Ranking The MLB Playoff-Bound Bullpens
In a Bleacher Report Community effort, the top Featured Columnists for MLB's top teams have come together to give the fans a thorough understanding of what to expect when your ace succumbs to playoff pressure, putting a close game in the hands of your bullpen.
Each Bleacher Report Featured Columnist has been a fan of their team, as have you, for as long as possible.
In speaking with these writers, they understand the history as well as the current state and future prospects for their bullpen.
This has been a learning experience in putting these analyses together and may this be a guidebook to you fans who need to know what your opposition is going to be throwing at you late into a game.
Two last things:
1) In finding the videos for this slideshow I found it comical that every closer either enters the game to Metallica's, "Enter Sandman," or at least has a youtube tribute to him set to that song.
2) Make sure to check out Mariano Rivera's video on how he dominates attached to the first Yankees slide. It's a must-see.
#8 Cincinnati Reds: By Brian The Lion Winett
1 of 10Dustiny has been in full swing all year for the Reds and the bullpen has been steady with a core of veteran relievers surrounding rookie Aroldis Chapman.
At 6'4" tall and weighing 185 pounds, the 22-year-old southpaw has hardly grown into his body and already has thrown the fastest pitch in MLB history.
With a fastball ranging between 102 and 105, Chapman has yet to develop other pitches to complement this heat.
Expect to see a lot of batters fouling a ton of balls off against him because while batters can sit on that fastball, hitting it fair is a whole other story.
Arthur Rhodes has been the stud he was back in his days with the Seattle Mariners.
Other than that, though, the rest of the bullpen is pretty pedestrian.
Even closer Francisco Cordero is sporting a plump 4.00 ERA, so don't expect the Reds to win too many extra-inning games this postseason.
#7 Philadelphia Phillies: By Vincent Darn It All To Heck
2 of 10It goes with out saying, that if you can, you wanna get to any team's starting pitching as early as possible.
But, if you want to stand a chance against the Philadelphia Phillies, getting to the starting pitching is imperative.
The Phillies will probably pitch Joe Blanton along with their top three pitchers. These four, typically, will give you six solid innings at the very least.
Which means teams more than likely will see Jose Contreras, JC Romero, Danys Baez, Ryan Madsen, and Brad Lidge.
Those five pitchers are very solid. They can definitely get the job done day in and day out.
JC Romero may be the weak link in that list, but if he can perform as he has in previous playoffs, he can find it within themselves to be somewhat dominant.
Brad Lidge is the key to whether the Phillies bullpen will struggle or be dominant.
Lidge’s struggles are well documented, as he blew 11 saves in 2009. But 2010 has been sort of a resurgence for Lidge, coming into this post season with a 3.03 ERA, 27 saves, and only five blown saves.
Ryan Madsen will be the eighth inning setup man and he can be an absolute stud. He comes into this postseason, pitching a 2.06 ERA with 64 strikeouts.
When the lights and cameras are on him in the heat of the postseason, usually, he kicks it up a gear, and can blow any hitter away throwing a hard 95 to 98 mph fastball.
Middle relief will consist of: JC Romero and Chad Durbin, and the two are hittable.
In the highly rare case you get to the Phillies starting pitching rotation, say fifth inning or earlier, you will encounter very hittable pitchers such as: David Herndon, Vance Worley, and Scott Mathieson, all of whom have talent and ability, but aren’t scaring anyone.
If teams can force a fifth inning or so pitching change, then that is their best bet.
#6 Minnesota Twins: By Slim Tim Arcand
3 of 10The Twins’ bullpen has been one of the surprises this year.
When Minnesota lost closer Joe Nathan to Tommy John surgery before the season, the Twins were looking at a gaping hole at the end of their bullpen.
Now, as the season ends, the closer role might considered a strength of the bullpen.
Jon Rauch opened the season as the closer, converting 21 saves in 25 opportunities.
When the Twins acquired all-star closer Matt Capps from Washington before the trade deadline, that allowed Rauch to return a set-up role.
Then the Twins claimed Brian Fuentes off waivers from the Angels, giving them a left-handed closer option.
Combined, the three have saved 87 games this season in 101 opportunities.
Capps will be the main closer going into the playoffs with left and right handed set-up options in Rauch and Fuentes.
The Twins are also loaded with solid middle relief. Right-handers Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain lead the bullpen with 73 and 70 appearances respectively.
Crain is currently 10th in the AL with a 2.55 ERA among relievers with at least 50 innings pitched, and Guerrier’s 3.21 ERA ranks 20th.
If there is a weakness, it could be long relief.
Minnesota plans to use four starters for the playoffs. With the promotion of Brian Duensing to the rotation, that leaves former starters Scott Baker (12-9, 4.49 ERA) and Kevin Slowey (13-6, 4.48 ERA) battling for the a spot on the playoff roster.
With a combined 3.33 ERA in 2010 the Twins’ bullpen is currently second in the AL, a strength that could come in handy this post season.
#5 Texas Ranger: By I'll Have The Scott Sashimi With a Side Of Gyurina
4 of 10Although the Rangers have yet to announce their final post-season rosters, several recent revelations have helped to form a clearer picture of what their bullpen could look like in the playoffs.
Deciding against using Cliff Lee on three days rest in the ALDS, Ron Washington recently announced that if necessary, Tommy Hunter would start a Game 4, eliminating him from inclusion in the relief corps.
It has also been announced that Frank Francisco, the 2010 squad’s original closer, who transitioned to a set-up role in favor of highly-touted phenom Neftali Feliz, won’t be available to pitch until at least the American League Championship Series.
Francisco strained a rib cage muscle in late August, and was hoping to return prior to the division series, but a recent MRI revealed that he was not yet ready to begin his throwing program.
After Feliz assumed control of the closer’s role around May 1, Francisco had thrived as the primary set-up man, throwing 41.2 innings, striking out 51 and only walking 11, posting a 1.15 WHIP and a 3.24 ERA, while stranding 85% of inherited base-runners. His presence will undoubtedly be missed.
Thankfully, for the Rangers’ sake though, they possess a strong stable of quality arms capable of filling the void created by Francisco’s injury.
After making his debut on June 15, rookie Alexi Ogando has emerged as likely candidate to fill Francisco’s role. He has assimilated nicely into the late-inning corps available to Ron Washington.
His predominantly fastball/slide repertoire has stymied AL hitters thus far, making him a dangerous weapon late in games.
In just 40.1 innings, he has struck out 37, only allowed 31 hits, a fine 1.17 WHIP and a 1.34 ERA..
His only Achilles' heel may be that he allowed 40 percent of inherited runners to score, so he is not ideal for situational use.
Closer Neftali Feliz is finishing off his first full season in fine form. Originally slated as a set-up man, as he assumed full control of the closer’s role after Francisco’s struggles and never looked back.
In 68.1 innings, he has notched 71 strikeouts, allowed a stellar 0.89 WHIP, a 2.77 ERA, with 39 saves in 42 opportunities. Opponents have only hit .177 against him, with a meager OPS of .520.
After struggling slightly at times early in the year, he has been absolutely dominant in the second half, posting an ERA of 1.47 and a WHIP of 0.69 after the All-Star Break.
Although only 22 years old, there is little doubt about his ability to shut down the Rangers; opposition in the late innings of October.
Darren O’Day offers the Rangers the versatility to be utilized in a variety of roles. His submarine style delivery makes him death on RH hitters, as they only hit .185 off him in 2010.
He was effective against lefties as well, only allowing them a .229 average, so he is not limited to situational status.
Overall in 71 appearances, he has thrown 61 innings, allowing only 43 hits for a minuscule 0.90 WHIP.
He only struck out 43, but excelled at keeping men off base. His arm will surely prove useful over the coming weeks.
Darren Oliver keeps defying time, and at age 40, continues to provide Ron Washington with a valuable veteran arm as his left-handed specialist.
Since transitioning to full-time bullpen work in 2006, Oliver has turned in three of his best career seasons from 2008-10. Pitching 60.2 innings, he struck out 65, with a WHIP of 1.10, and an ERA of 2.52.
Against left-handed hitters is where he excels, only allowing a .192 average and .516 OPS in those splits.
With all the top left-handed hitter on the opponents’ playoff rosters, Oliver will surely be a valuable component of the Ranger bullpen.
Other left-handed options for the bullpen include young starters Matt Harrison and Derek Holland. Due to their starting experience, each could be valuable as a long reliever as well.
Holland could also be suited as a LH specialist to aid Oliver, since he only allowed lefties to hit .130 this year with an impressive .362 OPS.
Harrison was not as effective against lefties and struggled somewhat with his control this year, so he would most likely see long relief duty if included on the roster.
Scott Feldman provides another long relief option as a regular starter, but he struggled mightily this year with a 1.6 WHIP and 5.48 ERA, after posting a strong 2009 in which he won 17 games.
Manager Ron Washington has several other hard-throwing options to choose from as he finalizes his post-season bullpen.
Dustin Nippert can bring the heat as he vies for a spot in the Texas pen. He was very good in 2009, but regressed in 2010, as he struggled with his command and appeared too hittable at times.
His 4.36 ERA was decent, but his 1.73 WHIP provided evidence to support the concerns over his ability to keep men off base.
Mark Lowe could be a late inclusion to help fill Francisco’s shoes. He has only pitched one inning for the Rangers after rehabbing from a back injury, but he is receiving a late look to see if he may help bridge the gap to Feliz.
A wild-card could be Rich Harden, he of the phenomenal ability, but unable to stay healthy.
He was used only a couple times in relief, to disastrous results, but the Rangers may be inclined to try to get some value out of him, as they have thus far not been repaid on their $7.5 million investment.
We shall soon know how the Texas Rangers will construct their post-season bullpen for their first playoff appearance since 1999.
Whichever relievers he selects, Ron Washington possesses a deep group to choose from, and the Rangers appear well-armed to attempt to make it beyond the Divisional Series for the first time in franchise history.
For a look at the entire pitching staff for the Rangers, check out Scott's newest article here:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/479535-texas-rangers-pitching-well-armed-for-deep-playoff-run
#4 Atlanta Braves: By Cameron "C-Breezy" Britt
5 of 10Led by 39-year-old veteran closer Billy Wagner (1.32 ERA, 13.2 K/9, 36 saves), the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen has proven to be one of the better groups in the National League.
Following the emergence of 95-mph sinker-baller Jonny Venters (1.78, 9.9) and continued success from the seventh- and eighth-inning tandem of Eric O’Flaherty (2.45, 7.4) and Peter Moylan (2.97, 7.4), the Braves have been able to overcome injuries to inning-eating starter Jair Jurrjens and the breakdown of Takashi Saito en route to their current perch atop the NL Wild Card race.
What’s more, this group has been able to groom a pair of “future arms,” if you will, in lefty Mike Dunn (1.00, 12.0 in 18.0 IP) and “right-handed-Billy Wagner” (as Braves GM Frank Wren has termed him) Craig Kimbrel (0.45, 17.1 in 20.0 IP, the K/9 there being the highest in history if he had enough innings to qualify), which speaks volumes of the poise and experience the boys of Turner Field’s right field ‘pen bring to the table.
If the Braves are able to slip through the NL Playoff cracks holding the Wild Card crown, the bullpen will be what they have over every other team.
Experience isn’t the strong point—but when there are five to six guys (don’t forget about Kyle Farnsworth here) that can bring 95+ heat from either the left or right side of the rubber…yeah…that’s pretty good.
#3 Tampa Bay Rays: By Jeff Get The Leadbetter Out
6 of 10In 2008, the Rays bullpen was a crapshoot. With closer Troy Percival already broken down for the count, it was closer-by-committee with Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour.
By the time David Price came into the mix, the Rays offense had sputtered and never got him a lead after the ALCS.
Now in 2010, the bullpen is solid and healthy. With a healthy, quality closer in Rafael Soriano, a closer-grade set-up man in Joaquin Benoit, and five other closers with ERA+ numbers over 100, all they need is to get a lead from the starting pitching.
They have the lowest runs per game allowed (4.07) and highest save percentage (76%) among the AL playoff teams.
The key player in the bullpen will be Grant Balfour.
Late in the season, the starting pitching has had difficulty getting to or beyond six innings.
Balfour, who was the nominal set-up man before Benoit showed up, has bounced back after a bad 2009, with a 2.33 ERA and 54 K/17 BB in 54 IP. But he’s still had a hiccup or two along the way.
If he remains hot, then he will prove to be an important bridge from the starters to Benoit and Soriano, and the Rays will be legitimate title contenders.
#2 New York Yankees: By Dan Dan Yankees Fan Hanzus
7 of 10Mariano Rivera has been the face of the Yankee bullpen since 1996, but this may be the first postseason there’s reason to worry about the G.O.A.T.
His first five months resembled nearly every other month of his Hall of Fame career — that is to say, a study in quiet, measured brilliance — but September brought a very human Rivera to the forefront (three blown saves, 4.76 ERA).
At 40, it’s impossible to totally discount that age or a hidden injury will keep him from being what he’s been in the past.
That said, most Yankees fans—and I’m guessing manager Joe Girardi—assume that once the calendar changes over, Rivera will be as successful as ever. His resume is too staggeringly great to expect otherwise.
The rest of New York’s bullpen can be considered a pleasant surprise this season.
2009 postseason stud Damaso Marte was lost for the season with shoulder problems, but Boone Logan (previously thought to have battled at the Alamo) has filled in admirably as the lefty specialist.
Joba Chamberlain has become more of a hit-or-miss commodity at this point of his career, but the steady David Robertson and unlikely dominance of July-import Kerry Wood makes this Yankee bullpen every bit as good—and perhaps better—than its world champion predecessor.
#2 New York Yankees #2: By Mike That's A Spicy Mirabella
8 of 10The New York Yankees bullpen is an interesting one.
At the beginning of the year, it was terrible. They repeatedly were giving up runs and it seemed like Mariano Rivera was the only pitcher that you would be shocked if they had gotten demoted to the minors.
However, since late August, it has completely turned around.
The bullpen is now one of the strong points and when they have a lead late in the game, the Yankees and Joe Girardi know they can count on them.
On Aug.18, the Yankees bullpen was going through a stretch of having only given up three runs (with two of them by Rivera) in the last 13 games!
That is just one example of how significant and underrated the Yankees relievers have been and they most definitely are a key to New York’s success and most certainly help them in the playoffs.
#1 San Francisco Giants: By Brian The Lion Winett
9 of 10The San Francisco Giants bullpen has been formed in the same fashion as has every other piece of the team.
Start a few key ingredients like closer and saves leader Brian Wilson, left handed specialists Jeremy Affeldt (who just returned from injury) and Dan Runzler, and fiery/passionate set-up man Sergio Romo.
Then trade, cut, or bench everyone else who isn't performing for journeymen bullpen help who perform far beyond expectations.
The result has been more magical than Dustiny!
The Giants bullpen is a wave of domination that allows Bruce Bochy to pull the likes of Tim Lincecum in the sixth inning for a pinch hitter.
After that, save for one game in Colorado, the bullpen has been the most reliable force in the major leagues. It's not like the bullpen just allows a run or two in the final three or four frames, they flat out blank the competition.
Take Ramon Ramirez, for example, who was brought over from Boston at the trade deadline whom he was 0-3 with a 4.46 era. With the Giants, Ramon Ramirez is 1-0 with a 0.67 era and fills in when Brian Wilson needs rest after his five out saves with 3 saves in 3 chances.
Quite the turnaround.
The other trade deadline deal was for veteran lefty Javier Lopez. Lopez was having a good year with Pittsburgh since the trade and since coming to San Francisco he has become the premiere lefty out of the bullpen for the Giants with a 1.45 era.
That gives the Giants three lefty specialists out of the bullpen and all of them save for Runzler have equal success against right handed batters.
Both of these trades came after the Giants acquired Chris Ray from Texas when the emergence of Rookie of the Year Catcher Buster Posey made veteran backstop Bengie Molina expendable.
Chris Ray was expected to be featured and has instead found the end of the bench with CF Aaron Rowand and SS Edgar Renteria who are all performing below expectations (not to mention their salaries).
While trades like the one for Chris Raye have slowed the Giants over the course of the season, Brian Sabean has seemed to find a way this year to always find the right people to replace them with.
Now the bullpen is riding momentum and the wave is becoming a tsunami.
With Brian Wilson, Ramon Ramirez, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt, and Javier Lopez; let's also remember that Santiago Casilla came over in the offseason from the A's and has been one of the most consistent Giants pitchers all year, butchering his nearly 6.00 with the A's to a stellar 2.08 all year with the Giants.
While the Yankees have the experience edge in Mariano Rivera alone, the Giants bullpen has far more depth, with a more equal balance of righties and lefties, and is peaking at the exact right time.
It's been said for a few years now that if the Giants can just make the playoffs they have the starting pitching to make a lot of noise.
Well the starters with all their Cy Young award just weren't enough and it's taken the best bullpen in the majors right now to solidify their spot in playoff baseball.
Speacial Thanks And Bring It!
10 of 10Firstly:
A special thanks to all the writers who contributed to this column. There's no way this gets done in as comprehensive a way without you all.
Secondly:
Are you a Yankees fan who can't stand the thought of being ranked No. 2 in anything?
Are you a Phillies fan who just likes to spew venom?
Did I leave out your team even though you're still mathematically eligible (Padres fans)?
Bring it on, bat boys, to the comments section below.
And if you just enjoyed the article or agree with parts of it, the writers and I would love to hear that too!
PLAY BALL!!!
Brian The Lion :)
