Bullpen Standing Strong As 2020 Nears An End
Kyle Crick, Nick Burdi, Edgar Santana. These were just some of the names that made up the Pirates Injured List during the first month of the 2020 season. The Pirates were forced to call up several young arms from their satellite camp, that hadn't had much experience at any level higher then single-aa. All of this amounted to a bullpen that was getting obliterated, blowing leads night in and night out. However, some of those players who were injured have made their way back to the Pirates roster and some of the young guys have found consistency. It has led to the Pirates bullpen becoming a strength for the team over the final weeks of August and early September.
Over the last two weeks, the bullpen has gone from being the 26th ranked bullpen, with an ERA of 5.36, to the 19th ranked bullpen, with an ERA of 4.68. That has been thanks to the work of a few key young guys, and some veterans finding their way as the season has progressed. All of that, plus the return of guys like Nick Burdi and a fully healthy Kyle Crick in 2021, makes for a promising looking bullpen of the future. Today, we look at some of the key pieces that have led to the Pirates bullpen being a success rather than a group that makes you chew your fingernails when they enter the game.
1. Geoff Hartlieb: 1-0, 1.96 ERA
Geoff Hartlieb has been one of the biggest surprises from Satelite camp this season. After spending part of the year in the Big Leagues last year, 2020 was supposed to be the tear he broke through to the Major Leagues. Many questioned his ability to pitch at this level after he posted a 9.00 ERA in 29 games, but he has since proved everyone wrong. In 15 games so far this season, he has been lights outgoing 1-0 with a team-best 1.96 ERA in 18.1 innings of work. His control has been a little off this season, with 11 walks, but his strikeouts are up with 16. His velocity is actually down from his 2019 debut, but he is relying on finesse more than just blowing the ball by opposing hitters.
He eliminated the four-seam fastball that he featured almost 40% of the time last year and replaced it with his sinker. The sinker averages three miles per hour slower than his fastball did but features 42.2 inches of drop and 12 inches of break. He can still get the sinker into the low-90s, and the movement makes it that much more deceptive than his fastball, which was mostly straight. He uses that sinker to set up his slider which is a very similar pitch, with much more movement down and in to right-handed batters. Of his 16 strikeouts this season, 12 have come from the slider he uses both pitches pretty evenly, but tends to use the slider more against right-handed batters while throwing the sinker more to lefties. His newfound success has led the Pirates to a promising looking back-end reliever for years to come.
2. Richard Rodriguez: 1-2, 3.57, 3-4 Saves
When the Pirates needed a closer Richard Rodriguez was the man who stepped up when everyone else was hurt. After a rough start to the year, that saw him with a 4.97 ERA at the end of August, He has since turned things around in his last five outings. He hasn't been scored upon since August 29th while working in five innings and striking out five batters while walking just one. He has only gotten one save opportunity during that stretch, and got it done on September 4th in game two of the doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds. The run has helped him lower his ERA to 3.57, almost a 100 point drop, and has stepped up when placed in high-leverage situations.
One of Rodriguez's biggest downfalls at the beginning of the year was untimely home runs. He has given up just three home runs in 17.2 innings of work, but two of the three have been multi-run home runs. He gave up a two-run home run on Opening Day against the St. Louis Cardinals that shot his ERA up and then, in his only blown save of the season, he gave up a two-run walk-off home run to the Milwaukee Brewers Erick Sogard. One of the biggest keys to Rodriguez's success, especially as of late, is his ability to limit hard contact. His average exit velocity (93.3) and his hard-hit percentage (53.7%) both rank in the bottom 3% of the league. Rodriguez is trying to get back to his 2018 numbers when he was one of the most dominating relievers in not only the National League but Major League Baseball as well.
3. Sam Howard: 2-1, 2.30 ERA
Aside from one bad stretch in the middle of August, Sam Howard has been one of the best off-season pickups by General Manager Ben Cherrington. He gave up four earned runs from August 8th through August 18th but hasn't given up another run all season long. He currently has 8.1 scoreless innings under his belt, while walking five and striking out seven during that stretch. Prior to this season, Howard's only real shot came in Colorado last season, where, in 20 games, he posted a 6.83 ERA and allowed 21 hits while walking 10 in 19 innings of work. The move from Coors Field might have helped a little, but a new mindset coming into 2020 has been the biggest change.
The biggest change for Howard in 2020 was the use of his fastball, which jumped nearly 10% from last season. Howard has used the slider 63.2% of the time and generated 12 of his 19 strikeouts off the pitch. With 33.1 inches of drop, the bottom falls out of the pitch late. He has generated more swings and misses this year than ever, with a whiff% of 35.8%. This, along with his career-low 10.9% walk rate, has led to the best season of Howard's young career. At just 25-years old, Howard is showing that he can be a big piece of the Pirates bullpen for years to come. He is a young pitcher with several years of control, as he works to develop himself through the Pirates system.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (13-26) are off today but return to action tomorrow for a short two-game home series with the Chicago White Sox (26-15). Joe Musgrove (0-4, 6.62) makes his second start after coming off the Injured List for the Pirates against Dylan Cease (5-2, 3.29) for the White Sox. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen live on 93.7 The Fan with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm.
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