Guardians News: Sam Hentges Journey From Starter To Relief Pitcher

Sam Hentges has found a home as a key reliever for the Cleveland Guardians.

Sam Hentges came up through the Minor Leagues as a starting pitcher and he even made a handful of starts in the rotation during the 2021 season. But now after two full seasons of coming out of the bullpen for the Cleveland Guardians, Hentges officially considers himself to be a relief pitcher.

He spoke about his evolution as a pitcher at Guards Fest over the weekend and this is what he had to say. 

"I think it's a lot of fun kind of making that transition. It was difficult for me at first, but the past two years coming in as a full-time reliever and now doing it again, I feel a little more comfortable doing so." 

Sep 24, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Sam Hentges (31) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Josefczyk-USA TODAY Sports / © Aaron Josefczyk-USA TODAY Sports

While the objectives of a starter and a reliever are the same, throw strikes, get outs, and don't give up runs, the build-up to the season is quite different. This is something that Hentges has enjoyed in terms of transitioning into a full-time reliever.

"It's different because you don't have to build up to 55 pitches. But that makes it a little bit better because you can rest a little bit more and spend a little bit more time getting ready or ironing some kinks out in the mechanics. It's a quicker build-up."

Making this change and going through the journey of switching positions has helped Hentges find his role with the team.

Hentges made 12 starts for Cleveland in 2021 and had an ERA of .790, 1.951 WHIP, and a .316 opponent batting average. Since becoming a full-time reliever at the start of 2022, Hentges has a 2.91 ERA, 2.56 FIP, 10.8 K/9.

Sam will be a part of a bullpen that is sure to be another strong component of Cleveland's overall identity. The Guardians relief pitchers struggled striking batters out last season, but Hentges has the pitch mix to be a punch-out threat in 2024.