By: Oscar Benedek
In today’s game, the bullpen has grown into an increasingly important asset that every manager can use to win each and every game. With current trends showing that starters are consistently going fewer and fewer innings, and with the new use of “openers” by the Rays and Athletics, bullpen use will only continue to grow. For many years, Yankees ownership has emphasized the importance for an effective and powerful bullpen, from John Wetteland and Mariano Rivera to the most recent iteration of the Yankees’ ‘pen. In 2019, the Yankees fans and ownership believe that their hefty bullpen will outweigh their riskier assets, most notably the starting rotation, a consensus weak point for the team. The team’s confidence is justified, as the 2019 Yankee Bullpen will prove to be the best in the majors and will cement themselves in history as the best group of relievers to ever play in the MLB.
The star-studded Yankees bullpen, comprising of many well-established stars, is lead by their star closer, Aroldis Chapman. Chapman, a valued contributor to both the Reds’ and now the Yankees’ organization, has pitched to a 2.24 ERA over nine seasons, piling up 236 saves in the process which puts him 40th all-time at the age of 30. He has averaged 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings, racking up 798 total since 2010. Throughout his career, he has a 16.0 WAR (wins above replacement), with a 1.7 WAR last year despite serving multiple stints on the IL (injured list). Last year, Chapman did not falter from his incredible pace, ranking in the 100th percentile in fastball velocity and batting average against, and 99th percentile in strikeout percentage. Throughout his career, he has received 4 NL All-Star selections with the Reds and 1 AL All-Star selection last year with the Yankees.
Dellin Betances, the homegrown hard-throwing sensation and frequent set-up man, has had an illustrious career so far. Since 2011, Betances has pitched to a 2.36 ERA with 619 strikeouts. Last season, he achieved a 1.7 WAR, contributing to his 11.6 career WAR. Matching Chapman in percentiles in many categories, Betances boasts the 99th percentile in fastball velocity, strikeout percentage, and slugging against, while also pitching in the 98th percentile in batting average against. Betances, since his official 2014 rookie year, has been selected to the All-Star Game four out of his five MLB seasons.
Adam Ottavino, the most recent free agent to join the Yankees star-studded bullpen, boasted this offseason that he could “strike out Babe Ruth every time.” Some may laugh, but his 2018 numbers show he would definitely be up for the challenge. After having a relatively mundane career before 2018, the righty exploded last year, pitching to a 2.43 ERA and a 2.6 WAR, both drastic upticks from his career average 3.68 ERA and accumulative 8.6 WAR since 2012. To bolster his 2018 resume, Ottavino ranked in the 99th percentile in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base against, as well as 97th percentile in strikeout percentage.
Zack Britton, a late-season acquisition in last year’s hunt for a championship, is one of the most interesting cases in baseball. After completing a 2016 season hailed as the greatest reliever season ever in which Britton put up an astounding 0.54 ERA and 2.5 WAR, the reliever ruptured his Achilles during the 2017-18 offseason and required surgery, taking him out of baseball action for 4 months. The following season, the Yankees acquire him, hoping for similar numbers to his 2016 campaign. Even while putting up a 3.10 ERA last season, the Yankees are hoping that Britton can recapture his greatness, when, from 2014 to 2017, he averaged a 1.75 ERA.
Chad Green, the 27-year-old utility reliever, has thrived in his role as the Yankee’s multi-inning man the last two seasons. Since 2016, Green has 249 strikeouts and a 2.79 ERA. His 2018 WAR was an impressive 2.3, adding to his total of 5.1 WAR in his three years in the majors. Last year, he ranked in the 92nd percentile in fastball velocity and strikeout percentage, and 91st percentile in fastball spin, an unknown but highly underrated stat that, if high, raises the level of the fastball as it crosses the plate. As a multi-inning guy, Green has been suggested by Manager Aaron Boone as a possible “opener”, a relatively new concept of relievers starting a game with the aim of pitching two to three quality innings.
Jonathan Holder, a surprising discovery last year, was utilized early by Boone to escape from high-leverage situations and established himself as a valuable piece in the pinstripe ‘pen. Since he was called up in 2016, he has pitched to a respectable 3.56 ERA with a 1.5 career WAR, 1.0 of which was last year, his breakout campaign. He has racked up 105 strikeouts in his three years in the bigs and is looking to continue his strong third year into 2019.
The back end of Yankees ‘pen is comprised of four young pitchers hoping to make their names in 2019. Steven Tarpley, Jonathan Loaisiga, Chance Adams, and Domingo German will be constants in on the 2019 Yankees pitching staff, with Loaisiga and German vying for starting spots in the early portion of the year with Sabathia and Severino starting the year on the IL (Injured List). Both pitchers came up from the farm system last year when the Yankees had openings in the starting rotation. Tarpley also tasted the bigs last year, contributing both as a starter and a reliever late in the season and into the playoffs. The last of the four, Chance Adams, pitched his only major league start against the Red Sox on August 4th, 2018, but has been a star in the minors and is looking to make a difference in the majors this year.
Tommy Kahnle, the final piece to the Yankees bullpen, is a mystery. After a couple of commanding years split between the White Sox and Yankees where his ERA did not rise above 2.70, the 230-pound righty ran into trouble, pitching to an above 6.00 ERA last season. Reports have come out about the possibility of him pitching through injury, but the cause of his sudden decline is not known. Of all of the pitching options next year, Kahnle is perhaps the biggest question mark. If he can return to his 2016-2017 form, he would be a valuable piece in Boone’s weaponry. If not, another season flitting between AAA and the majors could be in store for Kahnle.
Even though most relievers in the 2019 bullpen have proven themselves as dominant in the past, the major question is whether they will continue to pitch to their highest standards in 2019. This is highly likely, as five of the top six (Chapman, Betances, Britton, Green, and Holder) are relatively young, with none older than 31 years old. Ottavino, the only top-six reliever over the age of 31, has enjoyed a resurgence, remaking his style of pitching into one of the most feared pitchers in the MLB. At 33, Ottavino is still at the top of his game and is showing no signs of slowing down. As for the younger guys, all four have a lot of room to grow but have proved themselves worthy of big league spots in their small sample sizes in the majors last year. All four came up through the Yankees farm system as highly-touted prospects and are believed to be the next generation of dominant Yankee relievers.
The 1998 Yankees Bullpen, considered the greatest bullpen of all time according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, pitched to an incredible 3.76 ERA en route to a 125 win season and eventually a World Championship. The 2019 ‘pen could easily beat that ERA mark, with all six of their established star relievers under 3.76, and four others who have the potential to be just as successful as the top six. The real standout, however, between the ‘98 and 2019 bullpens is this year’s ability to put a closer-quality pitcher in anytime after the fifth inning. Ottavino, Betances, Britton, and Chapman have all proven themselves as members of the top tier of relievers in the game, with Green and Holder not far behind. Contrastly, although the 1998 bullpen had the greatest closer in MLB history, Mariano Rivera, the depth was nowhere near what the current bullpen boasts. Therefore, all the Yankees need is a solid five or six innings of work from their starters before the bullpen locks down the game.
In today’s game, bullpens have surged into the spotlight, becoming one of the most important aspects of a team’s success. The Yankees believe that a strong bullpen is their secret formula and the key to their 28th championship. By emphasizing this way of thinking, Yankees management has created the most powerful bullpen in the league, and in the history of the MLB. Combining the factors of four closer-quality pitchers, two proven long-men, one wildcard, and four exciting young pitchers ready to make their mark on the league, the 2019 Yankees ‘pen will write their names into the history books as the GOAT. Take out your pens, folks, cause this bullpen will be insane.
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