Glue Guys: Ten Middle Relievers Who Are Successfully Bridging The Gap

Always a hard thrower with a maddening knack for piling up walks, Aardsma has consistently thrown strikes so far this year and (viola!) the results speak for themselves. Aardsma has been crucial for Seattle during their surprising April run, as he's appeared in eight games, holding down the eighth and ninth inning duties with ease.

Aardsma throws a free and easy 98 MPH fastball. When he simply pounds the zone with strikes, he can be dominant. It's not surprising to see a guy, who so many teams have invested in, finally pitch well given his power stuff. If he continues to pitch under control, the M's will continue to hold down late leads and stay in the AL West race.

4. Ramon Ramirez, Boston: 2009 Stat Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 2 Wins, 3 Holds

Acquired in an exchange for Coco Crisp this offseason, Ram-Ram and his power change-up have been downright dominant for Francona and the Bo Sox in 2009. He has yet to allow an earned run and has thus far been more impressive than Okajima, Saito, or DelCarmen in that very talented Boston 'pen.

Ramirez is a strike—thrower who uses his change-up almost like a fastball—often times starting hitters off with the change and then working backwards, finishing them off with his mid-90's fastball or average slider. Some worried whether this KC/COL hurler could handle the pressure of pitching in Boston. So far, Ramirez has proved more than up to the task.

5. Bobby Seay, Detroit: 2009 Stat Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.41 WHIP, 7 Holds

While the AL Central is certainly not a stout division, one big reason Detroit currently stands atop is the effectiveness of Seay in the middle innings.

The Tigers were killed last year in the seventh and eighth frames, often times giving away large leads and extinguishing any momentum or confidence the team had.

Seay was not a part of that problem last year and certainly hasn't been this year. He comes at hitters with an average fastball but a plus slider that he uses effectively down and away to lefties and in on the hands of righties. He's one of many lefties who uses the tilt of his breaking ball with the deception of his arm slot to keep hitters uncomfortable. The results speak for themselves.

6. JJ Putz, NY Mets: 2009 Stat Line: 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 10 Appearances, 4 Holds

While his stats aren't as dominant as some of these other guys—and certainly not in line with his eye-popping numbers of 2007—Putz has filled a huge void for the 2009 Mets, successfully bridging the gap to Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth. He's appeared in 10 of the Mets' 19 games and has not allowed an inherited runner to score.

As the year progresses, I expect Putz's strikeouts to spike significantly and his effectiveness to become even more pronounced.

7. Rafael Soriano, Atlanta: 2009 Stat Line: 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 12K/9IP, 2 Saves, 3 Holds

Soriano has long been derailed by elbow injuries. But this year, the baseball world has gotten a good look at what this guy can do when full health allows him to take the mound consistently.

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