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While Capps is running a 12 hit / 9 rate, he is unique in the bullpen with the particular trait.
The aggregate BB/9 numbers for the pen are horrid. But, the two reliable guys (Perez and Medina) have miserable walk rates, but good results.
My question is this? What is the "out" pitch for ALL the bullpen?
I have this nagging suspicion that the bullpen has a weakness grounded in over reliance on raw heat.
I don't have the eyes on knowledge, but based on Fantraphs, Perez is killing with his change, (while his FB is getting clobbered). Medina's FB is also subpar.
But, I get this sense that the club is obsessed with heat in the pen. Four of the top 5 guys out of the pen (in innings) have velocity of 94.5+. Perez is the "soft tosser" at a measly 92.2.
I wanted Moran up ahead of Farquhar BECAUSE he's a soft tosser, (even though they had very similar numbers in Tacoma).
Capps' pitch values show his FB is getting creamed, and he's got nothing else.
The two guys with decent results, Medina and Perez are getting great value out of Slider (Perez) and Curve (Medina).
Is the problem that the entire pen has developed the Brandon League pitch-sequence-don't-matter attitude?
Due to sample size, ERA isn't always a good way to judge individual relievers. So, Medina and Perez are almost certainly not as good as their ERAs and the rest of the staff might not be as bad. But, the typical bullpen should run an ERA about .3 runs lower than the starters. This club is almost a half run HIGHER. That's a dreadfully bad bullpen in aggregate results.
The two problem *I* think are creating the bad results are control issues, (Capps is the only guy with a reasonable walk rate - actually refusing to nibble as they continue to crush his FB) ... and this fixation on heat.
I think opponents are simply sitting on the pen FBs ... and the secondary pitches are simply not good enough.
And when you move from reliever 1 to 2 to 3, there simply isn't enough variation in style to get the benefit you would normally expect when hitters have to change their mindset or approach.