How are the highest paid relief pitchers in MLB doing in 2019, and are the results in the field matching up with how much they are being paid every week?
In MLB, relief pitchers can be a vital part to a teams success. The starting pitcher usually does not pitch a complete game in today’s day and age, and having a strong bullpen can make or break a season for any team in the league.
For example, look at when the Kansas City Royals won the World Series back in 2015. The bullpen was practically unstoppable, with Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson, Luke Hochevar and Wade Davis dominating opposing teams almost every time they took the mound.
The starting pitcher would go roughly 5-7 innings in a game, and then the bullpen would take over, giving up minimal runs and striking out batters left, right and center.
Mix that with a lineup that can put the ball in play and a starting pitching staff who could keep the team in the game, and you have a World Series team.
Relief pitchers can be a bit of an awkward bunch, with many of the older relievers being former starting pitchers who could just never make it in the rotation. While talented and still reliable, these guys were better suited to throw 1-2 innings, rather than 5+ required by starting pitchers.
Some even become Hall of Fame relief pitchers like Mariano Rivera, who too could not make it as a starting pitcher before becoming a dominant set up man, and then a HOF closer.
Then you have relief pitchers who spend their whole career in the bullpen and become well known for their ability to execute their roles to perfection, starting from when they were in college and high school ball.
While the bullpen can be debated by fans across the league, every team has a different approach when it comes to constructing and paying for a bullpen that will come in a shut down the opposing teams.
Some players will command a lot of money because of their pedigree and their stats, and while they may think they are worth a large sum of money, MLB teams may disagree and turn to cheaper, more controllable options to get the job done (sorry Craig Kimbrel).
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the three highest-paid relievers for the 2019 season (as per Sportrac).