Looks like a pure peak candidate to me. Another "what if?" case.

RA+ Pythpat equivalent 202-169 (compare Catfish Hunter at 206-178). His 1971 year was an equivalent 25-10, as good as Seaver's best year. But of course, I guess it's now received wisdom that having a 21-year old throw 312 innings in a season is not a good thing.

One possible comp that may come to mind eventually: Dwight Gooden.

One possible comp that may come to mind eventually: Dwight Gooden.

Yeah, I was thinking about Doc when I made my post, OCF. Gooden was better at his peak, though.

Wow, 301 SO's and never cracked 200 again. I have always liked Vida.

Seems I remember a Bill James thing about being ecstatic that the Royals acquired Blue, then his wife asked him why, since he usually preferred getting the several young players for the veteran. BJ then tells her, "But this is VIDA BLUE we're talking about!", showing he still had star power even after his peak had long since passed.

Fun stuff about Vida Blue:

He was a superstar quarterback in high school and preferred football to baseball, but few major college programs were recruiting black quarterbacks in the late 1960s. Timeline him forward and he has 0 WAR b/c he's the next Lamar Jackson.

He was a terrible hitter. In roughly a full "season" (618 career PA), he slashed .104/.186/.145 with 271 strikeouts.

He and Rick Reuschel were born less than three months apart in 1949. If Blue had emulated Reuschel's late-1980s second act, he'd be in the Hall of Merit too. Alas, cocaine is a helluva drug...