The state of the Orioles pitching staff was overhauled last week when Mike Elias informed reporters that Tyler Wells and John Means would be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery.
Although this report directly impacts the future of the starting rotation, the immediate need has pulled Albert Suárez from a long relief position back into the starting rotation.
At this current state, the Orioles bullpen is ranked fifth in MLB in WHIP (1.16) and 10th in ERA (3.65). But within the last few weeks, we have seen a few late-inning lapses of dominance, more specifically in St. Louis and in Sunday’s game against the Rays.
Let’s take a look at the latest edition of our Battery Bullpen Power Rankings:
1. Danny Coulombe
Coulombe still holds the top spot in this edition of our bullpen power rankings, and he has done everything to deserve it.
In the last 4.2 innings of work, Coulombe has posted six strikeouts, three hits, one walk and has held opposing teams to just one earned run. Also, Coulombe has lowered his season ERA to 2.91.
One of the most impressive stats is that while Coulombe has inherited 13 runners this season, he has allowed zero to score. The crafty lefty still holds some of the top reliever numbers in the league, including a weighted OBP of .224, which is good for the top 4% in MLB, and a walk percentage of 3.8%, which is good for the top 6% in the league.
2. Craig Kimbrel
It’s officially time to relax. Craig Kimbrel is back.
As stated in the last bullpen power rankings, Kimbrel is a veteran and one of the greatest closers of all time. All signs pointed to a bounce-back for him moving forward.
In the four games he pitched in the last two weeks, Kimbrel posted 3.2 innings of no-hit, no-run, no-walk, four-strikeout baseball. In the month of May, Kimbrel’s opposing batting average was .097, and he posted a WHIP of 0.62. His 37.8% K rate is still good for best in MLB for the 2024 season.
3. Yennier Canó
In the last edition of our bullpen power rankings, we discussed the correlation of Yennier Canó being slotted in the ninth inning due to the struggles of Craig Kimbrel, leading to his own struggles.
Now that Kimbrel has taken over the ninth again, Canó has settled back into his setup role and has performed well.
Over the last two weeks, Canó has posted 4.1 innings of one-run, two-walk, five-strikeout baseball. For the year, Canó has a 2.81 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP and currently holds opposing batters to a .250 average. Look to see these numbers continually improve as he stays slotted in his setup role.
4. Jacob Webb
Since the last edition of our bullpen power rankings, one significant improvement has appeared for Webb: walk rate.
In 6.1 innings of work, Webb only allowed two walks, lowering his walk percentage from 13.4% to 12.4% for the year.
Webb has added one earned run, three strikeouts and an improvement of WHIP (1.12) and opposing hitter batting average (.174) to his stat line.
5. Cionel Pérez
Cionel Pérez is posting analytics that say he may be fully healthy and ready to contribute.
The proof is that his fastball has reached the 83rd percentile in the league, averaging 95.9 mph. On Saturday, he touched 97 mph for the first time this season. These numbers are on par with his career numbers.
Pérez has worked through struggles and has truly been solid over the last two weeks. In 6.2 innings of work, he has allowed three hits, two earned runs and two walks while accumulating eight strikeouts. His season ERA has dropped significantly from 5.59 to 4.30, and Pérez has also worked a 1.16 WHIP and a .208 opposing batting average.
6. Dillon Tate
Although he gave up two runs on Sunday, Dillon Tate has been slowly working to mid-season form since his return on May 25.
In 6.2 innings, Tate has only given up those two runs while posting no walks and five strikeouts.
The problem is that he has given up hard contact. Since his return, Tate has given up 10 hits and an average exit velo of 90.8 mph, the hardest of his career. Hopefully, he can settle in quickly as he returns from Triple-A.
7. Keegan Akin
How far Keegan Akin has fallen.
In six inning pitched, Akin has posted seven earned runs, seven hits and four walks. His ERA has jumped from 2.78 to 4.44.
If his outings don’t improve, we could see Akin fall below the bubble line simply due to him having an option left.
The Bubble Line
Those guys that are in danger of being DFA’d or optioned with the potential addition of Cade Povich in the near future or a potential trade deadline acquisition.
8. Nick Vespi
Nick Vespi got the call-up for the second time this season on Monday, as Thyago Vieria was designated for assignment.
In his first stint with the O’s this season, he was called up as part of a doubleheader against the Cardinals, where he pitched one inning of one-hit, no-run ball. In 24.1 innings with the Tides this season, Vespi has accumulated a 2.96 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and has struck out 30 batters.
With three other left-handers in the bullpen, he will need to prove his worth of more than just a match-up guy in this opportunity to stick with the club the remainder of the season.
What are your thoughts on our latest rankings? 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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