Especially interesting when they are on the same team:
| Pitchers | ERA | Run Support | W-L Record |
| Kenny Rogers, Tigers | 3.84 | 6.40 | 17-8 |
| Nate Robertson, Tigers | 3.84 | 4.49 | 13-13 |
Rogers had nearly two runs more per game to work with than Robertson. Thus, despite their matching ERAs, Rogers had a much better record than Robertson. Does the better record make Rogers a better pitcher than Robertson? A lot of folks will say yes, maybe even most folks. But the fact of the matter is that their records could easily have been reversed if the run support were reversed. It’s nothing more than pure luck that the Tigers scored more runs for Rogers than Robertson.
Using these examples (and others), for pitchers who have performed about the same, each run of support means an extra couple of wins over the course of the season for a starting pitcher. That’s significant. Especially when the Cy Young voting occurs (and at salary negotiation time!).