In looking at traditional stats like ERA for relief pitchers, we sometimes don't see everything we need. For example, a reliever could enter the game with the bases loaded, allow a bases-clearing triple and then get out of the inning only to have a 0.00 ERA on the day. That's a good ERA and a terrible outing for his team, even if not entirely his fault.
Thus, I rather enjoy checking in on how many inherited runners relievers have stranded. We won't see many closers in the mix because they generally get whole, clean innings of work. We will see lots of LOOGYs (left-handed one out guys), because they often only have to get one guy out before leaving the game (see Mr. Choate below).
Still, late outs with runners on base are precious outs. Who have been the best at leaving guys on base this season? Let's take a look, including all relievers who have inherited at least 15 runners (here's the whole list on baseball-reference.com).
[Sorted by "strand rate" in percentages, rounded to tenths. "Strand rate" is used traditionally to talk about something completely different, but for the sake of brevity, we're using it here.]
|
Pitcher, team
|
Inherited runners
|
Inherited runners scored
|
Strand rate (%)
|
Appearances
|
Innings pitched
|
|
16
|
0
|
100
|
33
|
21.2
|
|
|
20
|
1
|
95
|
51
|
43.1
|
|
|
24
|
2
|
91.67
|
43
|
28.2
|
|
|
Fernando Rodriguez, A's
|
23
|
2
|
91.3
|
39
|
38.1
|
|
Brandon Cunniff, Braves
|
22
|
2
|
90.9
|
30
|
27.2
|
|
Steve Geltz, Rays
|
21
|
2
|
90.48
|
56
|
55
|
|
21
|
2
|
90.48
|
42
|
39.2
|
|
|
19
|
2
|
89.47
|
54
|
54.2
|
|
|
44
|
5
|
88.6
|
56
|
23.2
|
|
|
17
|
2
|
88.24
|
55
|
57.2
|
Rafeal Betancourt of the Rockies is tied with Familia but lost my tiebreaker for having fewer innings pitched. He's still worthy of mention, though, which is why I'm doing so here.
So there you have it. A tip of the cap to these relievers for leaving the baserunners on the bases.
