As we begin to approach the end of the first month of the season, the Orioles seem to be hitting all the right buttons.
The Birds currently hold a 10-6 record and have the second best record in the AL East after playing what seems to be a tough beginning of the season stretch.
The O’s bullpen currently holds a 3.26 ERA, which ranks eighth in Major League Baseball and seventh in the American League. The staff also holds a 1.07 WHIP, which ranks fifth in MLB and the AL on the young season.
Once the coaching staff turns the ball over to the bullpen, things seem to be clicking on all cylinders. Let’s take the opportunity to look deeper into the stats and rank the O’s bullpen arms on their performances so far this season.
1. Craig Kimbrel
Craig Kimbrel was brought in this season as a bridge gap until Félix Bautista returns from Tommy John surgery that has sidelined him until at least late 2024, at the earliest. But are we seeing a resurgence of the future Hall of Fame closer?
Through seven games, Kimbrel has put together 13 strikeouts, a 0.43 WHIP, and four saves. Advanced metrics show an expected batting average of .126, expected ERA of 0.62 and a strikeout percentage of 54.2%, all within the top 1% of the league.
If Kimbrel can keep this success throughout the remainder of the season, the Orioles’ plan of putting a bandaid on the closer role for 2024 will be a success.
2. Danny Coulombe
We all knew Danny Coulombe was good, but did you expect this success?
After seven outings thus far in 2024, Coloumbe has given up just one earned run and has an ERA of 1.42. The success has come from a surprise increase in strikeout percentage, from 27.6% to 42.9%, which places him in the top 3% in the league.
This success will continue to place him in the back end of the bullpen as a top left-handed option for manager Brandon Hyde.
3. Keegan Akin
Yes, you read that right. If everyone was tasked to say who would put up a good season in 2024, I guarantee nobody would write Keegan Akin. But alas, here we are.
After eight innings of work, Akin has put up 11 strikeouts, a 2.16 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP. So what has led to the early success for Akin? Advanced metrics says pitch selection.
Akin’s slider in 2024 has been his best pitch, and the increased use from 25% to 42.5% this season has led to an exit velocity rate on contact at 81.6 MPH, which places him in the top 2% of pitchers in the league.
The pitches themselves may not rate highly, but one thing is for certain; Akin’s pitch selection has been fantastic to start the 2024 season, enough to fool batters.
4. Yennier Canó
Canó being this low on the list is no knock on him. It just speaks to how well the bullpen has pitched so far in 2024.
In eight games this season, Canó has posted eight strikeouts, a 2.16 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. The Rock has been in quite a few high-leverage situations, spotting him with a 2-1 win-loss record. However, that sinker has started off filthy.
Although his pitch percentage of the sinker has decreased from 55.3% to 50.4%, the vertical break has increased from an average of 8.9 inches to 9.6 inches. Yes, the pitch that was already nasty got even nastier.
Don’t worry, O’s fans. He will settle in, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him atop this list at some point in the season.
5. Jacob Webb
Webb has been a nice surprise so far this season. After eight games, he has accumulated seven strikeouts, a 0.84 WHIP and a 1.08 ERA.
A few stats pop out that could be leading to this early success. First off, Webb struggled with walking batters in 2023, holding a 12.9% walk rate, which is good for bottom 5% in the league last year. Webb has started 2024 by posting a 6.7% walk rate, which would settle in for the best in his career thus far.
Also, Webb has started to really trust his sinker. His percentage of use for the sinker has increased from 23.5% to 36%. In 2024, Webb’s advanced metrics have him slotted at the 97th percentile for offspeed run value, which means his offspeed stuff is really dropping off the table.
6. Dillon Tate
Doesn’t it feel good to have Dillon Tate back in the Oriole bullpen for the 2024 season? If you said no, you are wrong.
Tate, when healthy, is a star in this bullpen and has the potential to be a true back of the pen guy. So far in seven innings, Tate has posted four strikeouts, a 1.29 ERA and WHIP of 1.00.
There’s not enough information in the advanced metrics to make a decision, but let’s give him a few more innings before we make a decision if he is back to his former self. For now, let’s just be glad to watch him pitch in orange and black.
The Bubble Line: Those guys that are in danger of being DFA’d when Kyle Bradish and John Means are ready and/or Cionel Pérez is healthy. Prediction of seeing Cole Irvin and Tyler Wells back in the bullpen as well.
7. Yohan Ramírez
To put it plainly, unless he puts up All-Star caliber numbers before the injury bug is healed, Ramírez will be the first pitcher in the pen to be designated for assignment.
But in his one outing for the Orioles this year, he did put up 1.2 innings of one-hit, two-run, two-strikeout baseball. He is a low leverage guy at this point that has Mike Elias connections in Houston. There really isn’t anything else to say.
I predict he will be DFA’d by the time we put out our next bullpen power rankings.
8. Mike Baumann
Oh, what a shame. Mike Baumann just has not been good to start 2024, and it may be time to prepare yourself for the inevitable.
In 6.2 innings this season, Baumann has posted six strikeouts, an ERA of 4.05 and a 1.95 WHIP. That means, on average so far this season, Baumann has allowed nearly two runners on-base per inning. For a pitcher that is primarily a high fastball strikeout guy, an 18.2% strikeout rate just won’t cut it for the majors.
Also, his walk percentage has not improved (12.1%). The worst part is that Baumann is out of options. I predict that he will eventually find his stuff and be a strong middle of the bullpen pitcher, but it will not be with the Orioles.
What do you think of our first Battery Bullpen Power Rankings of the season? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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