Looking Back: 2019 Rangers Bullpen

Honestly, writing about this bullpen was difficult and that’s why I procrastinated so much on it. Then the calendar flipped and I just had a “let’s get this over with” mentality, and cranked out the below.

Some of the guys that were in the bullpen and starting rotation, were included in the first part of this series instead of here. The Rangers had a long list of relievers, I made the cutoff at 20 innings pitched.

Jose Leclerc- RHP- Closer

Leclerc had a very up and down season, with a 10.80 ERA in April to 2.13 in May, 3.86 in June, 3.48 in July, 4.50 in August, and 4.09 in September. Coming out of the 2019 season, I kind of thought maybe Clase would get a look at closing in 2020; obviously that’s not happening now. Still, it’s surprising that there have been talks of the Rangers moving Leclerc now. He just turned 26 in December, so it’ll be interesting to see if he has to compete for a closing role by the time spring training comes around.

ZiPS Projected 2019 ERA: 3.13
ZiPS Projected 2019 FIP: 3.07
ZiPS Projected 2019 k/9: 12.08

2019 ERA: 4.33
2019 FIP: 3.59
2019 k/9: 13.1
2019 Innings pitched: 68.2 innings, 70 games

Shawn Kelley- RHP

As of January 7, he’s technically a free agent and hasn’t retired but he had said if the Rangers don’t want him back he’ll retire. He had a good season until July, which is about when everyone went downhill. After 29 games he had an ERA of 2.97, then July hit, he pitched in just three games, had right biceps muscle soreness (remember that game in Houston where he got on the mound, threw two warm-up pitches, walked off and threw his glove with his non-throwing arm?) and never quite came back to form.

ZiPS Projected 2019 ERA: 4.61
ZiPS Projected 2019 FIP: I was unable to find this
Projected 2019 k/9: 9.44 (this is my calculation based on projection stats)

2019 ERA: 4.94
2019 FIP: 5.52
2019 k/9: 8.2
2019 innings pitched: 47.1 innings, 50 games

Chris Martin- RHP

Traded at the deadline for Kolby Allard, pitched in 38 games and 38.0 innings for the Rangers

ZiPS Projected 2019 ERA: 3.74
ZiPS Projected 2019 FIP: 3.63
ZiPS Projected 2019 k/9: 7.27

2019 ERA: 3.08 (in his time with the Rangers, 3.40 for all of 2019)
2019 FIP: 4.00
2019 k/9: 10.18
2019 innings pitched: 38.0 innings in 38 games

Brett Martin- LHP

His ERA may not say as much but Brett Martin had been a fairly reliable guy throughout the entire season, and could be a quality lefthanded pitcher out of the bullpen going forward.

2019 ERA: 4.76
2019 FIP: 3.65
2019 k/9: 9.0
2019 innings pitched: 62.1 innings in 51 games

Jeffrey Springs- LHP

Springs was out mid-June until September because of left biceps tendinitis. He was non-tendered at the beginning of December and a couple weeks later signed a one-year major league contract.

ZiPS Projected 2019 ERA: 4.98
ZiPS Projected 2019 FIP: 4.90
ZiPS Projected 2019 k/9: 9.55

2019 ERA 6.40
2019 FIP 4.98
2019 k/9: 8.9
2019 Innings pitched: 32.1 in 25 games

Rafeal Montero- RHP

Montero had a very quiet, very good year. Called up at the end of July and was very much a truly reliable guy in the bullpen, he kind of reminded me of a bullpen version of Lance Lynn in the way of him being reliable every time he was on the mound but didn’t necessarily get the acknowledgement for it.

2019 ERA: 2.48
2019 FIP: 3.83
2019 k/9: 10.6
2019 Innings pitched: 29.0 in 22 games

Taylor Guerrieri- RHP

Called up in July, Guerrieri pitched in 20 games, and in November was out-righted to the Minors. That’s all I have about that.

2019 ERA: 5.81
2019 FIP: 5.38
2019 k/9: 9.2
2019 Innings pitched: 26.1 in 20 games

Emmanuel Clase- RHP

Clase had been really fun to watch and I was so looking forward to him in 2020. Alas, the Rangers went and got themselves a Cy Young award winner for him instead.

2019 ERA: 2.31
2019 FIP: 3.43
2019 k/9: 8.1
2019 Innings pitched: 23.1 in 21 games

Kyle Dowdy- RHP

Rangers DFA’d Dowdy in late July and he was returned to Cleveland. Dowdy only pitched in April and May and was mostly used as a multi-inning guy just to get through a game.

2019 ERA: 7.25
2019 FIP: 6.57
2019 k/9: 6.9
2019 Innings pitched: 22.1 in 13 games