If you were trying to come up with one pitcher season that you'd want to try to replicate, you might come up with Bob Gibson's 1968, part of the famed Year of the Pitcher.
Well, that's what Texas Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi is doing right now.
Eovaldi has allowed one run or fewer in 13 of his last 14 starts. The only other pitcher to do that ever, according to OptaStats, is Gibson in 1968.
The latest gem for Eovaldi came Tuesday night at home against the New York Yankees. He went eight innings, striking out six and allowing just a single hit, the only guy he allowed to reach base.
On the season, Eovaldi is now 10-3 with a 1.38 ERA.
Gibson's season stats in 1968 included a 1.12 ERA and 268 strikeouts in 304.2 innings.
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It's safe to say Eovaldi won't throw that many innings, but he just keeps dropping his ERA down further and further.
He was a surprising snub for the All-Star Game, because he already had an ERA in the mid-2s at that point. That snub won't age well, because by the end of this season, Eovaldi could have one of the best ERAs in recent baseball history.
Sure, that statistic isn't everything. Analytics will point to other numbers as more important. But it is a link across eras.
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Gibson's 1.12 mark seemed like one of the most untouchable starting pitcher numbers there is, and while it's unlikely Eovaldi gets that low, the fact that he's in the conversation is remarkable in and of itself.
At 35, Eovaldi has become the best version of himself. The Rangers hardly have to score when he takes the mound and still usually win. It's quite brilliant to watch.
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