Los Angeles Dodgers: Kenta Maeda finding success as key reliever

The Japanese pitcher didn’t dazzle during his sophomore season in the big leagues. But he’s figuring it out at the right time.

Kenta Maeda is a big tease.

The right-handed hurler typically pitches well, racking up an average of 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings during his career. But he rarely pitches more than five innings.

In 2017 alone, Maeda compiled just four starts in which he logged more than six innings. And when he didn’t pitch deep into games, he was somewhat ineffective. He owned a 4.22 ERA overall.

Yet the Japanese pitcher has found his calling as a reliever for the boys in blue.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts experimented with Maeda in the role during the regular season with some success. In eight innings as a reliever, he allowed just two earned runs. He’s dominated in the role this postseason and is one reason why Los Angeles has gone undefeated in October.

And Roberts admitted he wouldn’t be afraid to use Maeda in back-to-back games. No, he doesn’t boast the most electric arsenal of pitches – he’s not Kenley Jansen. Yet he’s been essential in the Dodgers’ bullpen, which has absolutely flummoxed the Cubs in their series thus far.

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Los Angeles’ relief corps has yet to yield a run to Chicago and currently boasts a 14-inning scoreless stretch in the postseason. Jansen gets most of the publicity for his seemingly unhittable cutter. But it’s been a team effort, with the likes of Tony Cingrani, Tony Watson and Brandon Morrow contributing as well.

As starting pitchers across the league struggle, Maeda fits perfectly in the relief role. He can come in early in the game and eat up innings if need be, or he can put away three hitters in a critical inning.

Last year was more successful for the Japanese native. His slider and fastball mystified hitters, as they hit just .176 and .202 against them, respectively. Maeda added more to his already lengthy repertoire of pitches with a cutter.

It became his go-to pitch.

Maeda’s cutter is his most devious pitch, as opponents hit just .203 against it this year with the lowest slugging percentage, compared to how they fared against other pitches. His slider was second-best, with hitters garnering a .208 average against it. The rest of his pitches varied in effectiveness in terms of average.

But all of them were inefficient when it came to allowing extra-base hits.

Pitch Effectiveness (Average/Slugging Percentage/BABIP)

Fastball: .222/.440/.268

Cutter: .203/.390/.255

Curveball: .241/.397/.235

Sinker: .310/.479/.345

Changeup: .258/.439/.283

Slider: .208/.438/.250

Maeda made the necessary adjustments. He’s become accustomed to toeing the rubber in the middle of the game. And it’s paid dividends.

He may not continue to baffle every hitter he faces – he’s allowed no hits in the playoffs – and tally strikeouts. Or maybe he will.

Next: Puig is back in the spotlight this postseason

The way the Dodgers’ bullpen is pitching, anything is legitimately possible.