Jim Konstanty
The first relief pitcher to win an MVP award, Konstanty revolutionized how baseball viewed closers in 1950 when he appeared in 74 games for the Phillies' "Whiz Kids" pennant winners. His 16-7 record and 2.66 ERA that season came almost entirely out of the bullpen — a radical departure from the era's starter-heavy approach.
That peak season produced an otherworldly 442 ERA+, meaning he was more than four times better than league average. Even more remarkably, Philadelphia trusted him to start Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees, the ultimate validation of his value.
Konstanty's career 146 ERA+ across 13 seasons proves he wasn't just a one-year wonder. He threw a devastating palm ball that kept hitters off balance, finishing with a 3.46 ERA in 433 appearances. His MVP trophy opened the door for relief aces like Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers to follow.
Career · Hitting
11 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | CIN | 20 | 34 | 0 | 2 | .294 | — | — |
| 1946 | BSN | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — |
| 1948 | PHI | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — |
| 1949 | PHI | 53 | 17 | 0 | 1 | .176 | — | — |
| 1950 | PHI | 74 | 37 | 0 | 3 | .108 | — | — |
| 1951 | PHI | 58 | 19 | 0 | 0 | .158 | — | — |
| 1952 | PHI | 42 | 14 | 0 | 2 | .071 | — | — |
| 1953 | PHI | 48 | 50 | 0 | 5 | .220 | — | — |
| 1954 | PHI | 42 | 16 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | — |
| 1955 | NYY | 45 | 8 | 0 | 0 | .125 | .347 | — |
| 1956 | NYY | 35 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | — |
| Career | 433 | 202 | 0 | 14 | .163 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
11 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | CIN | 20 | 112.7 | 6 | 4 | 2.80 | 128 | 19 | 1.296 |
| 1946 | BSN | 10 | 15.3 | 0 | 1 | 5.28 | 68 | 9 | 1.565 |
| 1948 | PHI | 6 | 9.7 | 1 | 0 | 0.93 | 442 | 7 | 0.931 |
| 1949 | PHI | 53 | 97.0 | 9 | 5 | 3.25 | 127 | 43 | 1.309 |
| 1950 | PHI | 74 | 152.0 | 16 | 7 | 2.66 | 164 | 56 | 1.039 |
| 1951 | PHI | 58 | 115.7 | 4 | 11 | 4.05 | 100 | 27 | 1.366 |
| 1952 | PHI | 42 | 80.0 | 5 | 3 | 3.94 | 94 | 16 | 1.350 |
| 1953 | PHI | 48 | 170.7 | 14 | 10 | 4.43 | 93 | 45 | 1.406 |
| 1954 | PHI | 42 | 68.7 | 3 | 4 | 3.01 | 130 | 14 | 1.325 |
| 1955 | NYY | 45 | 73.7 | 7 | 2 | 2.32 | 172 | 19 | 1.249 |
| 1956 | STL | 35 | 50.3 | 1 | 1 | 4.65 | 85 | 13 | 1.450 |
| Career | 433 | 945.8 | 66 | 48 | — | — | 268 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.