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Kansas City Royals top best bullpens in the majors - MLB - ESPN
By Buster Onley
When baseball executives and players try to explain why run production has plummeted in recent seasons, they offer a range of theories, from MLB played without amphetamines and steroids to the impact of defensive shifts. But there is one common thread: The bullpens have become stacked with guys who throw really, really hard, with many teams presenting a parade of relievers firing mid-90s fastballs after the fifth inning.
In the second part of our top 10 team element rankings, let's break down the bullpens.
1. Kansas City Royals
If not for Giants starter Madison Bumgarner's superhuman feats, the Royals would’ve won the World Series and their relief corps would’ve taken a place in history alongside the Reds’ Nasty Boys for being the core of a championship. But in some ways, the Royals’ trio of Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera accomplished stuff we really hadn’t seen before. That group faced 960 hitters last season, struck out 309 and allowed a total of three homers. Davis ranked No. 1 among all relievers with 60 or more innings in limiting opponents’ OPS last season (.408); Holland was sixth, and Herrera was 21st. Even if the Royals had a lot of mediocrity in other spots in their pen, the work of that trio would have Kansas City at No. 1 in these rankings.
But the Royals will also have Jason Frasor and Tim Collins, and Luke Hochevar is expected back after missing all of last season because of elbow reconstruction. While the Royals’ intention is to develop Brandon Finnegan as a starter in the minors early this season, it may be that Finnegan will return to the Royals’ bullpen during the 2015 season.
2. New York Yankees
This team will bear its share of questions, from the collective age of the roster to the rotation depth, but the New York bullpen is loaded, even with the departure of closer David Robertson. Whether Andrew Miller or Dellin Betances gets the save chances, the duo -- who ranked third and fourth among all relievers in limiting opponents’ OPS last season -- will account for anywhere from six to eight outs.
However, the Yankees are stacked in the middle, too, from the left side with Justin Wilson (acquired from the Pirates during the winter), Chasen Shreve and Jacob Lindgren (the Yankees’ top pick last season), and from the right side with hard throwers Adam Warren (whose fastball velocity averaged 94.2 mph last season), David Carpenter (95.6 mph), and Esmil Rogers (93.7 mph). The impact of this group could be like that of the Royals, helping to fill in the gaps of innings left over from the bullpen, but with dominance.
3. Seattle Mariners
Start with this: Opponents had a slugging percentage of only .322 against the Mariners’ bullpen last season, the best in the majors and a reflection of the quality of Seattle's relievers. Closer Fernando Rodney had 76 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings and, as the closer, he is the headliner, but the Mariners got strong production from the front to the back of their bullpen -- and should again this season. Hitters managed only a .542 OPS against Tom Wilhelmsen, while Yoervis Medina, Danny Farquhar and Dominic Leone helped Seattle own the middle innings.
The Mariners’ ERA by inning in 2014:
6th -- 2.33
7th -- 2.78
8th -- 3.00
9th -- 3.08
Seattle’s bullpen doesn’t have the marquee value of the group from Kansas City nor the raw power -- heck, nobody else does -- but the production is excellent, and manager Lloyd McClendon and his staff seemed to do an excellent job of keeping them rested. Among the teams that contended into late September, the Mariners had the fewest games in which relievers worked in back-to-back games:
All AL teams, relievers working in back-to-back games
Toronto -- 73
Texas -- 76
Houston -- 81
Minnesota -- 82
Seattle -- 87
Baltimore -- 88
Kansas City -- 93
Yankees -- 95
White Sox -- 96
Detroit -- 99
Oakland -- 100
Boston -- 107
Tampa Bay -- 110
L.A. Angels -- 141
Cleveland -- 150
4. San Francisco Giants
Bruce Bochy has used three different closers in managing the Giants to three titles over the last five years -- Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla -- but regardless of the turnover in that spot, the Giants always seem to put together a good bullpen, and last year was no exception. Casilla allowed only 35 hits in 58 1/3 innings during the regular season. Romo signed a two-year deal to return, Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez are back for more, as is Jean Machi and, depending on how the rotation composition plays out, the human safety net otherwise known as Yusmeiro Petit. The Giants think Hunter Strickland has the capability to be something they haven’t had a lot of -- a right-hander with an overpowering fastball -- but he will need adjustments after a rough postseason.
5. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles will go into this season amid questions about the everyday lineup, and about how the rotation will evolve. But the bullpen needs to be great again, and should be at least very good now that Zach Britton is using his disappearing sinker in the role of closer, following setup men Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter, Brian Matusz and others. Like Bochy, manager Buck Showalter has been adept at developing relievers in roles in which they thrive. The Orioles ranked sixth among all teams in bullpen ERA last season, par for the course in recent seasons:
Baltimore relief ERA rankings, American League:
2012 -- 3rd
2013 -- 6th
2014 -- 3rd
6. Oakland Athletics
Despite the many changes on the Oakland roster, the bullpen is one group that will have a lot of the same core, with Sean Doolittle closing in front of lefties Eric O’Flaherty and Fernando Abad and righties Ryan Cook and Dan Otero, with depth perhaps developing from leftovers in the rotation.
Last year, Doolittle had 89 strikeouts and 8 walks, with just 38 hits allowed in 62 2/3 innings; among relievers with at least 40 innings, Doolittle finished seventh in opponents’ OPS.
7. San Diego Padres
Just as the Rockies almost always have one of the more potent offenses in Coors Field, the Padres historically build strong bullpens in their pitcher-friendly home environment -- even in the face of high turnover. Last year, they traded Huston Street and Luke Gregerson, but the Padres have Joaquin Benoit at closer (only 28 hits in 54 1/3 innings last season), with the newly acquired Shawn Kelley a good option for manager Bud Black in the setup role, along with righties Kevin Quackenbush and Nick Vincent and lefty Alex Torres.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates
The trio of Mark Melancon (33 saves), Tony Watson (81 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings) and sinkerballer Jared Hughes is as good as there is in the NL, with all three posting sub-2.00 ERAs last season. The Pirates traded for Antonio Bastardo last year, and given his mercurial performances, it’ll be interesting to see whether he ascends into the role that used to be filled by Justin Wilson, who was traded to the Yankees in November. John Holdzkom emerged as a tantalizing relief option late last season, after his unusual journey to the big leagues.
9. Washington Nationals
The Nationals finished second in NL bullpen ERA last season, but this is shaping up to be a year of enormous transition. Rafael Soriano was the Washington closer for a lot of 2014 before losing that role, and this offseason the Nationals have talked to other teams about their interest in acquiring Tyler Clippard, who is going to be one of the highest-paid setup men in the majors in 2015 because of his success; other teams still wonder whether the Nationals will move Clippard before the start of the season.
But with Drew Storen, Matt Thornton and others, Washington has the makings of a good bullpen.
10. Cleveland Indians
Cody Allen has whiffed 206 of the 706 batters he’s faced in the big leagues, including 91 strikeouts in 76 games last season, and continues to be among the more underrated relievers in the big leagues. Bryan Shaw is coming off another strong season, in which he allowed 61 hits in 76 1/3 innings, and 23-year-old Kyle Crockett became a nice left-handed option for manager Terry Francona after being added to the staff in the midst of 2014 season.
Honorable mention
The Los Angeles Angels went through a dramatic transformation thanks to GM Jerry Dipoto's in-season trades last year, including the addition of closer Huston Street.
The Mets finished eighth in bullpen ERA last season, albeit while not really contending.
The Atlanta Braves get a mention here, too, because any bullpen with Craig Kimbrel as the closer can always be dangerous.
Kansas City Royals top best bullpens in the majors - MLB - ESPN
By Buster Onley
When baseball executives and players try to explain why run production has plummeted in recent seasons, they offer a range of theories, from MLB played without amphetamines and steroids to the impact of defensive shifts. But there is one common thread: The bullpens have become stacked with guys who throw really, really hard, with many teams presenting a parade of relievers firing mid-90s fastballs after the fifth inning.
In the second part of our top 10 team element rankings, let's break down the bullpens.
1. Kansas City Royals
If not for Giants starter Madison Bumgarner's superhuman feats, the Royals would’ve won the World Series and their relief corps would’ve taken a place in history alongside the Reds’ Nasty Boys for being the core of a championship. But in some ways, the Royals’ trio of Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera accomplished stuff we really hadn’t seen before. That group faced 960 hitters last season, struck out 309 and allowed a total of three homers. Davis ranked No. 1 among all relievers with 60 or more innings in limiting opponents’ OPS last season (.408); Holland was sixth, and Herrera was 21st. Even if the Royals had a lot of mediocrity in other spots in their pen, the work of that trio would have Kansas City at No. 1 in these rankings.
But the Royals will also have Jason Frasor and Tim Collins, and Luke Hochevar is expected back after missing all of last season because of elbow reconstruction. While the Royals’ intention is to develop Brandon Finnegan as a starter in the minors early this season, it may be that Finnegan will return to the Royals’ bullpen during the 2015 season.
2. New York Yankees
This team will bear its share of questions, from the collective age of the roster to the rotation depth, but the New York bullpen is loaded, even with the departure of closer David Robertson. Whether Andrew Miller or Dellin Betances gets the save chances, the duo -- who ranked third and fourth among all relievers in limiting opponents’ OPS last season -- will account for anywhere from six to eight outs.
However, the Yankees are stacked in the middle, too, from the left side with Justin Wilson (acquired from the Pirates during the winter), Chasen Shreve and Jacob Lindgren (the Yankees’ top pick last season), and from the right side with hard throwers Adam Warren (whose fastball velocity averaged 94.2 mph last season), David Carpenter (95.6 mph), and Esmil Rogers (93.7 mph). The impact of this group could be like that of the Royals, helping to fill in the gaps of innings left over from the bullpen, but with dominance.
3. Seattle Mariners
Start with this: Opponents had a slugging percentage of only .322 against the Mariners’ bullpen last season, the best in the majors and a reflection of the quality of Seattle's relievers. Closer Fernando Rodney had 76 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings and, as the closer, he is the headliner, but the Mariners got strong production from the front to the back of their bullpen -- and should again this season. Hitters managed only a .542 OPS against Tom Wilhelmsen, while Yoervis Medina, Danny Farquhar and Dominic Leone helped Seattle own the middle innings.
The Mariners’ ERA by inning in 2014:
6th -- 2.33
7th -- 2.78
8th -- 3.00
9th -- 3.08
Seattle’s bullpen doesn’t have the marquee value of the group from Kansas City nor the raw power -- heck, nobody else does -- but the production is excellent, and manager Lloyd McClendon and his staff seemed to do an excellent job of keeping them rested. Among the teams that contended into late September, the Mariners had the fewest games in which relievers worked in back-to-back games:
All AL teams, relievers working in back-to-back games
Toronto -- 73
Texas -- 76
Houston -- 81
Minnesota -- 82
Seattle -- 87
Baltimore -- 88
Kansas City -- 93
Yankees -- 95
White Sox -- 96
Detroit -- 99
Oakland -- 100
Boston -- 107
Tampa Bay -- 110
L.A. Angels -- 141
Cleveland -- 150
4. San Francisco Giants
Bruce Bochy has used three different closers in managing the Giants to three titles over the last five years -- Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla -- but regardless of the turnover in that spot, the Giants always seem to put together a good bullpen, and last year was no exception. Casilla allowed only 35 hits in 58 1/3 innings during the regular season. Romo signed a two-year deal to return, Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez are back for more, as is Jean Machi and, depending on how the rotation composition plays out, the human safety net otherwise known as Yusmeiro Petit. The Giants think Hunter Strickland has the capability to be something they haven’t had a lot of -- a right-hander with an overpowering fastball -- but he will need adjustments after a rough postseason.
5. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles will go into this season amid questions about the everyday lineup, and about how the rotation will evolve. But the bullpen needs to be great again, and should be at least very good now that Zach Britton is using his disappearing sinker in the role of closer, following setup men Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter, Brian Matusz and others. Like Bochy, manager Buck Showalter has been adept at developing relievers in roles in which they thrive. The Orioles ranked sixth among all teams in bullpen ERA last season, par for the course in recent seasons:
Baltimore relief ERA rankings, American League:
2012 -- 3rd
2013 -- 6th
2014 -- 3rd
6. Oakland Athletics
Despite the many changes on the Oakland roster, the bullpen is one group that will have a lot of the same core, with Sean Doolittle closing in front of lefties Eric O’Flaherty and Fernando Abad and righties Ryan Cook and Dan Otero, with depth perhaps developing from leftovers in the rotation.
Last year, Doolittle had 89 strikeouts and 8 walks, with just 38 hits allowed in 62 2/3 innings; among relievers with at least 40 innings, Doolittle finished seventh in opponents’ OPS.
7. San Diego Padres
Just as the Rockies almost always have one of the more potent offenses in Coors Field, the Padres historically build strong bullpens in their pitcher-friendly home environment -- even in the face of high turnover. Last year, they traded Huston Street and Luke Gregerson, but the Padres have Joaquin Benoit at closer (only 28 hits in 54 1/3 innings last season), with the newly acquired Shawn Kelley a good option for manager Bud Black in the setup role, along with righties Kevin Quackenbush and Nick Vincent and lefty Alex Torres.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates
The trio of Mark Melancon (33 saves), Tony Watson (81 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings) and sinkerballer Jared Hughes is as good as there is in the NL, with all three posting sub-2.00 ERAs last season. The Pirates traded for Antonio Bastardo last year, and given his mercurial performances, it’ll be interesting to see whether he ascends into the role that used to be filled by Justin Wilson, who was traded to the Yankees in November. John Holdzkom emerged as a tantalizing relief option late last season, after his unusual journey to the big leagues.
9. Washington Nationals
The Nationals finished second in NL bullpen ERA last season, but this is shaping up to be a year of enormous transition. Rafael Soriano was the Washington closer for a lot of 2014 before losing that role, and this offseason the Nationals have talked to other teams about their interest in acquiring Tyler Clippard, who is going to be one of the highest-paid setup men in the majors in 2015 because of his success; other teams still wonder whether the Nationals will move Clippard before the start of the season.
But with Drew Storen, Matt Thornton and others, Washington has the makings of a good bullpen.
10. Cleveland Indians
Cody Allen has whiffed 206 of the 706 batters he’s faced in the big leagues, including 91 strikeouts in 76 games last season, and continues to be among the more underrated relievers in the big leagues. Bryan Shaw is coming off another strong season, in which he allowed 61 hits in 76 1/3 innings, and 23-year-old Kyle Crockett became a nice left-handed option for manager Terry Francona after being added to the staff in the midst of 2014 season.
Honorable mention
The Los Angeles Angels went through a dramatic transformation thanks to GM Jerry Dipoto's in-season trades last year, including the addition of closer Huston Street.
The Mets finished eighth in bullpen ERA last season, albeit while not really contending.
The Atlanta Braves get a mention here, too, because any bullpen with Craig Kimbrel as the closer can always be dangerous.
