Editor's Note: Joe Nelson was #2 on VI in guaranteed MLB picks in 2008 and currently holds the top guaranteed pick profits so far in 2009. Click to win!
Many of the top money teams in baseball so far in the young 2009 season also are some of the top performers with regards to the bullpen and that is no coincidence. Nothing is more frustrating and harder on the psyche of team than losing games that you held a lead in and were in position to win. A struggling bullpen also puts more pressure on the starting staff and if certain relievers are not holding up their spots, they create a greater and more stressful workload for the rest of the bullpen. There are certainly a few surprises among the most profitable teams to back so far this season based on last year’s results and projections for this year but a common theme to teams that are overachieving is strong relief pitching.
Florida Marlins: The Marlins were a pretty good team last year despite fading late in the season and it is not a big surprise that Florida is off to a strong start. Most would have expected that the talented rotation would be carrying the load but Florida’s bullpen has been one of the best in baseball and is a big reason why the Marlins have won several close games. The Marlins are 5-0 in games decided by relievers and the bullpen owns a 2.89 ERA, good enough for second best in the NL. Florida has blown two saves this season but went on to win both of those games. Leo Nunez and Kiko Calero have been key additions to the pen and Matt Lindstrom has looked like a legitimate closer.
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers have been on a roll of late and pitching has been the reason as the offense has been inconsistent. The Dodgers have had a great bullpen the last few years and Jonathan Broxton has been sharp in his role as full-time closer. The Dodgers own a 3.35 bullpen ERA and opposing hitters are batting just .232 against Los Angeles relievers. Strong starting pitching from ace Chad Billingsley as well as less expected strong outings from Randy Wolf and Eric Stults have made job easy for the bullpen in many cases. Rookie Ronald Belisario has been the unsung hero of the bullpen with a 1.86 ERA over seven appearances.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Being three games over .500 at this point in the season does not mean a lot to most franchises but when you are the Pirates this is the encouraging start that the team desperately needs after years of losing. Pittsburgh’s offense has not been great but the pitching has been outstanding with solid efforts from most starters and a very reliable bullpen. Closer Matt Capps is five-for-five in save situations and he is yet to allow a run and as a whole the bullpen has a 3.50 ERA with opposing batters hitting just .222. Left-hander and long-time Pirate Josh Grabow has picked up where he left off after strong numbers last season and Jesse Chavez has been an unexpected force in the bullpen as well. Pittsburgh could continue to be a profitable team as they rarely will play as favorites.
Seattle Mariners: Closer Brandon Morrow had an awful first outing off the season, walking the bases loaded despite inheriting a 5-3 lead and eventually being removed before Miguel Batista allowed the game winning hit. Morrow has not allowed a run since that game as he and the rest of the Seattle bullpen have been a key factor in the surprisingly strong start for the current AL West leaders. The Mariners have the best bullpen ERA in the AL at 2.21 and no Seattle reliever has given up a home run through the first 14 games of the season. The signing of cast off reliever Dave Aardsma has looked like a brilliant move so far this season and as a result of the bullpen success the Mariners have been great money-makers in the early season.
Toronto Blue Jays: The top three teams in baseball were supposed to reside in the AL East but no one told the Blue Jays that they were not supposed to be among them. Toronto has one of the best records in baseball and has the early edge over the Yankees and Red Sox because the bullpen has been outstanding. Opposing batters are hitting .196 against Toronto relievers this year and the bullpen has a collective ERA of 3.33. Closer B.J. Ryan has been the shakiest of the group but three relievers; Scott Downs, Shawn Camp, and Jason Frasor, have pitched at least six innings and are yet to give up a run.
These teams have flourished with solid relief efforts securing victories that many teams have lost in those situations. On the other side of things a look at the worst bullpen numbers in baseball will be a list of the most disappointing teams so far in the 2009 season. The Los Angeles Angels lead that list with a 7.85 bullpen ERA while Cleveland, Minnesota, Arizona, and the New York Yankees all feature bullpen ERAs of 6.80 or higher and not surprisingly those teams have all lost money so far this season despite being projected as serious playoff threats.
