#starting-pitching

#starting-pitching

Manager Mark Kotsay used a committee approach in the ninth inning after the A's traded Mason Miller at the deadline. Hogan Harris, Sean Newcomb, Michael Kelly and Tyler Ferguson each picked up at least one save. Osvaldo Bido got one as well, but that was of the 'three innings to finish a blowout' variety. The patchwork relief group pitched well. Only the Guardians had a lower bullpen ERA than the A's 2.99 mark over the final two months.

The 2025 World Series is nearly upon us, with the Toronto Blue Jays set to host the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 on Friday night. Which team has the edge going into the Series? What should you expect from the Dodgers' pitching staff -- and from Toronto's batters trying to hit L.A.'s aces? And which X factors will determine this October's last team standing?

Shortly after they were swept out of the NLCS by the dominant Los Angeles Dodgers, it came out that the Milwaukee Brewers were going to listen to trade offers regarding their ace, Freddy Peralta. Draw up the immediate links to the Mets. The 29-year-old right-hander's value could not be much higher ahead of a 2026 season in which he has a club option worth $8 million before hitting free agency the following winter.

Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were absolutely incredible, with the former facing the minimum through eight innings, and Yamamoto throwing a one-run complete game. It'll be nearly impossible for Glasnow to top either of those outings, but he's been in great form himself and would be the ace on nearly every staff in baseball. He'll be looking to maintain his scoreless postseason against a Brewers' lineup that faced him twice in the regular season.

Dave Roberts, the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has taken great care in these past few years not to act smug or entitled about being the man who guides the best-paid team in American sporting history. That Roberts has more or less pulled it off is one of the great achievements of his stint in that role, but even he cannot hold up the charade any longer.

Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, Nick Martinez, Zack Littell, and Chase Burns had a whole lot to do with it. Those seven arms combined to start 152 of Cincinnati's 162 games, pitching to a 3.69 ERA (84 ERA-) in 832 innings. Their collective 16.4 FanGraphs WAR and 8.64 Win Probability Added as starters helped the Reds finish with the second-best rotation fWAR and third-best WPA in the sport.

However...there is the small matter of Coors Field to deal with. Playing in Colorado is baseball's great equalizer, with the only predictable thing about pitching there being how completely unpredictable the effects of altitude will be on a particular pitcher's stuff. Seeing as how the strength of the Miami Marlins is their starting pitching, the playing field could be leveled considerably this week.

On Tuesday night, Sandy Alcantara reminded everyone why he's still the face of Miami's pitching staff. The right-hander tossed six dominant innings against the Pirates, allowing just three hits, one walk, and striking out six in a 3-2 win to even the series. He needed only 85 pitches to do it-his most efficient outing of the year by far. That's more like the Sandy Alcántara we know and love!

Sasaki is willing to take on any role with the Dodgers if it helps them reach their goal of winning the World Series. "Regardless of my role, I'm just making sure I can compete and get Major League hitters out."

"... [ Kade Anderson's] next pitch should be some place in the Washington Nationals organization. It's not close. They usually draft really well. He's the best player in the country. There is nobody closer to the Major Leagues than him right now. But I don't think you can quantify it. Paul Skenes? ..."