Walks and Inconsistency Preventing the Royal Bullpen From Being Great

by Freneau on Apr 26, 2011 1:29 PM EDT in Kansas City Royals News

True story: when I set out to write this column, I had a working title of "The Astounding Royal Bullpen." I assumed that the stats for the relief pitchers would be awesome and that the bullpen's success was a major reason why the Royals have been able to start 12-10.

But that isn't quite the case. When you look at the numbers, the Royal bullpen hasn't actually been very good.

	Bullpen #	MLB Rank
IP	74.1	4th
ERA	4.00	20th
K/9	6.54	25th
K/BB	1.35	28th

This table isn't exactly the Bayeau Tapestry, but it can tell us a few things. First of all, the bullpen has been used often this season. Although the Royals are 4th in innings pitched, effectively they are one of the most taxed units in the game, as the most used 'pen, the Reds, is at 75.2 innings. All that work has likely lessened the effectiveness of pitchers like Tim Collins, while also forcing Yost to use lesser pitchers more than he'd like.

The other striking thing is that the strikeout number just isn't that impressive. In fact, it isn't even good. Although Collins and Crow began the season by literally striking out everyone, the unit as a whole has slipped. Coleman may help, but it's going to take awhile before his presence can be felt.

Relatedly, the walk number is high. K/BB is a nice way of looking at how much a pitcher is in control of the pitcher/hitter battle and the Royals are falling behind there.

Rk	Pos		Age	W	ERA	IP	H	R	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
5	CL	Joakim Soria	27	1	5.59	9.2	10	7	1	5	5	1.552	9.3	0.9	4.7	4.7	1.00
6	RP	Tim Collins*	21	1	4.50	12.0	12	6	0	12	17	2.000	9.0	0.0	9.0	12.8	1.42
7	RP	Aaron Crow	24	2	0.00	11.2	7	0	0	4	12	0.943	5.4	0.0	3.1	9.3	3.00
8	RP	Jeremy Jeffress	23	1	4.15	8.2	6	4	1	8	9	1.615	6.2	1.0	8.3	9.3	1.13
9	RP	Rob Tejeda	29	0	5.06	5.1	10	3	1	2	1	2.250	16.9	1.7	3.4	1.7	0.50
Rk	Pos		Age	W	ERA	IP	H	R	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
11		Nathan Adcock	23	0	3.86	7.0	9	3	2	2	0	1.571	11.6	2.6	2.6	0.0	0.00
12		Blake Wood	25	0	5.40	6.2	10	4	1	2	6	1.800	13.5	1.4	2.7	8.1	3.00
13		Kanekoa Texeira	25	0	2.84	6.1	13	2	0	3	0	2.526	18.5	0.0	4.3	0.0	0.00
14		Louis Coleman	25	0	0.00	3.0	2	0	0	1	3	1.000	6.0	0.0	3.0	9.0	3.00
		Rank in 14 AL teams		4	10	4	14	12	11	11	9

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/26/2011.

As you can see above, the individual numbers have worsened considerably in the last fortnight. Adcock and Texeira have managed to simulate some effectiveness, despite recording no strikeouts between them. After an amazing start, Collins is now something of a walk machine. Ditto for Jeffress. Soria's struggles are well-documented.

Subjectively, I still feel that this is a plus bullpen. If the Royals have a lead in the 7th, Yost can go with Coleman/Collins/Crow/Soria in some order to close out the game. I think we all more or less like that group, despite the fact that Coleman has only pitched in three innings and everything else going on with Soria and Collins.

Nevertheless, it looks like a volatile group. The Texiera/Wood/Adcock low leverage/early innings gang doesn't appear inspiring, while the more favored pitchers come with their own questions.

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Comments

I like adcock and somewhat trust him in a closer game...

But Wood and Tex need to only be used when we are up or down by 5 or 6+…

by KCTiger on Apr 26, 2011 1:46 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Why do we hate Wood again?

Is it that one home run that he’s given up or the high BABIP? His peripherals look real good. I’m willing to give him some extra time.

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by sfeldkamp on Apr 26, 2011 2:03 PM EDT reply actions

He's a real three outcome guy isn't he

K, BB or Hit. He doesn’t seem to allow many balls in play that the defense can get to.

Which isn’t really his fault of course, he’s rocking a .400+ BABIP. When that comes down, as long as the K rate doesn’t too much as well, he’ll be a perfectly serviceable reliever.

by kcbottom9th on Apr 26, 2011 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions

The 3rd true outcome is a HR

not a hit, but I know what you meant.

2011 Royals Review NCAA Bracket Challenge Winner, by process of attrition

by sfeldkamp on Apr 26, 2011 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions

fair point on wood

he is striking out a man an inning

by Freneau on Apr 26, 2011 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

and don't forget last year we were complaining that he couldn't strike anybody out...

"Shot by my own men."

by StonewallPDS on Apr 26, 2011 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I think there must be some complainers on this site

don’t know who they are, but be on the lookout

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Apr 26, 2011 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions

probably some sort of carryover from last year

when it comes to stuff like how 15 of 25 inherited runners he has received wound up scoring (that’s the 2010/2011 numbers)

So he has allowed 32 earned runs and 15 inherited runners, so the wonder of the relief appearance makes him look better than he really is.

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by BHWick on Apr 26, 2011 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions

The good news:

There is a plethora of decent options waiting in Omaha, should Moore/Yost decide that is needed.

For that reason, I think some of the roster moves will be utilized after a particularly taxing stretch of games in order to get a fresh arm available. Even though Coleman certainly deserved the promotion, a part of me thinks Teixera was sent down and Coleman called up for this very reason. In other words, Texeira will be back up and down again, as needed, several times this season. Same might go for ANY of the young relievers.

One big decision yet to unfold: Will Moore decide, once they are deemed ready, to ease Duffy and/or Montgomery into the big leagues via the bullpen, or will they go straight into the rotation? To me, that will be a VERY interesting call. The bullpen could use a second lefthander, if for no other reason than to ease the workload of Collins. I guess the decision might also be influenced by where we stand in the race. If we are still contending, Moore might want to beef up the bullpen. If the rotation sabotages our good start and we are out of the race come mid season, he might want to put those two in the rotation. Yet another factor will be innings limits those two might be on this season.

"We're gonna win with pitching and defense" General Manager Dayton Moore, circa winter 2009

"Where did all these Indians come from?" General George Armstrong Custer, circa summer 1876

by loyal2sdad on Apr 26, 2011 2:09 PM EDT reply actions

let's not forget that we only have a 12-man bullpen

Moore could add one more easily.

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Apr 26, 2011 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions

The same scenario

seems to repeat itself year after year. A good looking bullpen starts off with some effective pitching. Then one hurler starts to completely unravel, then a second, then a third. Every year, it’s like some suck flu spreads through our pen. I remember thinking Wright was going to be of great help last season. Then the suckage was upon the others and before you knew it, it was on Jamie, as well. I dunno. Maybe someone should teach them to wash their hands and sneeze into their shirts like the rest of the world.

by LaFLamme on Apr 26, 2011 2:23 PM EDT reply actions

If Soria and Tejeda had been their usual selves,

the bullpen really would look solid. While Adcock, Texeira, and Jefress (and probably Wood) leave a little to be desired, the top half is filled with quality guys for the high-leverage situations. Granted, that is assuming Soria and Tejeda are OK.

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Apr 26, 2011 2:52 PM EDT reply actions

The reason it seems that way is because the bullpen has been generally very, very good or downright awful. They have given up 29 runs by my calculation. Soria has given up 7 runs but in only one game did it cost us the game. Collins gave up 4 in extras against Cleveland when one run would have been adequate. Last friday Wood and Adcock gave up 5 against Texas when it would have required shutout ball for us to stay in it. That is 16 of our 29 runs in 3 games. That means in the other 19 we have given up 13 runs….sometimes the numbers are very deceiving.

by craig102m on Apr 26, 2011 4:34 PM EDT reply actions