Pedro Baez is Kenley Jansen in disguise
By Zach Houle
With Kenley Jansen out for at least month, the Los Angeles Dodgers have to settle on a new closer.
With the Dodgers battling the Arizona Diamondbacks for first place in the National League West it’s imperative they have a strong bullpen. They were set in that department when Kenley Jansen was healthy, but with the righty out for at least month, who will the Dodgers turn to as his replacement?
The would be Pedro Baez. Yes, his ERA hasn’t been great this season, but he has experience in the role and has performed in the playoffs. He has a heat-seeking fastball that goes right past hitters. His breaking ball still misses bats, but the heater is his best pitch. The offering obviously doesn’t have as much movement as Jansen, although Baez has that shut-down stuff as well.
He has pitched his best at home with a 2.45 ERA in 18.1 innings. Also, he’s much better in night games (2.97 ERA) than day games (9.45 ERA). That’s a good thing considering the night sky of October has made players crumble. Interestingly, Baez pitches better against lefties (.212 BA) than righties (.304 BA).
Next. Kenley Jansen expected to miss a month with heart issue. dark
Having Jansen miss time is a big hit to this team, but the club has depth to fill the void. Baez is a suitable backup for the closer role, and the Dodgers could do mix-and-match if they really feel uncomfortable about the righty. Los Angeles would be wise, though, to keep Baez in the closer role to continue to get experience. They’re in a pennant race, after all, so he’ll be utilized at some point in the clutch. Might as well get him the reps he needs to save games if need be in October.