Ben Sheets enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2004, posting a 2.70 ERA and setting the new single-season record for strikeouts by a Brewers pitcher. But how does Big Ben's 2004 campaign stack up against the greatest seasons by a hurler in Brewers history? Where does he rank on the All-Time list?

This article will seek to answer those questions using one of many potential statistical tools, Baseball Prospectus' Value Over Replacement Player (VORP). While there are a number of other ways to evaluate and rank historical seasons, VORP was chosen because it takes into account the two things pitchers must do to be successful: pitch well, and pitch often. Developed by Keith Woolner, it is a measurement of "the number of runs a pitcher surrenders below what a replacement level pitcher would have given up in the same number of innings." A counting stat, VORP allows us to compare pitchers from different eras because it is calculated in the context of each pitcher's league and ballpark.

Thus, without further ado, this article presents a list of the greatest seasons by a pitcher in Brewers history. In addition to a brief overview of their season, each pitcher's season in the top ten includes a table listing their appearances (G) and starts (GS), won-loss record (W-L), innings pitched (IP), earned run average (ERA), adjusted ERA compared to the league average (ERA+), hits per nine innings (H/9), walks per nine innings (BB/9), strikeouts per nine innings (SO/9), and VORP.

01. Mike Caldwell - 1978

Acquired in a trade with the Reds in June of the previous season (in which Cincinnati received Dick O'Keefe and Garry Pyka, neither of whom ever saw time in the big leagues), Caldwell rebounded from a disappointing 1977 to dominate the American League. He finished second in wins, third in ERA, third in innings, first in complete games (with a remarkable 23), and second in the Cy Young race behind the Yankees Ron Guidry. At 29, Caldwell's 1978 season was the best of his career and still holds the Brewers record for wins, ERA, complete games, and shutouts. It was, in other words, the greatest in Brewers history.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 37/34   22-9   293.1   2.36   160   7.9   1.7   4.0   77.7 |
+ ========================================================== +

02. Teddy Higuera - 1986

The Mexican phenom, Higuera burst onto the scene in 1985 as a 26-year old rookie and went 15-8 with an ERA fifty-six percent better than his league's average. A veteran of the Mexican League, Higuera pitched brilliantly in 1996 and won 20 games for the only time in his career. An All-Star on a Brewers team that finished 77-84, the southpaw finished second in the league in ERA, third in wins, and second in the Cy Young, bested only by fellow-phenom Roger Clemens.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 34/34   20-11  248.1   2.79   156   8.2   2.7   7.5   73.7 |
+ ========================================================== +

03. Teddy Higuera - 1988

Higuera won 18 games and finished sixth in the Cy Young in 1987 but was even better (if less heralded) in 1988. On a Milwaukee club that won 87 games but found itself in fourth place in the AL East, Higuera finished second in the league in ERA, first in WHIP (walks plus hits per inning), second in hits allowed per nine innings, and second in both strikeouts and strikeouts per nine. His 2.45 ERA was the best of his career and, at 29, marked its apex. The injury bug bit and Higuera declined quickly, memories all that remained of his knee-buckling stuff.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 31/31   16-9   227.1   2.45   162   6.7   2.3   7.6   69.4 |
+ ========================================================== +

04. Ben Sheets - 2004

After three solid-but-unspectacular seasons, the Olympic Hero finally came into his own as a 25-year old in 2004. On a 67-win Brewers team, Sheets won only twelve games despite finishing third in the league in ERA, second in WHIP, and second in strikeouts. An All-Star for the second time, Sheets reached double digits in strikeouts nine times (including an 18-K effort that set the new club record) and shattered the Brewers season strikeout mark with 264.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 34/34   12-14  237.0   2.70   154   7.6   1.2  10.0   66.8 |
+ ========================================================== +

05. Ben McDonald - 1996

The number one overall pick in 1989 by the Orioles, the 6-foot-7 McDonald became one of the biggest free agent signings in Brewers history (literally and figuratively) when he was inked as a 28-year old before the 1996 season. Coming off a 1995 campaign in which he pitched only 80 innings because of shoulder problems, McDonald (and his agent Scott Boras) convinced Sal Bando and the Brewers that he was healthy and signed with Milwaukee for two-years and $5.75 million with incentives that could escalate to three-years and $13.3 million. The team's Opening Day starter, McDonald finished second in the league in starts and ninth in ERA but broke down in 1997 and never pitched in the big leagues again.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 35/35   12-10  221.1   3.90   134   9.3   2.7   5.9   62.4 |
+ ========================================================== +

06. Moose Haas - 1980

Only 24 but already in his fifth season as a Brewer, Haas anchored an excellent rotation and proved incredibly durable. Sixth in the league in ERA and innings and seventh in complete games, Haas posted a misleading 16-15 record on a good team that finished third in the AL East. An important piece of the early-80s Brewers puzzle, Haas remained in Milwaukee through the 1985 season before ending his career in Oakland with exactly 100 wins.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 33/33   16-15  252.1   3.10   125   8.8   2.0   5.2   58.9 |
+ ========================================================== +

07. Jeff D'Amico - 2000

Perhaps the most surprising member of this list, D'Amico's 2000 campaign was the best of his career by a wide margin and the only season in which he has posted an ERA above the league average. The Brewers' first round pick in 1993, the 6-foot-7 right-hander was brilliant in 23 starts and finished third in the league in ERA (second in adjusted ERA+). Plagued by arm problems, Big Daddy was limited to just 162 and a third innings even in his breakthrough season and has never topped the 200-inning threshold. After pitching terribly for the Brewers in 2001, D'Amico was dealt as part of the Jeremy Burnitz trade to the Mets and has since pitched for the Pirates and Indians. Now 29, he's still battling arm injuries and holding out hope for a return to the form he flashed in 2000.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 23/23   12-7   162.1   2.66   169   7.9   2.6   5.6   58.4 |
+ ========================================================== +

08. Teddy Higuera - 1987

The only pitcher whose name is found three times on this list, Higuera won 18 games in 1987 while fanning 240 opposing hitters, the club record until Sheets' 2004 campaign. He struck-out thirteen batsmen twice and topped double digits ten times. Phenomenal after the All-Star break, Higuera set his personal career highs in innings and appearances.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 35/35   18-10  261.2   3.85   120   8.1   3.0   8.3   58.1 |
+ ========================================================== +

09. Mike Caldwell - 1979

It would have been difficult to replicate the year Caldwell put up in 1978, but the NC State-alum put together a solid season in 1979. A 16-game winner, Caldwell finished sixth in the league in ERA and helped the Brewers finish second in the AL East with a 95-66 record. Then 30, Caldwell spent the rest of his career with Milwaukee and retired after the 1984 season with a 137-130 record and ERA one percent below the league average.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 30/30   16-6   235.0   3.29   127   9.7   1.5   3.4   55.8 |
+ ========================================================== +

10a. Lary Sorensen - 1978

An eight round pick of the Brewers in 1976 out of the University of Michigan, Sorensen was in the big leagues the following season and put together an outstanding campaign in 1978 as a 22-year old. Forming a potent one-two punch with Caldwell, Sorensen finished ninth in the league in wins with 18 and was named to his first and only All-Star team. He spent the next two seasons with the Brewers before being dealt to the Cardinals as part of the trade that netted Milwaukee Pete Vukovich, Rollie Fingers, and Ted Simmons. After eleven big league seasons, Sorensen hung up the spikes and went into broadcasting where he worked for the Tigers and ESPN. Alcoholism got the best of him, however, and Sorensen is currently serving a prison term in his native Michigan for a variety of drunk driving-related offenses.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 37/36   18-12  280.2   3.21   118   8.9   1.6   2.5   49.7 |
+ ========================================================== +

10b. Bill Wegman - 1992

As part of the last winning team in Brewers history, Wegman was the workhorse in an outstanding young rotation that also included Jaime Navarro, Chris Bosio, Ricky Bones, and Cal Eldred. The definition of steadiness, the 29-year old racked up 261 and two-thirds innings, second most in the league, and was death to left-handed hitters (they batted just .209/.247/.296 against him). Only 13-14, Wegman posted the ninth-best ERA in the American League but was victimized by poor run support. He spent his entire career with Milwaukee, calling it quits after the 1995 campaign.

+ ========================================================== +
|  G/GS    W-L      IP    ERA  ERA+   H/9  BB/9  SO/9   VORP |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| 35/35   13-14  261.2   3.20   120   8.6   1.9   4.4   49.7 |
+ ========================================================== +

The Next Ten:

11. Jim Colborn - 1973 (49.2 VORP)
12. Ricky Bones - 1994 (48.4 VORP)
13. Chris Bosio - 1989 (47.8 VORP)
14. Cal Eldred - 1993 (47.6 VORP)
15. Jaime Navarro - 1992 (46.5 VORP)
16. Chris Bosio - 1991 (44.9 VORP)
17. Moose Haas - 1983 (43.9 VORP)
18. Jim Slaton - 1978 (42.5 VORP)
19. Bill Wegman - 1991 (42.0 VORP)
20. Pete Vuckovich - 1982 (40.7 VORP)

Special thanks to Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet, and Baseball Prospectus for the statistical data used in this article.

Bill Batterman is a writer for Brewerfan.net. You can get in touch with him by sending email to batman@brewerfan.net.