What was Mariano Rivera’s best season?
Was it 1996, when he came out of nowhere to be the bullpen workhorse for the World Series champion Yankees, throwing 107 innings, giving up 73 hits, striking out 130, finishing third in Cy Young voting as a middle reliever, giving up one run in 14.1 innings in the postseason, and prompting Twins’ manager Tom Kelly to say “We don’t need to face him anymore… He needs to pitch in a higher league, if there is one. Ban him from baseball. He should be illegal.”
Or maybe it was 1999, when he led the league in saves, held opponents to a .176 average and a .476 OPS, didn’t give up a run in 12.1 postseason innings, finished third again in Cy Young voting, and was named World Series MVP?
Or maybe it was 2004, when he racked up 53 saves in 57 opportunities, finished third again in Cy Young voting, and ninth in the MVP vote?
No, it has to be 2005, when he came in with a career-best 1.38 ERA, gave up 9 extra-base hits in 283 at bats, allowed only 2 of 18 inherited runners to score, and finished second in Cy Young and ninth again in MVP voting.
How about 2008 when he notched a 1.40 ERA, gave up a ridiculous 41 hits and 6 walks against 77 strikeouts in 70.2 innings, held opponents to a .190 on-base percentage, and blew only one save all year?
Wait – how about 2009, when he saved 44 in 46 opportunities and gave up one run in 16 postseason innings to lead the Yankees to another World Series championship?
Is there any other player in baseball history – not just a relief pitcher, but any player at all – whose best season is so difficult to pick out?