Which Pitchers Get The Most Run Support?

Who are the luckiest pitcher in terms or run support this season and beyond?

By Brett Kelly

In baseball, "run support" is a general pitcher statistic quantifying how many runs the pitcher's team scores in games that they pitch. Throughout the season, it seemed to me like the Detroit Tigers scored a lot of runs almost every time starting pitcher Tarik Skubal took the mound, despite sporting a below average offense overall. 

This gave me the idea to set out and find which pitchers are getting the most and least run support this season, as well as historically, starting with the below graphic.

All data is through August 26th, 2024

Of all pitchers with 15+ games started in 2024, New York Mets pitcher David Peterson has received the most run support - the Mets score an average of 6.93 runs in games started by Peterson. In six of his fifteen starts, the Mets scored 9 or more runs leading them to a 12-3 record in games started by Peterson. Of pitchers with 20+ starts, Grayson Rodriguez of the Baltimore Orioles leads the way with 6.3 runs scored per start. Interestingly enough, his teammate Albert Suarez ranks in the bottom five of run support among pitchers with 15+ starts (124 out of 128) as the Orioles score an average of 3.17 runs per Suarez start. Finally, before his trade to the Baltimore Orioles, Trevor Rogers started 21 games for the Miami Marlins in which the Marlins scored a total of only 57 runs, or 2.71 runs per start. This ranks last among all pitchers with 15+ starts.

The Marlins rank second-to-last in total runs scored so this isn't too eye-popping. The follow-up question is: Which pitcher's are receiving the most/least run support compared to other pitchers on the same team?

David Peterson again leads the way here, as the New York Mets score an average of 2.46 more runs in games started by Peterson compared to games started by any other pitcher. My intuitions on Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal were correct, as the Tigers have scored 5.54 runs per game started by Skubal, compared to only 3.94 runs in games started by other pitchers. Albert Suarez of the Baltimore Orioles seems to be the most unlucky of the bunch, as the O's are scoring 2.11 more runs per game in games started by others versus games started by Suarez. I mentioned earlier that the Mets scored 9+ in six out of fifteen Peterson starts. The Orioles, on the other hand, have scored 9+ in zero of Suarez's eighteen starts, despite recording a higher run tally on the season than the Mets.

How does Peterson's run support rank all time among pitchers with 15+ starts in a season?

If the season were to end today, David Peterson would have the fifth most run support on a per-game basis by any pitcher since 2007, and the most since Jack Flaherty in 2021 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Leading the way is Matt Harrison, where in 2008, The Rangers scored 120 runs in his 15 starts (8 runs per game). In five of his fifteen starts, the Rangers scored 12 or more runs. Texas finished the season 11-4 in games started by Harrison, despite his subpar 5.49 ERA.