Jose Alvarez vs. Jim Merritt — Career Comparison

Jim Merritt built a career as a starting pitcher and Jose Alvarez as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Jose Alvarez led in home run suppression (HR9+ 118 vs 80), run prevention (ERA+ 106 vs 89), and skill-based run prevention (DICE+ 105 vs 98). Jim Merritt held the edge in walk avoidance (BB%+ 150 vs 126). Role difference aside, Jose Alvarez holds a clear edge on every meaningful shared measure.