It's that time of the year again. It's time to begin the countdown to the postseason and discuss what the postseason roster will look like. You might worry that the Astros only have a 2.5 game lead and they seem to be in their traditional August funk. No worries. We are just assuming they are in for this purpose.
The reason this is important NOW is that the team should project the postseason roles and then work the everyday usage now to maximize each player's readiness in October. Let me illustrate. Soon Jose Urquidy will be returning from the IL. Should he start games or work long relief from the bullpen. Given his projected postseason role, he should work long relief. Pedro Baez is another player to watch. Is he is very successful in a mid-relief role he could move into the setup role.
For this, I have listed the thirteen pitchers I expect to be on the postseason roster barring any injuries. I then list the players who might be on the bubble, Lastly, I list the players I do not expect to be on the postseason roster.
The good news
- The current ERA/FIP for the Astros if 3.67/ 4.09
- The group of 13 postseason pitchers ERA/FIP 3.19/ 3.73
Conclusion: The postseason pitching roster COULD dominate.
What surprises you about these lists? Where do you think I got it wrong? Leave a comment.
Note: I have labelled this Evergreen. These articles will be updated several times as the data shifts. The beauty of the online blog.