Bernfield: Chicago Cubs' Arrieta up there with the greats
Twenty wins, 1 loss.
An ERA of 0.86.
A WHIP of 0.70.
Thirty-three walks, 173 strikeouts.
Two no-hitters.
The statistics from Jake Arrieta's last 24 regular-season appearances sound like they're from a video game.
In the Chicago Cubs' 16-0 victory Thursday, the Reds couldn't muster even one threatening line drive against Arrieta. Despite this, Arrieta admitted he didn't have his best stuff. He called his pregame bullpen session "sloppy" and said he didn't feel locked in until the fifth inning.
And he still didn't allow a hit.
What we're watching right now compares only to some of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. Baseball statistician Scott Lindholm points out that Arrieta's 24 consecutive quality starts are tied for the third-longest streak since 1913.
Only Cardinals legend Bob Gibson (26 between 1967-68) and White Sox right-hander Eddie Cicotte (25 between 1916-17) have had longer stretches of brilliance. And Arrieta's ERA during this stretch is lower than what they achieved.
Gibson never had a stretch of 24 starts with an ERA as low as 0.86.
Arrieta's 24 quality-start run is longer and more statistically dominant than the highlight stretches in the careers of Hall of Famers Walter Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Greg Maddux.
If Arrieta pitches at least 6 innings and allows 3 runs or fewer in each of his next 3 starts, he will pass Gibson for the longest quality start streak in major-league history. He needs only 5 strikeouts and must walk fewer than 10 batters to best Gibson in both categories.
And to think, just three years ago the Baltimore Orioles optioned him to the minor leagues with an ERA north of 5.00.
Arrieta emerged last season as the unquestioned ace of the Cubs' pitching staff, winning the Cy Young Award in a year when Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw both had remarkable seasons.
Arrieta posted a 9.0 WAR, and his historic second-half dominance (12-1, 0.75 ERA) led the team back to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
No one thought Arrieta could continue to dominate at that level.
But here he is, 4 starts into the 2016 season, with a 4-0 record, a 0.87 ERA, and a no-hitter under his belt.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network recently told the "Mully and Hanley Show" on 670 The Score that the Cubs' acquisition of Arrieta and Pedro Strop from Baltimore for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger might just be the best baseball trade ever.
He just might be right.
• Jordan Bernfield is an anchor and co-host of "Inside The Clubhouse" on WSCR 670-AM The Score. He also works as a play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN. Follow him on Twitter@JordanBernfield.