Clutch<\/strong> (45% of score) \u2014 How well they perform in late innings either while the game is tied or while holding a narrow lead. The total score in each category is based on the league average. Zero points equals the league average. Positive scores are better than league average; negative scores are worse. The farther their score is from zero \u2014 either positive or negative \u2014 the farther they are from the league average.<\/p>\n (Note: Due to weighting each score, adding the four categories together won\u2019t equal the total score.)<\/p>\n For a full breakdown of each category\u2019s score formula, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 1. Milwaukee Brewers<\/a> (66.4, First in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 141.0 Clutch, 5.1 Run Prevention, 8.3 Baserunners, 1.2 Command<\/em> 2. Pittsburgh Pirates<\/a> (37.6, Second in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 69.8 Clutch, 12.9 Run Prevention, 6.1 Baserunners, 13.3 Command<\/em> 3. Seattle Mariners<\/a> (36.5, First in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 70.3 Clutch, 8.7 Run Prevention, 0.3 Baserunners, 25.3 Command<\/em> 4. Miami Marlins<\/a> (22.9, Third in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 45.1 Clutch, 4.2 Run Prevention, 1.0 Baserunners, 15.1 Command<\/em> 5. San Francisco Giants<\/a> (19.6, Fourth in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 39.2 Clutch, 0.4 Run Prevention, 8.2 Baserunners, 11.4 Command<\/em> 6. Cleveland Guardians<\/a> (15.9, Second in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 22.7 Clutch, 14.2 Run Prevention, 6.0 Baserunners, -1.3 Command<\/em> 7. Detroit Tigers<\/a> (15.5, Third in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 44.8 Clutch, -10.4 Run Prevention, -1.5 Baserunners, -11.4 Command<\/em> 8. Baltimore Orioles<\/a> (14.8, Fourth in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 27.9 Clutch, 1.7 Run Prevention, 1.6 Baserunners, 20.9 Command<\/em> 9. New York Yankees<\/a> (13.7, Fifth in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 27.4 Clutch, 3.6 Run Prevention, 4.7 Baserunners, -7.0 Command<\/em> 10. Toronto Blue Jays<\/a> (2.8, Seventh in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 19.3 Clutch, 3.7 Run Prevention, 3.2 Baserunners, 31.0 Command<\/em> 11. Atlanta Braves<\/a> (7.4, Fifth in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 18.0 Clutch, -6.2 Run Prevention, 6.7 Baserunners, 8.4 Command<\/em> 12. Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> (3.9, Sixth in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 6.2 Clutch, 3.3 Run Prevention, -1.0 Baserunners, 1.8 Command<\/em> 13. Los Angeles Angels<\/a> (3.6, Seventh in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 9.0 Clutch, -2.9 Run Prevention, 2.9 Baserunners, 2.5 Command<\/em> 14. Boston Red Sox<\/a> (3.4, Eighth in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 5.6 Clutch, 1.7 Run Prevention, 7.0 Baserunners, -8.9 Command<\/em> 15. San Diego Padres<\/a> (0.5, Seventh in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -4.9 Clutch, 4.6 Run Prevention, 9.4 Baserunners, -1.8 Command<\/em> 16. New York Mets<\/a> (-0.2, Eighth in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -5.6 Clutch, 1.6 Run Prevention, 8.3 Baserunners, 9.6 Command<\/em> 17. Chicago White Sox<\/a> (-0.4, Ninth in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n 0.2 Clutch, -1.4 Run Prevention, 0.2 Baserunners, 0.0 Command<\/em> 18. Minnesota Twins<\/a> (-2.5, 10th in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -10.5 Clutch, 5.6 Run Prevention, 1.2 Baserunners, 1.9 Command<\/em> 19. Cincinnati Reds<\/a> (-4.7, Ninth in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -11.4 Clutch, -0.7 Run Prevention, 4.4 Baserunners, 0.6 Command<\/em> 20. Philadelphia Phillies<\/a> (-5.3, 10th in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -11.4 Clutch, 1.1 Run Prevention, -5.3 Baserunners, 1.8 Command<\/em> 21. St. Louis Cardinals<\/a> (-8.1, 11th in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -13.2 Clutch, -4.3 Run Prevention, -6.1 Baserunners, 2.4 Command<\/em> 22. Kansas City Royals<\/a> (-9.1, 11th in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -10.2 Clutch, -11.4 Run Prevention, -9.4 Baserunners, 10.8 Command<\/em> 23. Houston Astros<\/a> (-9.8, 12th in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -22.3 Clutch, 4.5 Run Prevention, 1.9 Baserunners, 25.3 Command<\/em> 24. Tampa Bay Rays<\/a> (-10.9, 13th in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -16.0 Clutch, 0.3 Run Prevention, -7.8 Baserunners, -39.9 Command<\/em> 25. Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> (-13.0, 12th in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -26.6 Clutch, 1.5 Run Prevention, -9.9 Baserunners, -3.6 Command<\/em> 26. Colorado Rockies<\/a> (-16.5, 13th in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -25.8 Clutch, -5.8 Run Prevention, -10.7 Baserunners, -21.7 Command<\/em> 27. Texas Rangers<\/a> (-18.5, 14th in AL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -43.8 Clutch, 0.5 Run Prevention, 8.2 Baserunners, -0.6 Command<\/em> 28. Washington Nationals<\/a> (-18.5, 14th in NL)<\/strong><\/p>\n -26.1 Clutch, -8.9 Run Prevention, -7.3 Baserunners, -31.3 Command<\/em> 29.
\nRun Prevention<\/strong> (35%) \u2014 How well they keep runs off the board, including inherited runners.
\nBaserunner Prevention<\/strong> (13%) \u2014 Who has the best WHIP.
\nCommand<\/strong> (7%) \u2014 Who has the best strikeout percentage minus walk percentage (K\u2013BB%).<\/p>\n![\"Team](\"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/06\/RRBB-20230612.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nJune 12 Team Reliever and Bullpen Rankings<\/h3>\n
The Outliers<\/h4>\n
\nThe top relief corps in the National League is also the top relief corps in the majors, and it\u2019s by a huge margin. In the late innings of close or tie games, forget it \u2014 the Brewers are virtually automatic. Two months into the season, Devin Williams<\/a><\/strong> still has no broken eggs. For those who prefer saves, he has yet to blow one of those, either. They keep runs off the board, with a 78.3% scoreless percentage. Only the Pirates, Mets, and Dodgers are stingier when it comes to inherited runners. Their ERA-minus is the fourth lowest, and their WHIP is second lowest. If they have a weakness \u2014 and we do mean if \u2014 it\u2019s their K\u2013BB%, which is a smidge above the league average.<\/p>\nBetter Take an Early Lead\u2026<\/h4>\n
\nThe Pirates also have an elite back end of the \u2018pen, including David Bednar<\/a><\/strong>, one of the top closers in baseball. In addition, Dauri Moreta<\/a><\/strong> and Colin Holderman<\/a><\/strong> have had great seasons thus far. The Pirates\u2019 scoreless percentage is the highest in the NL and their inherited runners percentage is the second lowest. In addition, the Pirates rank highly in reliever WHIP and are second in the NL in K\u2013BB%.<\/p>\n
\nThe top firemen in the AL due to high ratings in clutch and command. They are also the AL leaders in scoreless percentage, but a relatively high inherited runners scored percentage is holding them back. Their WHIP, which is slightly above the AL average, could use some improvement, but this is a tough unit. Gabe Speier<\/a><\/strong> has a scoreless percentage near 90%. Justin Topa<\/a><\/strong> has been outstanding in setup, and Paul Sewald<\/a><\/strong> is one of the elite closers in the AL.<\/p>\n
\nThe Marlins excel at putting up zeros in late innings of tie games or while holding a narrow lead. They also have the best K\u2013BB% and are fourth in the NL in scoreless percentage. An area where they need some work is WHIP, but with it being slightly lower than the league average, it\u2019s a case of it being \u201cfine\u201d instead of good, great, or elite.<\/p>\n
\nThe Giants are efficient at maintaining late, close leads or keeping tie games tied, with Tyler Rogers<\/a><\/strong> leading the charge. They also command the zone well, trailing only the Marlins and Pirates in NL reliever K\u2013BB%. Not surprisingly, their Reliever WHIP is also low. They could use a higher scoreless percentage, however, as it made their run prevention rating suffer.<\/p>\nThe Very Good<\/h4>\n
\nThe Guardians do well in Clutch and Run Prevention, ranking fifth in the AL in the former and third in the latter. They\u2019re above average in WHIP but are struggling with command. Trevor Stephan<\/a><\/strong> and Emmanuel Clase<\/a><\/strong> have been their top performers both in Clutch and Run Prevention.<\/p>\n
\nThe Tigers are boosted heavily by their late-game clutch, which is the second highest in the AL. Alex Lange<\/a><\/strong> and Jason Foley<\/a><\/strong> have been especially good in this regard. Run prevention \u2014 namely inherited runners scored percentage, which is third highest in the AL \u2014 hurts their score. Being third from the bottom in K\u2013BB% by an AL team hurts their score even more, although the blow is lessened by it being in the category with the lowest weight.<\/p>\n
\nThe Orioles also gain high marks for late-inning clutch, with Yennier Cano<\/a><\/strong> and Felix Bautista<\/a><\/strong> being among the league\u2019s best. They are slightly better than average in Reliever WHIP but do well in the Command department thanks to a strong K\u2013BB%. They need to improve their run prevention, especially in the inherited runners department, to move up on this list.<\/p>\n
\nThe Yankees are strong in clutch, thanks largely to the efforts of Michael King<\/a><\/strong> and especially Clay Holmes<\/a><\/strong>. But they are close to average in everything else. In run prevention and baserunners, they are slightly better than league average. Command is their biggest struggle, as they are fourth from last in the AL.<\/p>\n
\nTheir active roster\u2019s clutch rating improved greatly when they dumped the struggling Anthony Bass<\/a><\/strong>. They have been decent in run prevention and WHIP but rank especially high in Command. Of note is Erik Swanson<\/a><\/strong>, who has been exceptionally good in late innings, and Jordan Romano<\/a><\/strong>, who has been better than average.<\/p>\nThe Slightly Above Average<\/h4>\n
\nHad this run last week, the Braves would have been 17th. But their clutch has rapidly improved, and they have consequently leapt to 11th. Run prevention is still negative, but their WHIP and K\u2013BB% are both above average, so their run prevention should also improve before long. Closer Raisel Iglesias<\/a><\/strong> has been close to automatic.<\/p>\n
\nThe Diamondbacks have been \u201cbend but don\u2019t break\u201d all season, due to their high WHIP. They usually keep the runners from scoring, but every now and then the dam bursts. Also hurting the Diamondbacks is inherited runners, which is much higher than the league average despite trending in the right direction. Miguel Castro<\/a><\/strong> and Andrew Chafin<\/a><\/strong> have been consistent in the clutch, despite some recent hiccups. But the two biggest stories recently have been Austin Adams<\/a><\/strong> and Scott McGough<\/a><\/strong>. Adams has only given up a run in one of his eight appearances. McGough has given up one earned run total since May 9, a span of 13 appearances, and has yet to allow an inherited runner to score.<\/p>\n
\nTheir clutch is barely above league average, while their run prevention is barely below it. Their WHIP and Command are decent. However, everything will greatly improve when they get Matt Moore<\/a><\/strong> back from injury. Carlos Estevez<\/a><\/strong> and the rejuvenated Chris Devenski<\/a><\/strong> have put up strong numbers, but they haven\u2019t been enough to make up for the struggles of everyone else in the unit.<\/p>\n
\nThe Red Sox are above average in Run Prevention \u2014 especially in stranding inherited runners \u2014 and in WHIP. Their Clutch, however, is below average, as is their command, which is fourth lowest in the American League. Josh Winckowski<\/a><\/strong> has been their most clutch performer. Kenley Jansen<\/a><\/strong> leads the team in scoreless percentage, followed closely by Chris Martin<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nThe Average<\/h4>\n
\nThe Padres do very well at keeping runners off base and at keeping them from scoring. However, their K\u2013BB% is strongly negative due to being fourth lowest in the NL. They also need to improve their clutch, which is close to league average. Nick Martinez<\/a><\/strong> and Josh Hader<\/a><\/strong> have been their most clutch performers. Those two, plus Steven Wilson<\/a><\/strong> and Tim Hill<\/a><\/strong>, have excelled in run prevention. Tom Cosgrove<\/a><\/strong> has also been a welcome addition.<\/p>\n
\nThe Mets are better than average in WHIP and K\u2013BB%. Unfortunately for their rankings, those are the categories with the two lowest weights. They are better than the NL average in run prevention, albeit just barely. In most important category of clutch late innings, they are below average and trending downward in a hurry. (Last week, for example, they would have been fifth.) Their struggles in this area played a role in their recent seven-game skid.<\/p>\n
\nThe White Sox are trending upward, especially in Clutch, but are still within five percent of the league average in the other three categories. Following Clutch, their next best category is WHIP. Kendall Graveman<\/a><\/strong> and Keynan Middleton<\/a><\/strong> have been their two most effective relievers up to this point.<\/p>\nThe Below Average<\/h4>\n
\nThe Twins are rapidly trending in the wrong direction when it comes to clutch. They do decently in every other category, however, ranking above average in all three.<\/p>\n
\nThe Reds have a pretty good WHIP and a decent K\u2013BB%. Outside of Alexis Diaz<\/a><\/strong>, who has been one of the elite relievers in the National League, that\u2019s about all the good we can say. Despite Diaz, their run prevention has been slightly below league average and their clutch has been a mess.<\/p>\n
\nThe Phillies do a decent job keeping runs off the board. That is, unless it\u2019s late in a tie game or while they\u2019re holding a narrow lead. They need to improve their WHIP in order to turn this around.<\/p>\nLots of Work to Do<\/h4>\n
\nThe Cardinals are below average in everything except command, where they are slightly above average. In Clutch, they are way below average. This comes despite the nice seasons Giovanny Gallegos<\/a><\/strong> and Ryan Helsley<\/a><\/strong> are having.<\/p>\n
\nThe Royals do very well in K\u2013BB%. In everything else, they do not. Despite all this, Scott Barlow<\/a><\/strong> and Aroldis Chapman<\/a><\/strong> will probably be trade targets as we approach the Deadline.<\/p>\n
\nHector Neris<\/a><\/strong> has been a stud, especially in the clutch. Rafael Montero<\/a><\/strong> has not, and Ryan Pressly<\/a><\/strong> has been so-so. This has hurt the Astros in clutch situations and in run prevention, despite their strong performance in Command. Their WHIP is also higher than they\u2019d like, causing their score to suffer further.<\/p>\nStock Up on Tums<\/h4>\n
\nThe Achilles heel on the best team in baseball. They\u2019re trending upward in run prevention, baserunners, and command but downward in clutch. It should be noted that the more accurate term for command is not \u201cbetter\u201d but \u201cless bad.\u201d Their K\u2013BB% is 9.5%, 14th in the AL, with only the lowly Oakland Athletics below them.<\/p>\n
\nThe Dodgers are slightly better than average at run prevention unless it\u2019s in a clutch situation. A lot of it comes from their struggles with command, which leads to a higher-than-average amount of baserunners. Improving their WHIP and K\u2013BB% should help them in clutch situations. And with the team trending downward in both clutch and run prevention, they need to turn this around soon unless they want to depend on blowouts to win games.<\/p>\n
\nThe Rockies are well below league average in every category, with run prevention being the only one that isn\u2019t a double-digit negative. They can claim a better-than-average IS%, but that\u2019s about it. A candle in the darkness has been Justin Lawrence<\/a><\/strong>, who has been fairly good in the setup role. Daniel Bard<\/a><\/strong> has only allowed a run in two of 18 appearances but is not yet ready to return to the closer role. Pierce Johnson<\/a><\/strong> had been doing well as the interim closer until about two weeks ago but has since been assigned to a different role.<\/p>\nPray for a Blowout Win<\/h4>\n
\nThe Rangers have one of the highest run differentials at this point of the season in major league history. That is a good thing, because outside of Will Smith<\/a><\/strong>, their \u2018pen is a disaster. As the trade deadline looms closer, expect them to be the among the most active teams around, pursuing relievers almost obsessively.<\/p>\n
\nOne guy on this entire squad, active or not, has a scoreless percentage of 80.0% or above. That one guy is Hunter Harvey<\/a><\/strong>, whose percentage is exactly 80.0%. The Nationals are rebuilding, and that includes the relief corps. They are either below average or well below average in every category. (Note: The Rangers and Nationals are only tied in total score due to rounding. If carried out to two decimals, their scores are -18.49 and -18.54, respectively.)<\/p>\n