What Anthony Gose Brings To The Cleveland Guardians Bullpen

The Cleveland Guardians added another hard-throwing left-handed pitcher, Anthony Gose, to the bullpen.

Apr 9, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Anthony Gose (26) pitches against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith (FLO)-USA TODAY Sports / Nick Tre. Smith (FLO)-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians brought back a new but familiar face on Tuesday afternoon, as Anthony Gose rejoined the major league roster after missing all of last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Gose last pitched in a big league game in 2022, and fans may not remember just how crucial his role was with the team. 

Let’s take a look at what exactly Gose brings to an already stellar group. 

Another Lefty In The Mix

Cleveland easily has one of the best, if not the best, bullpens in baseball this season. However, one hole still needs to be filled before the postseason: adding another left-handed reliever.

Yes, the team has Tim Herrin and Sam Hentges. But Hentges has struggled to stay healthy this season, and Stephen Vogt can’t rely solely on Herrin to be his go-to southpaw out of the bullpen.

Now that Gose is back in the mix, the Guardians have another left-handed pitcher to help relieve some pressure on Herrin.

Apr 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Anthony Gose (26) delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Bringing The Heat

Gose’s best pitch during his last full season in 2022 was easily his four-seam fastball, which he threw 64.8 percent of the time. The fastball's average velocity of 97.8 mph that season ranked in the 92nd percentile.

With that velocity, Gose had a strikeout rate of 30.4 percent and a 33.5 percent whiff rates.

The Guardians have a lot of relievers who rely on offspeed pitches to get out. However, there are only ture hard-throwing pitchers out of the bullpen are Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase. 

Adding another pitcher who throws in the high 90s will keep opposing lineups on their toes.