The Kansas City Royals are starting to become a model organization in the American League, as they have an 11 game lead over the second place Minnesota Twins, and are on their way to a deep October run. Last year’s strength was their bullpen, which featured a three-headed monster in Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland. Essentially every game they played was over after the sixth inning if the Royals were in the lead. With lineups and starting rotations requiring so much focus and consideration throughout the offseason and during the season, the bullpen is a part of baseball that can be easily overlooked; yet it can make or break you when it comes to the playoffs.
If you do not think bullpens are important, look at what happened this past week when the Mets played the Washington Nationals. In the fourth inning of the first game, the Mets were down 5-3 against Max Scherzer. The team managed to get five runs off him, while tying the game up at 5. The Nationals bullpen would come on and let up three runs in the seventh, while the Mets bullpen kept the opposition scoreless for 5.2 innings after Jon Niese struggled.
In game two, the Nationals had a 7-1 lead heading into the seventh inning when the Mets erupted for six runs in the inning to tie the game. The bullpen would also give up the go-ahead run, giving the Mets the second win of the series. The formula of Erik Goeddel, Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia is going to become a regularity in the postseason, as Goeddel has shown he can pitch in the big leagues, while the remaining three are extremely productive veterans.
Game three was the same story. The Mets were down 2-1, and scored three runs in the eighth. Granted Steven Strasburg ended up losing the game, but Drew Storen and Jonathon Papelbon let up two runs, which ended up being the deciding two runs in the game.
The morale of the story is that having a good bullpen down the stretch is inevitable. Having the ability and flexibility to overcome a bad day from a starter, keep the game within striking distance or maintaining a lead provides a better opportunity for winning. Sandy Alderson has done a great job in overcoming unseen circumstances, which could have damaged the bullpen, and has turned it into a big strength.
Trading for Clippard gave the Mets some postseason experience in the pen. Although Clippard has only pitched two playoff series with Washington, the experience can help in the playoffs, as he has dealt with the pressure before. Plus, Familia and Reed have never pitched in a playoff game, and the atmosphere will be unlike any other situation when they have pitched.
If we consider that the Mets were going to count on Vic Black, Jerry Blevins, Jeurys Familia, Jennry Mejia and Bobby Parnell to form a formidable bullpen, then it is a miracle for the Mets to be in the postseason hunt. Black struggled during his rehab assignment and was not a September call-up. Blevins has been on the disabled list for most of the season, while Mejia has been suspended for most of the season. Parnell came back, but did not have the velocity or command we have seen in the past, and struggled. Familia has been excellent as Matt Netter wrote earlier this week.
With the Mets featuring four quality right-handed pitchers in Clippard, Familia, Goeddel and Reed, the Mets pitching staff as a whole is in good shape heading towards the postseason. We are not even mentioning the possibility of starters moving to the bullpen, because who knows what that situation will bring? Either way, the Mets are prepared to have a deep run in October due to their starting pitching, but also due to their bullpen.
In the 2015 post season, the Mets indeed have a strong back end bullpen of three closers. The fact that the starting pitching usually gets the team into the 7th inning is a strength over a pitching staff like Kansas City. Off days in the playoffs should also keep the three fresh. The playoff roster should only include eleven pitchers because of this and definitely not a LOOGY. One of those pitchers should be a starter to eat up innings in a tie game. The extra offensive player will add more flexibility in late inning maneuvering.
The Cespedes trade gets all the attention but arguably the acquisitions of Clippard and Reed together might be nearly as important. Those two, Familia, Goeddel, Robles, Gilmartin should be locks. A lot of discussion as to who should be the seventh guy, which of course depends on which four make it from the rotation.
It’s crazy to think that a Colon or Niese might be bumped from the first round so that the team can carry EY Jr.
EY Jr, no!
Duda, Murphy, Flores, Wright, Conforto, Cespedes, Granderson, TDA yes
Cuddyer, Lagares, Johnson, Uribe, Tejada, Plawecki and 11 pitchers.
Sorry EY Jr but those 14 position players got us here!
Hat tip to our cross town rivals. A big part of Yankees success this year is Miller and Betances at the back end.
Yeah, I’ve seen some scattered folks list EY on their postseason rosters. To me, that’s just not serious thinking. He’s done nothing — not one blessed thing — all season. Now some random brainiac thinks it’s a “decision” between, say, EY and Kelly Johnson?
Lagares is on the hot seat, too, depending upon how many position players they take. Or is he really going to get the start in both Kershaw games?
Decisions, decisions.
The tough calls will be in the pen and what to do with the extra starters. It’s possible that even with 4 starters they go with 12 pitchers. (I think I prefer 11 pitchers.) But no matter what, that’s a tough cut or two or three to make. Lot of guys deserve to be there, lot of guys could theoretically help.
There’s still games to play, and info to process, but I still like Matz in the pen. I don’t buy that because of an old surgery he can’t perform in that role. If I had to do it now, I guess Niese doesn’t make the postseason. But I don’t know that I could have the heart to pick Gilmartin or Alvarez over him — and you know the organization will want some LHP.
Hard to believe that I can conceive of Bartolo on postseason roster, long man or Game X starter.
Glad this isn’t my job.
Wheeler, Edgin, Mejia, Montero, Gee, Blevins. 6 guys we might have assumed to be on the post season roster if we were dreaming of it back in April. Think about that. Half the pitching roster has tuurned over.