The Top Five-Indians’ Bullpens of All-Time

The Cleveland Indians have had some memorable bullpens over the years, some not so good, but quite a few that have been solid and that the team could lean on to get the starters out of a jam. Today we take a look at the top five Indians pens of all-time, breaking down who and why they were so good.

Bullpens are the backbone to any baseball team, but more importantly they can make or break a season. If a team does not have a quality bullpen the likely hood of having a successful season is going to be rather bleak.

Granted, there are exceptions to that rule, like the 2011 Indians, who had a stellar bullpen, but the rest of the team underperformed and underachieved, finishing 80-82. Then there are seasons, like the Indians in 2018 where the weakest link was the bullpen, but the rest of the team was good enough to compensate and carry them into the postseason.

The question posed in this piece is what Indians team has had the best bullpen all-time in franchise history? Starting from 1976, which was the inception of the Reliever of the Year Award and the point where bullpens became used much more, to the present.

Here is a look at the Top Five Indians’ Bullpens of All-Time.

5.) 2015

It was not the season the Indians hoped for in 2015, going 81-80, but the one constant was their bullpen. In 453.1 innings, they collected 38 saves in 50 chances while blowing just 12. Meanwhile, this group walked 150 batters while striking out 438 along with recording a 3.12 ERA.

Indians’ relievers in 2015 also held batters to a slash line of .242/.306/.367, with one of the big contributors to that stat line being setup man, Bryan Shaw. In 64 innings, Shaw posted a 2.95 ERA with 23 holds in 30 save situations.

Closer Cody Allen in 69.1 innings picked 34 saves in 38 tries, while showcasing a 2.99 ERA with 99 strikeouts. Ryan Webb and Zach McAllister, who at least appeared in 40 games or more, was the other bright spots in the pen, as they had ERAs of 3.20 and 3.00 respectively.

4.) 1976

Probably the biggest unknown and surprise on this list is the 1976 Indians’ Bullpen. Despite only going 81-78, the Indians’ pen posted a 2.61 ERA in 506 innings, with 46 saves and a 1.206 WHIP. This group of arms also held opposing batters to a .222/.307/.310 slash line, while only blowing eight saves in 54 opportunities.

Dave LaRoche that year had a team-high 21 saves in 96.1 innings followed by Jim Kern with 15, with an astounding 117.2 innings logged. Three relievers out of this Indians’ bullpen also had bWARs of 3.0 or higher.

3.) 1995

Surprisingly, this is the only bullpen from the Indians run in the 90s that was actually good. In 422 innings, they posted a 3.05 ERA with 50 saves, 162 walks, 378 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.242. Indians’ relievers in 1995 also held opposing batters to a slash line of .233/.308/.355, while only blowing 10 saves in 60 opportunities, for an 80 percent save percentage.

Arguably one of the best all-time single-season performances out of an Indians reliever came from closer Jose Mesa, who had a 3.9 bWAR while saving 46 of 48 games. The right-hander that year also had an ERA of 1.13 in 64 innings, while striking out 58. To cap it off, Mesa appeared in his first All-Star game and was voted the Reliever of the Year for the American League in 1995.

Julian Tavarez that year was the workhorse of the group, appearing in 84 innings with a 2.44 ERA while striking out 68 batters. Eric Plunk and lefty Paul Assenmacher were also key contributors, with ERAs under three and bWARs of 2.1 and 1.2 respectively.

2.) 2005

This group probably does not get the amount of credit that they deserve, but in 446 innings, they posted an ERA of 2.80, while notching 51 saves and a WHIP of 1.128. In 66 save opportunities, they only blew 15 games; good enough for a 77 percent save percentage. Opposing batters had a .224/.313/.396 slash line against Indians relievers while striking out 358 times.

Setup man Bob Howry was the lifeblood of that group, as he appeared in 73 innings with a 2.47 ERA while compiling 29 holds in 34 save situations. Closer Bob Wickman was an All-Star that year, as he picked up 45 saves in 50 chances along with a 2.47 ERA.

Lefty Arthur Rhodes and Rafael Betancourt had ERAs of 2.08 and 2.79 respectively, while each appearing in 47 games or more. David Riske also had one of the better seasons of his career, as he had a 3.10 ERA in 72.2 innings, despite leading all Indians’ relievers with 11 home runs given up.

1.) 2017

Not only one of the best Indians’ bullpens of all-time, but probably up there with one of the best all-time in baseball during the modern era. To give some perspective as to how good they were, the Indians had to leave three relievers with ERAs in the 2s off of the postseason roster.

Collectively, the Indians bullpen in 2017 had an ERA of 2.89 with 37 saves in 489.1 innings, while walking 149 and striking out 548. Tribe relievers that year had a 1.140 WHIP while holding batters to a .225/.289/.345 slash line. Out of 47 save opportunities, the Indians only blew 10, giving them a 79 percent save percentage.

Leading the group was lefty Andrew Miller, who was an All-Star that season, while arguably the best set up man in all of baseball in 2017. Miller in 62.2 innings posted a 1.44 ERA with 95 strikeouts while recording 27 holds in 35 save situations and a bWAR of 3.0. Closer Cody Allen picked up 30 saves that year in 67.1 innings while recording a 2.94 ERA.

Other major contributors in the Tribe’s bullpen were Nick Goody, Dan Otero, McAllister, and Shaw, all who had ERAs under 3.55 that season.