Can Seranthony Domínguez Become the Best Reliever in the National League?

If Seranthony Domínguez remains healthy all season, could he blossom into one of the best relief pitchers in the league?

When Seranthony Domínguez was healthy, he was arguably the best relief pitcher in the National League.

Domínguez finished the regular season with a 6-5 record, 3.00 ERA and nine saves. He struck out 61 in 51 innings.

Domínguez went 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in nine postseason appearances, which included one bizarre wet inning with three wild pitches against the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series.

Before landing on the injured list in mid-August, Domínguez was consistently throwing 98-to-100 miles per hour. Just when everything was looking great, Domínguez struggled with tendinitis in his triceps.

Like always, Domínguez put in the work off the field. But the results weren’t great right away.

Domínguez went 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in eight appearances after his return. His mechanics seemed off.

Yet he figured things out in time for the playoffs.

Who can forget the six-out save in Game 3 against the Padres?

The Philadelphia Phillies’ previous six-out save was completed by Tug McGraw way back in the championship season of 1980.

“I didn’t know that; thank you for telling me,” Domínguez told reporters. “I’m here just to pitch and to do my job. I’m out of the game when they say you’re out. When I’m still in the game, I’m going to try to get people out.”

Gold Glove catcher J.T. Realmuto knows how nasty Domínguez’s array of pitches can be.

“He’s just so different from every other pitcher,” Realmuto said during the NLCS. “He’s got four plus-pitches that he throws for strikes — he’s got the four-seam, two-seam, slider and changeup, and he can throw them any time. It keeps the hitters never feeling good at the plate, because they never know what’s coming and it’s all really good.”

With a normal offseason, Domínguez should be rested and ready to go by spring training. If he can stay clear of the injured list, Domínguez has a chance to be among the most dominant relievers in the NL and possibly Major League Baseball.

“I think it takes time to get back to where you need to be after something, you're not feeling good or if you're going through a stretch or something like that,” Bryce Harper said during the postseason. “And now it's clicking for him. That's huge for us. It's huge for our whole bullpen.”

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