 25
Lefty Gomez 1934 (+21), 1935 (-3) = 24
Steve Carlton 1972 (+17), 1973 (-7) = 24
Ron Bryant 1973 (+12), 1974 (-12 but only 126 2/3 IP) = 24

Howie Camnitz might be the only person that had 20 or more twice
1909 (+21), 1910 (-1) = 22
1912 (+10), 1913 (-11) = 21