The slow death of the starting pitcher has been a tragedy to watch in MLB over the last decade. In 2010, there were 92 qualified starters. That number dipped to 78 by 2015, 61 by 2019, and just 52 this season. Just 15 years after there were, on average, three starters per team that were qualified, teams would be lucky to have more than one.

The traditional starter has also had a sledgehammer taken to it in the postseason, to the point where relievers have thrown more innings than starters in four of the last six postseasons. Gone are the days of short rest, leaning on aces, and abandoning pitch counts. Yet, this postseason felt different. Were the numbers much different? Not particularly, but the vibes were tremendously different.

For one, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing an a

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