1909 World Series hero as a rookie, Babe Adams was a star from 1910-15:
2.46 ERA, 2.59 FIP, 0.2 HR, 1.5 BB, 3.4 K.
1916, his FIP was 2.69: 0.2 HR, 1.5 BB, 2.7 K. But .337 BABIP gave him a 5.72 ERA. Didn't pitch in MLB again for 2 years. Came back even better from 1919-22.
2.46 ERA, 2.59 FIP, 0.2 HR, 1.5 BB, 3.4 K.
1916, his FIP was 2.69: 0.2 HR, 1.5 BB, 2.7 K. But .337 BABIP gave him a 5.72 ERA. Didn't pitch in MLB again for 2 years. Came back even better from 1919-22.
Adams had a sore arm in 1916, but modern metrics would have noted that his struggles were mostly not his fault. 22.1 innings with a .427 BABIP in his last 8 appearances cost him a lengthy exile only ended by wartime player shortages in 1918.
1918-22, he returned with a 2.44 ERA, 2.62 FIP (in which he led the NL in 1920, 1921 & 1922). 0.1 HR, 0.8 BB, 2.8 K. Hard to beat a guy who allows less than one HR+BB per 9 innings.
Adams lost his rotation slot for good in 1923 when basically the same thing happened - 1923-26, age 41-44, 4.52 ERA (91 ERA+), 3.91 FIP, 0.6 HR, 1.4 BB, 1.8 K. Threw one last scoreless relief frame in the 1925 World Series.
