I am a realist. Not everyone is down with the rationale of being hip to pitching and ditching. That statement is both literal and figurative. We now have three weeks remaining of games. I mean, you either want to win and go for it with whatever you have at your discretion, or you will just listen to the piper playing and roll off the side of the mountain with the other lemmings that will go by the best names possible on my roster wins. Sorry if I stand here in my skidz pajamas and call you stupid, but you stupid. Go to the bathroom, smash your head into the sink, and then splash some water your face. It ain’t over until it’s over, it wasn’t over when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and it ain’t over now. Go to our waiver wire, listen to what I have to say about streaming… It’s really simple: Pitch twice and ditch, regardless of outcome or what J-FOH says about pitching, because little league was 25 years ago and pitching donuts is different than actually knowing baseball. So here is some late season K/9, usage and trends that I have noticed that’s going on with the bullpens in the past few days. Cheers!
- Teams in playoff hunt tend to rely on reliable relievers. So teams like Texas, Pittsburgh, NY Mets and the like are the cat’s pajamas in comparison to others.
- This brief list is over the last 30 days and offers a brief sample of the the rates that can help you for the next three weeks.
- K/9, BAA (batting average against and K/BB are things that can help you K wise, rate wise and ERA wise.
| Name | K/9 | BAA | K/BB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keone Kela | 14.00 | .103 | 7.00 |
| Antonio Bastardo | 15.19 | .184 | 4.5 |
| Zach Duke | 14.81 | .244 | 4.25 |
| Mike Dunn | 13.50 | .059 | 2.83 |
| Brett Cecil | 13.03 | .171 | 14.00 |
| Matt Reynolds | 13.00 | .250 | 2.17 |
| Yusmeiro Petit | 13.00 | .257 | 6.50 |
| Kyle Barraclough | 12.60 | .106 | 1.91 |
| Travis Wood | 12.46 | .368 | 2.00 |
| Hansel Robles | 12.41 | .159 | 17.00 |
- Based on this chart if you don’t own guys on it on a regular basis your aren’y streaming RP right at all. Go check your league if Kyle Barraclough is on your waivers he shouldn’t be. Plain fact is that he has been better than every reliever in MLB that isn’t a closer. Sorry Wade Davis…sorry Dellin Betances. Just facts.
Holds over the last 14 Days:
| Name | Holds |
|---|---|
| Jairo Diaz | 5 |
| Bryan Shaw | 4 |
| Alex Colome | 3 |
| Justin Miller | 3 |
| Addison Reed | 3 |
| Chris Hatcher | 3 |
| Sergio Romo | 3 |
| Ryan Madson | 3 |
| Joe Smith | 3 |
The chart below shows usage by bullpens over the past 14 days, and is an indicator of some of the teams that are working their pens to the bone. Games is a combined relief appearances by that team over the last 14 days.
| Team | Games | Save Opp | K/9 | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockies | 63 | 20 | 8.24 | 3.51 |
| Dodgers | 56 | 17 | 10.50 | 4.13 |
| Braves | 55 | 5 | 6.80 | 6.41 |
| Reds | 53 | 14 | 8.46 | 3.42 |
| Pirates | 52 | 11 | 9.68 | 3.23 |
| Giants | 51 | 18 | 7.65 | 2.25 |
| Tigers | 51 | 9 | 4.76 | 4.14 |
| D-Backs | 50 | 9 | 8.56 | 2.96 |
| Yankees | 49 | 13 | 11.02 | 4.78 |
| Angels | 48 | 15 | 11.27 | 3.99 |
| Padres | 48 | 9 | 11.48 | 6.38 |
The ebb and flow of a bullpen last about as long as the team can sustain either a formidable winning streak, or allow itself to be involved on a consistent basis in less than a 3 run game in their favor. With about 17 remaining games for every team you need to maximize the streaming ability of your team. Look at the schedule ahead, plan no more than 3 games ahead of yourself, and by god don’t be shy with names. They don’t matter as much as the stats, and as always I am here to hold your hand and give you guidance on who to add/drop. Good Luck!
