MLB
Dodgers Season In Review Part 2: The Bullpen
This is Part 2 in the Dodgers season in review, where we will be discussing the Dodger bullpen. The Dodger bullpen definitely had its ups and down in the 2018 season and put Dodger fans on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Let’s take a look at how the Dodger bullpen went from one of the worse in the league to the best.
Kenley Jansen and Pedro Baez
At the beginning of the year, the Dodgers bullpen was less than to be desired. First, there was Kenley Jansen who just wasn’t his dominant self. Then, there was Pedro Baez who seemed to blow every game and had every Dodger fan calling for his head. No matter who came in at the beginning of the year, it didn’t end well as the Dodgers’ bullpen was one of the worst in the league. Thankfully, that wouldn’t last.
Jansen
Kenley Jansen really turned things around and by the All-Star break, he earned himself a spot on the All-Star team. Unfortunately, after pitching in Colorado, Kenley had health issues, specifically with his irregular heartbeat and will be undergoing cardiac ablation surgery this winter to correct it. With Jansen out, Pedro Baez really stepped up.
Baez
When Baez first took over for Jansen on August 9th, he saw five batters and gave up four runs. Not what Dave Roberts was looking for in a replacement for Kenley. However, after that game until the end of the regular season, Baez truly dominated and allowed only one run and seven hits in 19 1/3 innings. His transformation was quite remarkable and a more than nice surprise for the Dodgers and their fans.
Both
Both Baez and Jansen had dominating NLDS and NLCS performances as well, where they both gave up zero runs to help the Dodgers advance in both series. However, their magic would come to an end and at the worst time possible, in the World Series. Baez pitched in four World Series games and ended with a 3.86 ERA. While Jansen pitched in three games and had a 4.5 ERA! Had those two performed like they did in the NLDS or NLCS a couple of those games might have gone the other way.
Jansen definitely had an off year and ended with a way higher than normal 3.01 ERA. Baez ended with a solid 2.88 ERA. His best yet, with at least 50 innings pitched. Both Jansen and Baez have shown they have the stuff to more than get the job done. After Kenley’s surgery and some rest, hopefully, those two will be back to dominate in the 2019 season!
Other Notable Bullpen Guys
Caleb Ferguson
First, I want to mention Caleb Ferguson. I know I mentioned him with the starting pitchers, but he needs to be mentioned with the bullpen as well because Ferguson really stepped up this season. The 22-year-old lefty went 7-2 with a 3.49 ERA. However, he came out of the bullpen for the postseason and really seemed comfortable in that role. Ferguson didn’t allow a single run in the NLDS or NLCS. He didn’t pitch in the World Series and with how the bullpen did he probably should have but Ferguson looks like he has solid stuff and can really help out the Dodger bullpen next year. He is currently posted as third on the Dodger bullpen depth chart.
Dylan Floro
Next, let’s talk about Dylan Floro. The Dodgers picked up Floro from the Reds before the trade deadline in July and boy did he help! In 27.2 innings with the Dodgers during the second half of the year, Floro had an outstanding 1.63 ERA! He really helped turn around the Dodger bullpen and helped them advance to the postseason. While pitching in the NLDS and NLCS, Floro’s dominance continued with him giving up no runs. However, the World Series was, unfortunately, another story.
In two World Series games pitched, Floro’s ERA was a ridiculous (and not in a good way) 11.57! Floro wasn’t obviously the only bullpen guy to pitch uncharacteristically, but going from a 1.63 ERA in the regular season to 11.57 ERA in the World Series definitely hurt. Hopefully, his World Series performance was a fluke and Floro will get back on track for the 2019 season, where he is currently fourth on the bullpen depth chart.
Kenta Maeda
I mentioned Maeda with the starters, but he ended the season in the bullpen as well. After going 8-10 with a 3.81 ERA, Kenta Maeda lost his starting job and started coming out of the bullpen. His bullpen performances were pretty inconsistent, as they were in the postseason. One day he’d give up no runs. The next he’d have an ERA of almost 7 then next back down to a 3 ERA. Maeda has good stuff, but he needs to hit his spots. Consistency will be the key with Maeda moving forward, as he is currently slotted to be the fifth Dodger starter next year.
Julio Urías
Lastly, I want to talk about Julio Urías. Urías was on the disabled list for almost the entire regular season as he had season-ending shoulder surgery in June of 2017. During the postseason he pitched in the NLCS and World Series where he pitched in 7 games and had a 2.81 ERA. This is very promising as you never know what you’re going to get when someone comes back from shoulder surgery. However, at only 22 years old, Urías as really stepped up in high-pressure situations.
In 2016, at 19 years old, Urías was ranked between the #4-#6 prospect overall by every major scouting report. He was the biggest teenage pitching phenom since King Félix. However, injuries have plagued Urías, so he hasn’t pitched much at the Major League level and reached the potential so many have seen he is capable of.
Right now Urías is posted as seventh on the Dodger bullpen chart. The more “The Teenager” pitches there’s no doubt he will be rising on that chart. In addition, Dave Roberts has already said that the plan for 2019 is to get Urías back to starting, so Roberts knows he’s better than what he’s currently posted as. I’m sure all of Dodger Nation is hoping that the kid can stay healthy and show the dominance Urías is more than capable of having.
Conclusion…
2018 for the Dodgers Bullpen was filled with many ups and downs that took Dodger fans on a wild ride of emotions. The Dodgers went from having one of the worst bullpens in baseball at the beginning of the year to out bullpenning the best bullpen in baseball in that of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, right back to blowing games in the World Series. Injuries definitely affected the bullpen at times, but they managed to overcome them and still make it to the World Series. If the Dodgers can start off the season healthy and if guys like Jansen and Urías back to normal, that’s a very scary thing for opposing teams and 2019 should be starting off a lot different than 2018 did.
Photo Credit Ian D’Andrea via Flickr
