Is Jake Arrieta Pitching Better Than Madison Bumgarner Did?

The simple answer to the question is yes. However, Arrieta can only have a better postseason depending on how far the Chicago Cubs go. Bumgarner's team won the World Series last year which is why that is the case. But when talking about the regular season comparison, Arrieta has been a step better than Bumgarner was last year.

Last year, Bumgarner was 18-8 with a 2.84 ERA in 30 starts with the San Francisco Giants. Jake Arrieta is 20-6 so far this year with his ERA at just 1.88. Bumgarner is a pitcher that puts up those great numbers and can pitch so long and effectively. Arrieta is much similar to Bumgarner because he too can pitch long outings. Arrieta has pitched in thirty one starts in the 2015 season and has pitched just eight games where he has not thrown 100 pitches or more. That is an incredible feat for Arrieta and goes to show how much of a star he has become.

Arrieta has also become a first in Major League Baseball and here is what that means: Arrieta since the All-Star Break has been stellar, pitching to an ERA of just 0.86 across 13 starts. He is the first player to pitch to a sub-1.00 ERA in 13 starts or more after the All-Star Break as no other pitcher has done that in MLB history.

That is a ridiculously good stretch of great baseball and Arrieta has not shown any signs of slowing down. To make it even better, he is able to go out and throw over 100 pitches which makes him that much more of a weapon in the Cubs arsenal. Now Arrieta has clearly pitched better than Mad Bum did last year in the regular season but even if the Cubs are able to go deep into the playoffs, it's going to be hard for Arrieta to top him.

Bumgarner was 4-1 in the 2014 postseason with an ERA of just 1.03 and he was also the MVP of the National League Championship Series and the World Series. That was one of the best postseason pitching performances from anyone ever. But with how good Arrieta has pitched thus far in the 2015 season, there is no doub that he has the stuff and the endurance to do what Bumgarner did, or at least come close to doing what he did.

Jake Arrieta is going to be a nightmare for any team that crosses his path in the playoffs and there's no evidence to suggest he cannot be beaten but he can be beaten. It's not impossible for Arrieta to go out and give up more runs than he's used to, which often times is none. He is human, he's not a robot and he is not perfect.

However, based on the way he has pitched and his clear ability to be focused in night in and night and locate good pitch after good pitch, it's most likely going to take a lot of unorthodox baseball. For example, Arrieta's first matchup appears like it is going to be the Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card game.

One way the Pirates may be able to chase Arrieta, which rarely happens, is if they play some small ball. That would include a possible institution of some drag bunts from guys like Starling Marte or Gregory Polanco. If those guys can get on, they have the speed to turn that bunt base hit into essentially a double by stealing second base. That would allow Andrew McCutchen a chance to drive in a run, which would be more likely than not given that McCutchen is hitting .381 this year against Arrieta.

However, that's the problem in facing a guy like Arrieta. He is a star that has risen in Major League Baseball and that is why he has drawn this comparison to Madison Bumgarner and what he did last postseason. Arrieta is the best pitcher in baseball this year with, maybe, the exception of Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers.