The Bullpen Matrix

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 14, 2008 7:06 PM EST

A while ago Rich Lederer at Baseball Analysts put together a "matrix" of pitcher types using groundball percentage and strikeout percentage. I wanted to do something similar for the bullpen candidates, and here it is:

Penmatrix_medium

It's important to note that Rodriguez, Salas, Thayer, and Childers' numbers are all from Triple-A relief work, but we can still gather some observations:

- Chad Bradford gets a lot of grounders and not a load of strikeouts.

- Balfour is the anti-Bradford.

- Percival/Wheeler are strikingly alike.

- Hammel is meh on both.

- Rodriguez is less like Bradford and more like Howell.

- Childers was Bradford with strikeouts (note: Childers other minor league stats don't really back his GB% up, he's more likely in the 55% range than 60%)

- I didn't include Niemann or Talbot because their numbers are as starters.

- Joe Nelson would place right underneath Thayer.

- The Rays should NRI a few more relievers for Durham and so we can all pointlessly obsess on their pros and cons.

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Balfour's worst season in career for flyballs.

Too much reliance on the fastball?

by RATW on Dec 14, 2008 7:50 PM EST reply actions

Probably.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 14, 2008 8:02 PM EST up reply actions

Don't infield popups count as flyballs?

www.raysprospects.com
Trade for Billy Butler!

by Imperialism32 on Dec 14, 2008 9:04 PM EST up reply actions

I believe so.

Doesn’t make a much of a difference though. 46/51 either way.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 14, 2008 9:12 PM EST up reply actions

Ugh, that should be 46 percent.

by R.J. Anderson on Dec 14, 2008 9:13 PM EST up reply actions

So non-roster invite a ton of arms and have an arms race in ST?

This could be fun.

Yeah, the Percy/Wheeler similarities look scary. Not. Cool. Again, my dislike of Dan Wheeler along with actual stats makes me think that Danny boy needs to be traded.

"And you just don't get it, you keep it copacetic..."

by Blicks on Dec 14, 2008 10:58 PM EST reply actions