The last time we did a power rankings, I did not think it could get any worse.
Well, the last place Baltimore Orioles are currently 10-14 and can not seem to get any quality starting pitching.
The problem that fans seem to be smart enough to see did not correlate with the general manager and manager, and we are starting to reap what they sow.
The positive in all of this is that the bullpen has gotten plenty of innings. Minus one player, which will be named later, the bullpen has been solid.
At current, the ERA for the bullpen this season has been 4.30, which is good for 18th in MLB. Having Jorge Mateo and Gary Sánchez pitch in that awful Sunday blowout inflated the ERA.
As the bullpen continues to develop and patch holes caused by the injury deficit, look for the ERA to level out thanks to a strong top half of the bullpen.
1.) Yennier Cano
Yennier Cano has diced up batters all season, thanks to his unhittable changeup. This season, Cano’s changeup has a whiff rate of 44.4%, which is up from 32.2% in 2024.
Look for Cano’s dominance to continue, as his chase rate from hitters is one of the best in the league at 43.9%. Through five innings since the last time we ranked, Cano has given up zero earned runs on four hits, one walk and three strikeouts.
Cano has a 0.00 ERA and a 0.69 WHIP through the eight games he has pitched in this season. There is no doubt that he deserves the top spot in this week’s rankings.
2.) Seranthony Domínguez
The train of 0.00 ERA bullpen arm continues with Serantony Domínguez. Through nine games this season, Domínguez has not given up a run and posts a 0.96 WHIP. Through his last 2.2 innings, he has allowed just one hit, no walks and three strikeouts.
Domínguez currently holds one of the lowest xBA’s in the league at .169 and currently holds an average exit velocity of 83.5 MPH. Hitters are just not able to get on base against him.
We have seen an uptick of his fastball from 2024 to 44.7%, but his sweeper has been unhittable. As of today, that pitch has a .000 batting average against and a K rate of 75%.
3.) Bryan Baker
Although Bryan Baker has fallen a little in the power rankings from the first time we did this, he has still been dominant. In the last 3.2 innings, Baker has allowed one earned run on three hits, three walks and four strikeouts. On the season, Baker has a 0.93 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP.
No one anticipated this sort of dominance to happen, and especially, no one expected it to continue through the first month of the season. Through this point, Baker holds a 32.4% K rate, which is good for the top 10% of all MLB.
Through this point of the season, Baker has lowered his use of his fastball from 48.8% in 2024 to 41.1%. His use of his slider (35.8%) and changeup (28.2%) more has fooled hitters to date.
4.) Félix Bautista
The Mountain is starting to find his footing as we approach the end of the first month of baseball. Through his last four innings, Félix Bautista has not allowed an earned run while allowing just two hits, three walks and fanning four.
There isn’t much to say about Bautista right now as he continues to get back into game shape. He still is not reaching the velocity that we saw in 2023, but look for this to improve as the season continues to progress.
5.) Keegan Akin
Keegan Akin has been roughed up a little in the last few games, as he’s given up two earned runs on seven hits, with two walks. The bright spot of his appearances has been the five strikeouts. Through the season, Akin has a 3.27 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.
Although his stats have not been flashy, there is a lot of promise in the advanced metrics. Through the first month of the season, his offspeed run value is in the top 10% of the league and his xBA of .201, chase rate of 33.8% and hard-hit rate of 32.3% places him in the top 20% of the league.
His changeup has really been a nice surprise that has propelled his metrics. Akin has slowed his change speed about a mile an hour, and in turn, has focused on run rate, which has led to a batting average of .000 and a whiff rate of 44.4%.
6.) Gregory Soto
Gregory Soto has started to cool off. After a dominant start to the season, hitters have started to figure him out. Through his last 4.2 innings, Soto has given up four earned runs while giving up six hits, three walks and striking out two.
At this current rate, Soto’s run rates are all below average in the league. His movement is not enough to fool batters. Most pitchers that have low run values can normally control pitches with velo or accuracy.
Well, for 2025, Soto’s average fastball velocity is 96.9 mph, which places him in the top 20% in MLB. Currently, his walk rate is 11.4%%, which is extremely poor. If he wants to revert back to his dominance at the beginning of the season, his control will need to improve his 1.45 WHIP.
7.) Matt Bowman
Over his last 4.2 innings, Matt Bowman has allowed two earned runs on seven hits, two walks and two strikeouts. He truly hasn’t been terrible over the course of the first month, posting a 2.45 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. He just isn’t a flashy pitcher and is not someone who makes sense to sport long appearances.
There are some interesting stats that pop out in the advanced metrics. Through the first month of the season, Bowman has an 84.3 average exit velocity and a 25% hard-hit percentage, which are in the top 5% in all of baseball.
Basically, he is pitching to contact and is not getting a lot of swings and misses. With and xBA of .252, that is dangerous coming out of the bullpen, so do not expect to see Bowman in any close games.
8.) Cionel Pérez
We have to be reaching the end of the road for Cionel Pérez. His 11.32 ERA and 2.61 WHIP are absolutely horrendous. He started the season rough, and over his last 5.1 innings, he has allowed four earned runs on eight hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
For someone who is supposed to be a strikeout pitcher, his 15.8% K rate, which is in the bottom 20% in the league, is not ideal. None of the advanced metrics are above average, and his clock has to be ticking, or I will start to question the front office more than I already am.
What are your thoughts on our second edition of Battery Bullpen Power Rankings? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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