Kevin Appier was arguably one of the most underrated Pitchers of the 1990s, and perhaps we can shed some light on a career that feels unknown outside of Kansas City.
After finishing 12-8 with a third-place finish in Cy Young voting in 1990, Appier was a fundamentally sound, albeit somewhat hidden, player in the small market of Kansas City. The righthander had a great 1993 season, going 18-8, and leading the American League in ERA (2.56), ERA+ (179), FIP (2.90), and bWAR (9.3). Appier was third in Cy Young voting, though his bWAR was more than double that of the winner, Jack McDowell of Chicago. Appier would finally earn an All-Star berth in 1995, though it would be the only one he attended.
In his time with the Royals, Appier had seven top-ten finishes in bWAR, five ERA top-ten finishes, and four top-five finishes in Strikeouts. Despite these strong stats, the 1993 season was the only year that he received a Cy Young vote.
Following the Royals, Appier played for Oakland, New York (NL), and Anaheim, where he won a World Series Ring in 2002. He returned to KC to finish his career, retiring in 2004. Appier left the game with a 169-137 record with 1,994 Strikeouts.
Comments powered by CComment