The Yankees' success in 2018 will be built on their bullpen
The Yankees’ bullpen, which was already
an incredible strength in 2017, is going to be an absolute juggernaut in 2018.
Yes, I understand the bullpen went unchanged since 2017 concluded, (There’s really nothing to change about it) but it will be
significantly better as a whole in 2018.
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The bullpen wasn’t awful over the first few
months of 2017, but it was far from what ultimately became the most feared bullpen in baseball.
It’s easier and less nerve-wracking to call on Chad
Green or David Robertson in a stressful situation as opposed to Chasen Shreve
or Tyler Clippard. There is such a difference a few months can make for a roster.
After posting a solid 2.97 ERA in April, they struggled to maintain
that success. In May, that number spiked, and by June, they posted their worst
ERA of any month, 4.27. They were tied at the top of the league for the most bullpen
losses that month with seven, not to mention their six blown saves, which they
also led in.
By the end of the first half, the Yankees had led the majors
with 17 blown saves. Although their ERA was a somewhat respectable 3.66, it was
continuing to increase by a wide margin month by month. The
Yankees bullpen was not bad, but it could not lock down wins and shut the door
in the late innings.
On July 16th, the Yankees’ pen received desperately needed
reinforcements. They acquired relief pitchers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the Chicago White Sox. It was a move that proved to be pivotal
for the Bombers' postseason push.
They went on to post a second half ERA of 3.01, good enough for
second best during that span, behind only the Indians. They ranked near the
bottom in blown saves with six, which was an enormous improvement from the
first few months of the year.
The Yankees’ reconstructed bullpen continued to be
a dominating force throughout the playoffs. This is one of the biggest reasons
why they were one win shy of a World Series berth.
They held hitters to a miniscule .185 average while
posting a sparkling 2.94 ERA during the postseason. In 2014 and 2015, the Royals
proved that teams with solid bullpens go deep in the playoffs, and the Yankees
have mimicked this formula.
The list of solid arms that Aaron Boone can go to is endless, and there are further reinforcements in the minor leagues that could be called upon at any given moment. The key for Boone's bullpen is if
everyone meets what is expected of them. Two guys who struggled to do so
consistently last year were Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman.
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Betances seemed to lose the plate every other outing last
season. You blinked and suddenly two men were on with no outs, and the count
3-0 on the third batter.
When he’s on, he has some of the
nastiest stuff you’ll see. His fastball is consistently near 100 mph and he follows
that up with his knee buckling curve. However, the key words here are “when he’s on” because when he’s not, it’s hard to watch.
As for Chapman, although he lost the closers role for a brief
period, there’s not really much to worry about here. He became
close to automatic down the stretch and throughout the postseason. Once back
in the role, he was a different pitcher, one who regained his confidence and
was determined to never lose the closer role again.
Even if those two guys or anyone else struggle at times, the
Yankees bullpen is so deep that it gives them a plethora of options. As stacked
as the powerhouse lineup is that they have, the real strength of this team
comes from the powerhouse arms waiting in the wings.
Article by: Shawn Maguire
Follow @ShawnMaguireeeFollow @BronxBomberBall
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