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Building a Bullpen, Part I
By Dan | March 16, 2008
If you asked any Mets fan why the team collapsed in 2007, one of the first reasons you will hear is the bullpen, and specifically, Guillermo Mota. Overall, the Mets’ bullpen wasn’t particularly terrible in 2007, finishing 8th in the NL in reliever ERA at 3.99. Willie Randolph could definitely not be blamed for overworking the pen either, as the Mets’ relievers only threw 511 innings, good for 10th in the NL. However, Randolph’s use of Mota was almost inexcusable, as he posted a 5.76 ERA in 59 innings pitched. Mota, though, is gone now, and there are plenty of new faces to help alleviate the Mets’ bullpen woes.
First off, let’s start with the locks for the pen. Wagner, Heilman, and Feliciano are virtual locks for the pen, barring injury. Scott Schoeneweis has been involved in recent trade rumors, but he still has $6 million left on his 3-year deal, and is unlikely to go anywhere. Assuming he’s not traded for outfield help, he’s a lock too.
Locks
Billy Wagner
Statistics
2007: 68.3 IP, 2.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 80 SO, 22 BB, 6 HR
2006: 72.3 IP, 2.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 94 SO, 21 BB, 7 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .241/.328/.370, Vs. Right: .209/.268/.318
Stuff: Wagner throws his 95-97 MPH fastball about 70% of the time, and his 85 MPH slider the rest of the time. He’s also working on adding a curveball and changeup to his repertoire, but he likely won’t throw either all that much in 2008.
Chance of Making Pen: 100%. Wagner is the Mets’ closer.
Aaron Heilman
Statistics
2007: 86.0 IP, 3.03 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 63 SO, 20 BB, 8 HR
2006: 87.0 IP, 3.62 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 73 SO, 28 BB, 8HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .234/.302/.435, Vs. Right: .218/.263/.305
Stuff: Heilman works off his 91-93 MPH Fastball, which bores in on righthanders. His 83 MPH changeup is considered one of the best on the team, and allows Heilman to work effectively against lefthanders.
Chance of Making Pen: 100%. Barring a big return from Duaner Sanchez, Heilman is Wagner’s main set-up man.
Pedro Feliciano
Statistics
2007: 64.0 IP, 3.09 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 61 SO, 31 BB, 3 HR
2006: 60.03 IP, 2.09 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 54 SO, 20 BB, 4 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .168/.273/.211, Vs. Right: .221/.325/.371
Stuff: Feliciano mostly works off his 86 MPH Fastball/75 MPH slider combination. He will also occasionally mix in a curveball against lefties and changeup against righties.
Chance of Making Pen: 100%. Feliciano is the unsung hero of the Mets bullpen, often pitching in bigger situations than Heilman.
Scott Schoeneweis
Statistics
2007 Stats: 59 IP, 5.03 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 41 SO, 28 BB, 8 HR
2006 Stats: 51.7 IP, 4.88 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 29 SO, 24 BB, 4 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .204/.308/.247, Vs. Right: .316/.390/.574
Stuff: Schoeneweis is another mostly fastball/slider guy. His 89-91 MPH fastball is thrown about 75% of the time, with his slider mixed in the rest.
Chance of Making Pen: 100%. As his splits would indicate, Schoeneweis should mostly be used as a LOOGY. Apparently Willie Randolph did not get the memo, as he repeatedly set up Schoeneweis to fail by forcing him to face right-handers. He also battled against a torn tendon in his right knee, an injury he sustained in 2005 after slipping on a wet field before a game against the A’s. If Willie uses Schoeneweis correctly this year, expect a bounce-back year from him.
That wraps up the locks for the bullpen in 2008. In Part II, we’ll take a look at the main contenders to fill the back-end of the pen. In Part III, we’ll take a look at Willie Randolph’s much-criticized use of the bullpen.
(All data courtesy of Baseball-Reference. Credit to Fan Graphs, Bill James Online, and From Small Ball to Long Ball’s excellent player pages for assistance in compiling the pitcher’s stuff.)
Topics: Bullpen, HireDePodesta |
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March 22nd, 2008 at 7:14 pm
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