Ranking the AL East's Best Bullpen Arms Right Now

With more than 1,400 innings of baseball to be played by each MLB team every year, it's not always possible to catch them all. So when your favorite team holds a three-run lead in the eighth, sometimes it's nice to catch up on the sleep you've missed during your team's latest west coast trip. 

Any true baseball fan can speak to the anxiety that comes with a one-run, ninth inning lead. But to this point in the season, many fans following teams in the American League East have had the luxury of late inning comfort. 

That is, of course, unless you hail from Toronto...

Of the five teams that play in the competitive AL East, only the Blue Jays rank outside the top seven in terms of bullpen ERA in the American League. And with a greater concentration on starters' pitch counts in the modern era, late inning relievers often get overlooked.

Here are some of the most reliable arms in baseball's toughest division:

Pedro Strop

Next to nobody saw Baltimore hanging on into the dog days of August in the brutal AL East.

Despite surrendering 57 more runs than they've scored, the Orioles remain in second place, just 6.5 games back of the Yankees. 

As the only team in the division with a negative run differential, Baltimore's surprising success has hinged on it's ability to win close games. 

The O's own a remarkable 21-6 record in one-run affairs.

And Pedro Strop is one of the main reasons why. 

With a flashy 1.31 earned run average and 17 holds to his credit, the 27-year-old right hander from the Dominican Republic has found his niche in Baltimore as the Orioles setup man. 

One might suspect high strikeout totals for someone with a high 90s fastball like Strop. But it's his late sinking action and dominance against right handed batters (.149 BAA) that have helped make him so successful.

Strop has surrendered just 31 hits (one home run) in 48 innings of work in 2012. And with one of the league's premier closers to back him up, fans in Baltimore have got to feel pretty confident in late-inning situations. 

Darren Oliver

At age 41, Darren Oliver has spent nearly as many years in Major League Baseball as Bryce Harper has spent on this earth. 

I guess that's what makes his continued success that much more impressive. 

The 18-year vet from Kansas City is producing one of his best years for a team that has struggled to mimic his success. A 1.34 ERA is good for sixth in the American League, but isn't good enough to deflate the 4.09 earned run average Toronto's bullpen has earned as a unit. 

Much like Strop, Oliver's success can be slightly deceptive at first. An unorthodox deliver from the left side would make the casual fan assume he is a lefty specialist.

But in fact, Oliver has proven to be tougher on right-handed batters (.183 BAA) than the southpaws (.203 BAA) in 2012.

And his 0.89 WHIP statistic shows that he has been more than capable of keeping runners off base—a concept that pertains to pitchers of all innings.

Jim Johnson

Much of Baltimore's unexpected success has been a product of one of baseball's best bullpens. The recent emergence of Pedro Strop as a dependable setup man has helped pave the way for the Orioles and their league-leading 36 saves. 

Right at the center of that late-inning formula is Jim Johnson. 

He is tied for the American League lead in saves with 32. And with the exception of a terrible performance in Oakland a couple weeks back, Johnson has been one of the most consistent bullpen arms in the bigs. 

In just one-third of an inning, the Athletics managed to inflate Johnson's ERA by more than one full point. But his bounce-back performances against the likes of New York and Tampa Bay suggest that he is ready to be solidified as one of the game's shut down closers. 

None of his numbers really jump out at you; however, Johnson's plus fastball and a deceptive changeup have helped him convert on 32 of 35 save opportunities this year.

Rafael Soriano

After Mariano Rivera tore his ACL shagging fly balls during batting practice, the closer role in New York opened up for the first time in nearly two decades. 

And with the all time greatest nearing the end of his career, a successor may have been found. 

Rafael Soriano moved to New York after a career year in Tampa Bay two seasons ago. Converting 45 of 48 save chances for the Rays in 2010 made Soriano one of the most highly sought-after arms in the majors. 

And it made for one of the most highly-paid middle relievers in history. 

Soriano signed a three-year, $35 million contract to pitch for the Yankees and presumably take over the reigns from Rivera once he shows mortality. And in 2012, he is showing exactly why he was worth the money. 

Since filling in for the injured megastar, Soriano has cashed in on 26 of his 28 save opportunities, and his 1.88 ERA is good for seventh among American League relievers with at least 40 innings pitched. 

But perhaps his most impressive accomplishment of all can't be seen in the statistics. Instead, it's the fact that Soriano has made people forget about a devastating injury to the greatest closer of all time.

And he is doing it on the biggest stage.

David Robertson

When determining the value of a relief pitcher, statistics like ERA and WHIP are often used as the measuring stick—and understandably so.

But one number that goes highly underestimated is one that can independently change the outcome of a game.

The strikeout. 

It is a lost art that has the ability to stop a rally on a dime. To ruin a hitter's afternoon. To diminish the morale of an entire team. 

And David Robertson has mastered it. 

With some of the most electric "stuff" in the game, Robertson has earned a name as of baseball's best strikeout pitchers. A mid 90s fastball combined with a knee-buckling curve ball has allowed him to K batters at a rapid pace. 

His 13.37 K/9 ranks him second among AL relief pitchers, and a 2.02 earned run average isn't too shabby either. 

Despite some minor setbacks because of injury, Robertson has managed to fill in nicely as the eighth inning setup man for the Yankees. His ability to escape jams with the strikeout has helped him establish himself as one of the most feared pitchers in the American League, and has provided New York with one of the most enviable one-two combinations in baseball.

And to think if MO was healthy...

Fernando Rodney

I don't know what Joe Maddon is doing down there in Tampa Bay, but the Rays sure do know how to groom a closer...

After Rafael Soriano departed for the Yankees two years ago, nobody thought he would be replaceable. 

I think Fernando Rodney begs to differ.

Throughout the entirety of the 2012 campaign, Rodney has been the most dominant closer not only in the American League, but all of baseball. 

His 32 saves ties him for first in the game, but Rodney's other numbers make the separation more clear. 

In 50 2/3 innings, he has given up just four earned runs. He's K'd nearly a batter per inning, and has only walked eight hitters the entire year. 

He has been perfect at home where he has converted all 17 of his chances, and opponents are hitting a putrid .133 against him at Tropicana Field. 

And his demeanor on the mound is almost as intimidating as his stats. A slightly crooked hat, a menacing stare and a blistering fastball all help Rodney portray the image of a true closer. 

Finally, now, he has the stats to back it up.