Oakland Athletics right-hander Ryan Dull has stranded 36 of 36 inherited runners in 2016, setting an MLB record. Should he be in consideration for an All-Star selection?
On Monday, Oakland Athletics reliever Ryan Dull stranded his 36th consecutive inherited runner of the season and made history as he set an MLB record for the longest streak of its kind in recorded history. The previous mark was set by Frank Francisco in 2007, when he stranded 35 inherited runners for the Texas Rangers.
Since inherited runners have been tracked for a (relatively) short period of time, the record only goes back to the 1960s – but Dull is the first to reach this mark in those 50+ years.
Dull has proven that he’s an outstanding relief option for Bob Melvin and the A’s, and this feat only further demonstrates how versatile he is. Managers will often try to get young or inexperienced relievers a “clean” inning of work, knowing that the task of entering a game with runners already on base and limiting the damage can be a difficult one.
Dull is 26 years old, but has less than a full season of experience under his belt, and the A’s already trust him in those tight situations.
Manager Bob Melvin had this to say about the record, as reported by Susan Slusser:
"“I don’t even know what to say about that. I’d buy him a drink, but I don’t know that he’s old enough.”"
One might even suggest that Dull is worthy of an All-Star nod. The right-hander has recorded 45 strikeouts in 42.2 innings of work and posted a 2.11 ERA in 38 appearances this season. He’s walked just eight batters and held opposing hitters to a .148 average.
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Last year, Dull was just one more pitcher in a never-ending string of late-season replacements. The A’s had been hit hard by the injury bug, were long out of the playoffs, and just needed some arms to get them through the end of the year. Dull made his debut on September 1st, pitching in 13 games and earning a 4.24 ERA, but he also logged eight games and 11 innings before giving up his first major league run.
Among qualified relievers, Dull has the lowest opponents’ batting average in the American League, and is ranked second in WHIP. He also ranks 11th in both ERA and walks allowed, and is ninth in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Dull has gone from a fairly routine minor league arm to a top-of-the-league reliever, and he should be recognized for that, especially now that he’s setting records for the all-time best inherited runner strand rate in the game.
Most reliever spots on the All-Star squad will go to well-known closers like Aroldis Chapman, or even setup men like Andrew Miller, but Dull is very deserving of a spot despite his lack of title. He only has one save on the season, so his prospects of earning a spot are slim, but he’s certainly pitched well enough so far this season to earn the honors.
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Luckily for the A’s, Dull is under team control through 2022, so this rookie will have plenty of chances to be an All-Star for Oakland in the future.