One of the most common misconceptions you find in fantasy baseball is that bullpens are all about the saves and holds. Yes, those two statistics are often found as categories in both standard roto and head-to-head leagues, but if you’re only looking at those two categories, you’re doing your starting pitching a great disservice.
Categories such as wins and quality starts are also dramatically affected by a team’s bullpen, and if you aren’t up to date with which group of relievers are either thriving or struggling, you could end up making some egregious mistakes on the trade front as well as on waivers.
We may not like to use wins as a category, but with so few legitimate counting-stat options for your hurlers, it is something we’ve learned to accept. Why don’t we like wins? Exactly the point to make here — the bullpen. How many times have we seen our starters toss a seven-inning scoreless gem only to watch a reliever enter the game and give up runs and, ultimately, the game? Far too many for most of our liking.
The Nationals have been the poster children for bad bullpens blowing wins, and three of the top pitchers in the game have all fallen victim. Max Scherzer threw a six-inning, four-hit shutout against the Mets then sat in the dugout helplessly watching the relievers give away his win. Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin have suffered the same fate. The Nationals’ bullpen has 10 blown saves with a 7.02 ERA on the season. If you are in need of wins, though these starters are elite, you might have to consider trades.
Washington certainly isn’t alone, as there are truly some bad bullpens out there. The Mariners continue to give away games to their opposition almost daily. You also have Rangers and Pirates relievers struggling — as well as the A’s, who are crushing their starters’ dreams with 10 blown saves.
Conversely, if you play in a league that counts quality starts, you could be in trouble if your starter plays for a team with an elite bullpen. With so many young pitchers throwing in an era when innings and pitch limits are prevalent, a good bullpen could cost you the quality start if the manager has a quick hook. Just ask Rays, Dodgers and Yankees pitchers.
Studying up on the struggling bullpens should be a top priority when someone is offering you a deal. If you need wins, you may want to look beyond a guy like Corbin. If it’s quality starts, maybe Walker Buehler isn’t for you. The signs are all there for you to read. Just make sure you’re paying attention.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 4-6 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy sports advice, MLB lineups and DFS weather updates.
