Adam Dupont writes:

With all the talk about Verlander getting Cy Young and possibly MVP, I’m wondering how much better he’s been than James Shields of the Rays. Shields has a 2.70 ERA in a harder division (Verlander doesn’t have to face explosive Red Sox and Yankees offenses as much as Shields), with 11 bullpen saving complete games, and 15 wins despite the anemic Rays offense. Verlander has a gaudy amount of wins and 2.36 ERA in the AL Central, but could it be reasoned that Shields would have a better season if him and Verlander traded places?

I try to answer this question indirectly in today’s column at Baseball Analytics.