/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47541815/GettyImages-469712964.0.jpg)
At the beginning of the postseason, all the talk was about who would be this year's Madison Bumgarner. Who would be the pitcher who dominated, both starting and, if necessary, in relief? Who would carry his team to a World Series title? I found this photostream from ESPN, and I evaluated whether or not each pitcher on it was this year's Madison Bumgarner, trying to be as objective as possible. I think we'll all be interested in the results.
Clayton Kershaw
No.
David Price
Nope.
Jake Arrieta
Nah.
Zack Greinke
Pshaw.
Gerrit Cole
Uh-uh.
Cole Hamels
Actually, he was fine. Not Bumgarner great, and certainly let down by his defense, but he was fine. A 2.70 ERA is pretty good, though it's worse than Bumgarner's worst playoff series last year, and the reason the Rangers lost his second ALDS start was that Elvis Andrus forgot how to defense, which you can't put on Hamels.
Cole Hamels is still not this year's Madison Bumgarner.
Jacob DeGrom
Seriously?
Matt Harvey
As if!
Dallas Keuchel
No way.
Johnny Cueto
Oh, come on.
In conclusion, Madison Bumgarner's playoff performance last year was a spectacular historical outlier, and it was ridiculous to assume that anyone would come close to it this year, which they haven't.