It was January 2024 when news came out that star independent league pitcher Victor "Push Pop" Patterson was interested in joining the WPBL. Scouts were very high on the young 26 year old pitcher who was just reaching his prime, but none were sure what a player like that would go for in an open market, with no history of pitching in the WPBL or any of its minor leagues. The Lake Tahoe brass were not afraid to make a bold move though, sending Patterson the biggest contract in WPBL history at a whopping $8 million total over 10 years. What followed in 2024 though, was only a season of disappointment and distress, as Patterson struggled to fit in with his new team. For a player who had never really made it out of his hometown, the move to the west coast was a struggle, and it showed through in his play. He set the WPBL for losses in a season (11), while struggling through with a 5.46 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. While not the worst pitcher in the league, Push Pop did not live up to the expectations that so many had for him. Around the league teams laughed as it looked like Lake Tahoe would be stuck with a terrible contract and a mediocre pitcher. Over the offseason though something changed, and when Patterson walked into the team complex for 2025 spring training, everyone could tell that this was the real Patterson. He was back to being himself, and seemed the time off over the winter had given him time to settle down and not carry the burden of everyone elses expectations. With one start left in his 2025 season, Victor Patterson has shown why teams were willing to make him one of the highest paid players in the league, and he has turned into an ace that strikes fear into opposing batters. He is a shoo in to win the 2025 Pitcher of the Year award, with a real possibility at winning the Pitching triple crown. So far this season, Push Pop is leading the league in ERA, FIP, WAR, Wins, Quality Starts, Strikeouts, WHIP, K%, BB%, and K-BB%, while also being number 2 in Innings Pitched and WPA. Not only is he leading all pitchers this season in these stats, but he is also on pace to set multiple WPBL single season records. With one start remaining, and barring a terrible outing, Push Pop has a real chance to set WPBL records in ERA (1.782), FIP (1.933), WAR (3.98), Strikeouts (114), BB% (2.63%) and WHIP (0.772). And while he most likely wont set the records in K%, he currently sits second all time at 30%, only behind Manny Batista's ridiculous 2021 season where he struck out almost 35% of batters he faced, a number that many believe will never be broken.
The true dominance that Patterson has reached this season is most evident in his latest start. Against Elko and one of the best offenses in the league, Push Pop was untouchable as he allowed only 1 hit and struck out 13 batters over 7 innings. He continues to have elite control, allowing only 9 walks across more than 100 innings pitched. While he is clearly the best pitcher in the WPBL this season, many around the league are beginning to wonder if he is also the most dominant player? The MVP award has normally been reserved for batters, but the league has never seen a single season with as many record breaking stats as Patterson is putting up in 2025. Before this season, the most WAR a pitcher had ever had in a season was Jesus Farelo with 3.3 in 2021. This season Patterson is already at 4 WAR, with the potential to set the record by near a full 1 WAR. Patterson is actually second in WAR league wide, only trailing behind Walla Walla's John Wolverton. Wolverton seems to be the front runner for the MVP, as he has put together a great season, with 17 home runs and 1.010 OPS. But overall, while Wolverton has played fantastic, he has done nothing different than a dozen other batters have done over the past 5 seasons. When compared directly against Patterson, and each's individual dominance at their position, its clear that Patterson is not only the most dominant and most valuable player in the league this season, but also one of the most dominant players that the league has seen in its history. Voters are normally afraid to break tradition and vote for pitchers for MVP, but if any pitcher has ever shown he has put together the season to deserve it, it is Victor Patterson.
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