Yankees: Mariano Rivera would be more Valuable in Today’s Game

New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera was inducted into the Hall of Fame over the weekend. There’s an argument to be made he’d be even more valuable today.

New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend becoming the Hall’s first-ever Unanimous voted player to enter.  It was an inevitable moment since he threw his last pitch in 2013 for the New York Yankees.

While it was only six years ago, baseball has taken monumental steps elsewhere in the way that they value relievers and their contributions.  Obviously, Mariano River holds the MLB record for the most saves in a career at an incredible 652.  But the value and utility of a reliever has evolved from the 3 out save in the 9th inning no matter what.

In 2015, the Royals won the World Series on the back of elite relief pitching and it caused every team to start finding their own trio that could make the game 6 innings long.

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Andrew Miller redefined what it meant to be a reliever for the Cleveland Indians after being acquired from the Yankees in 2016. Miller became the go-to fireman in the 8th inning or earlier with the expectation that he would go multiple innings.

Fast forward to 2019, starting pitchers are throwing fewer innings than ever before.  Teams are running out armies of relievers, none of which can hold a candle to Mo.  The same Yankees that relied on Mariano Rivera to get the final three outs have built themselves a behemoth of a bullpen that only requires a starter to go 5-6 innings.

The closest thing we have seen to Rivera since he retired was peak Kenley Jansen, throwing upper 90s cutters every time he trots in from the bullpen and closing down games.  Now imagine this, the Yankees are in the playoffs and facing a dreaded base loaded, 1 out in a tie game situation with the heart of the order coming up.  It’s the seventh inning and the situation couldn’t be any bleaker.  Then you hear Enter Sandman start to play and in comes Rivera armed with his cutter.

The greatest closer of all-time strikes out two helpless hitters and then tacks on another scoreless inning before the Yankees take the lead and they turn it over to another capable reliever.

This is obviously a hypothetical exercise but imagine this scenario throughout multiple postseason appearances and countless regular-season games.  Rivera’s brilliance would be on display constantly when the game hung in the balance.  Rivera would be even MORE valuable than he already was through his illustrious career.

There are no words to describe how incredible Rivera was and how devastating his cutter was.  He’s a Hall of Famer who deserved to be the first unanimous player to enter.  In closing, enjoy some his classic Cutter that many try to emulate but no one mastered like Rivera.

Good morning…

…good afternoon…

…good night.