MLB Bullpen Red Flags
Bullpen Red Flags: PIT Have Burned 17 Relief Arms in 3 Days
Published
The quietest stat that decides loud games: bullpen usage. We counted every reliever appearance in the last three days of box scores, and the gap between the most-taxed pen and the freshest one is worth knowing about.
Running on fumes
PIT top the board with 17 relief appearances in four games, about 4.2 arms out of the pen a night. A manager can live like that for a weekend; over a longer stretch, it is usually the late innings that pay the bill.
NYY are right there with them at 16 relief outings in 4 games.
NYM (13 outings in 4 games) are not far off that pace either.
The rested arms
The freshest arms belong to MIN, only three relief appearances in one games, which is the quiet kind of advantage that shows up in the eighth inning.
SF are in similar shape, with just 4 relief outings across 1 games.
The spread between the busiest pen and the freshest one is 14 appearances over the same window, that is the difference between a full late-inning menu and a manager crossing his fingers at the mound.
At a glance
The full usage board from the window:
| Team | Relief outings | Games |
|---|---|---|
| PIT | 17 | 4 |
| NYY | 16 | 4 |
| NYM | 13 | 4 |
| CLE | 13 | 3 |
| KC | 13 | 3 |
One more thing
A quick note on the counting: every pitcher after the starter in each captured box score registers as one appearance, so a one-out specialist and a two-inning bulk arm weigh the same. Imperfect, but honest, and consistent across every team.
Usage is context, not destiny. But when the late innings arrive, yesterday's workload is very real, and it does not care about the matchup.
Next up on the slate: Pittsburgh Pirates against Detroit Tigers. Check back after that one goes final.