Middle relievers, especially those who are not closers, rarely get any love in the MLB. They are crucial to a team, bridging the gap from the starters to the shutdown ninth inning guy. One such pitcher is Brandon Workman.
Workman is a middle reliever for the Boston Red Sox and is part of a bullpen including Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Marcus Walden and others. Workman was part of the Red Sox's World Series championship team in 2013, then after disappearing for a couple years, made some relief appearances in 2017 and 2018, and finally became a full time piece in 2019. He is, as of June 26th, posting a 1.70 ERA. Workman is allowing a miniscule 3 hits per 9 innings, and an amazing 0.2 HR/9. With his K/9 nearly 13, all should be fine in the land of Workman.
On the contrary, he’s posting a horrendous 6.3 BB/9. He is using his curveball a career high 47.5% of the time, with his fastball and cutter usage declining compared to before. Workman’s swing percentage is hanging around 50%, more than 10% lower than previous years.
Workman is getting fewer swings, and fewer contact on the swings, hovering around the ⅔ mark, again a low. The downside is that Workman’s strike percentage is a horrific 37.9%, a career low. He is simply not finding the zone as often, and although he is not allowing hits, he’s allowing too many walks as well. If batters adjust and do not chase as much, Workman will be in big trouble.
May your pennants fly forever.
-Prentiss
