90/30 Pitchers

It would be a good debate to decide who is more specialized: a closer or a DH?

On the one hand, a closer does all the things a pitcher does, just infrequently and briefly.

On the other hand, a DH basically only does one thing: hits.

Perhaps this is a reason why Lee Smith and Edgar Martinez are still waiting for a call from Cooperstown.

The role of bullpen pitchers have become more and more specialized with closers basically restricted to the 9th inning and teams attempting to more and more compartmentalize their 8th and 7th inning pitchers.

Last season, there were 15 pitchers with at least 30 saves. None threw more innings than Fernando Rodney.

Rk	Player	IP	SV	Tm
1	Fernando Rodney	74.2	48	TBR
2	Tyler Clippard	72.2	32	WSN
3	Jason Motte	72.0	42	STL
4	Aroldis Chapman	71.2	38	CIN
5	Jonathan Papelbon	70.0	38	PHI
6	John Axford	69.1	35	MIL
7	Jose Valverde	69.0	35	DET
8	Jim Johnson	68.2	51	BAL
9	Rafael Soriano	67.2	42	NYY
10	Joe Nathan	64.1	37	TEX
11	Craig Kimbrel	62.2	42	ATL
12	Joel Hanrahan	59.2	36	PIT
13	Chris Perez	57.2	39	CLE
14	Rafael Betancourt	57.2	31	COL
15	J.J. Putz	54.1	32	ARI

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 2/4/2013.

Does that seem like a lot of innings or a few?

Here's some perspective: Over the last 20 seasons 389 relievers have accrued 30 saves in a season. Rodney's 74.2 IP puts him in a tie with five other pitchers for 121st on the list.

Reaching the 30-save mark is becoming less of a noteworthy feat.

Rk	Year	#
1	2011	19
2	2006	19
3	2005	19
4	2007	18
5	2002	18
6	1996	18
7	1999	17
8	1998	17
9	2009	16
10	2004	16
11	2000	16
12	2012	15
13	2008	15
14	1997	15
15	2010	14
16	2001	14
17	1995	13
18	1993	13
19	1991	13
20	2003	12
21	1992	12
22	1990	11
23	1989	10
24	1988	8
25	1987	7
26	1984	7
27	1986	6
28	1985	6
29	1983	3
30	1994	2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 2/4/2013.

But throwing 90+ innings and earning 30+ saves is truly becoming a rarity.

The last one to do it being Ryan Dempster in 2005. That season, Dempster made 57 relief appearances throwing 58.1 innings, and six starts with 33.2 IP.

Rk	Year	#
1	1984	6	Bill Caudill / Willie Hernandez / Dan Quisenberry / Dave Righetti / Lee Smith / Bruce Sutter
2	1985	5	Willie Hernandez / Bob James / Donnie Moore / Dan Quisenberry / Lee Smith
3	1987	3	Tom Henke / Dave Righetti / Todd Worrell
4	1986	3	Dave Righetti / Lee Smith / Todd Worrell
5	2002	2	Danny Graves / Billy Koch
6	2000	2	Danny Graves / Derek Lowe
7	1988	2	Bobby Thigpen / Todd Worrell
8	1983	2	Dan Quisenberry / Bob Stanley
9	2005	1	Ryan Dempster
10	1997	1	Jeff Shaw
11	1992	1	Doug Jones
12	1991	1	Jeff Montgomery
13	1989	1	Mark Davis

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 2/4/2013.

Here are the 28 pitchers since 1983 who have thrown 90+ innings and earned 30+ saves

Rk	Player	Year	SV	IP	Tm	G
1	Billy Koch	2002	44	93.2	OAK	84
2	Derek Lowe	2000	42	91.1	BOS	74
3	Danny Graves	2000	30	91.1	CIN	66
4	Jeff Shaw	1997	42	94.2	CIN	78
5	Doug Jones	1992	36	111.2	HOU	80
6	Jeff Montgomery	1991	33	90.0	KCR	67
7	Mark Davis	1989	44	92.2	SDP	70
8	Bobby Thigpen	1988	34	90.0	CHW	68
9	Todd Worrell	1988	32	90.0	STL	68
10	Todd Worrell	1987	33	94.2	STL	75
11	Dave Righetti	1987	31	95.0	NYY	60
12	Tom Henke	1987	34	94.0	TOR	72
13	Todd Worrell	1986	36	103.2	STL	74
14	Lee Smith	1986	31	90.1	CHC	66
15	Dave Righetti	1986	46	106.2	NYY	74
16	Lee Smith	1985	33	97.2	CHC	65
17	Dan Quisenberry	1985	37	129.0	KCR	84
18	Donnie Moore	1985	31	103.0	CAL	65
19	Bob James	1985	32	110.0	CHW	69
20	Willie Hernandez	1985	31	106.2	DET	74
21	Bill Caudill	1984	36	96.1	OAK	68
22	Willie Hernandez	1984	32	140.1	DET	80
23	Dan Quisenberry	1984	44	129.1	KCR	72
24	Dave Righetti	1984	31	96.1	NYY	64
25	Lee Smith	1984	33	101.0	CHC	69
Rk	Player	Year	SV	IP	Tm	G
26	Bruce Sutter	1984	45	122.2	STL	71
27	Bob Stanley	1983	33	145.1	BOS	64
28	Dan Quisenberry	1983	45	139.0	KCR	69

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 2/4/2013.

Mariano Rivera's Pitch Frequency

With the first game of the ALCS less than an hour away, let's take a quick look at the pitch frequency for a player that has been so instrumental in the New York Yankees postseason success: Mariano Rivera.

As the heatmap below shows, Mariano Rivera has an amazing ability to command the strike zone.

Mariano Rivera's 2010 Pitch Frequency vs. All Major League RHP Notice how Rivera barely touches the middle of the plate.

Here are Rivera's Righty-Lefty heatmaps vs. the rest of the league:

Mariano Rivera's 2010 Pitch Frequency against LHB (439 pitches) vs. All 2010 Major League PitchersMariano Rivera's 2010 Pitch Frequency against RHB (476 pitches) vs. All 2010 Major League PitchersAs you can see from the top map, Rivera lives on the inside corner to lefty batters.  In fact, the majority of his pitches fall outside the designated strikezone.  Meanwhile, the rest of the league favors throwing down and away to LHB.

Against RHB, Mo spreads out his pitches a bit more.  However, notice how he barely ever throws to the middle inside part of the plate to righties.  He also busts righties up and in, again in contrast to the rest of the league.

As a matter of comparison, here are the pitch frequency heatmaps for 3 other AL closers:

Rafael Soriano's 2010 Pitch Frequency (890 pitches) vs. All 2010 Major League RHPJoakim Soria's 2010 Pitch Frequency (1086 pitches) vs. All 2010 Major League RHPNeftali Feliz's 2010 Pitch Frequency (1072 pitches) vs. All 2010 Major League RHPAll three of the above closers tend to pitch to the middle of the plate, a striking contrast to Rivera's pitch frequency.

Lastly, here's a look at Rivera's pitch frequency since 2008:

Mariano Rivera's Pitch Frequency since 2008