Mike Friere - What Makes A Good Closer?

In a similar vein to my article earlier this week about lead off hitters, this particular article will focus on another "sub category" of player which is equally important to a teams' success, also known as a "closer".  I am not referring to the old television show on TNT with Kyra Sedgewick as the Police Detective who could get the suspect to confess each week (although it was entertaining and it spawned the show Major Crimes, which my wife found interesting, but I digress).

No, I am referring to the pitcher that a team relies on to get the final few outs in a ballgame, or someone who may be called upon to get out of a nasty situation prior to the end of the ballgame.  Ideally, most teams have several pitchers who can work their magic late in ballgames, after your starter has given you six or seven innings of effective pitching.  However, teams that employ an actual closer usually select the guy that consistently locks down the end of close ballgames.

So, before looking over the Mets' roster and future possibilities, it would be helpful to identify what a good closer looks like, perhaps with an example of a former player that filled those shoes at some point in the recent past.

As stated above, a closer usually enters the game late with only a few outs to secure.  Sometimes it is at the start of an inning and other times, it is in the middle of a "three alarm fire" that threatens the chances of picking up a win for the entire team.  With that said, here are a few of the criteria that I prefer for my closer;

1.  At least one dominating pitch, whether it is an elite fastball or another type of pitch that reliably subdues the opposing batter.

2.  Excellent control, meaning free passes are kept to a minimum.

3.  The ability to pitch effectively over the course of multiple appearances, sometimes in "back to back" games.

4.  A "bulldog" mindset, meaning that you are the "alpha dog" of the pitching staff, exhibiting confidence in all situations.

5.  A short memory, which will allow the pitcher to shrug off the occasional "bad outing" and bounce back without any "hang over" issues.

As much as it pains me to say this, a good example of a former "closer" who checks all of these boxes is former Yankee Mariano Rivera.  The pain comes from his sustained success that took place "across town" that lasted the better part of twenty years and came partly at the Mets' expense.

***It is my personal belief that the principle difference in the 2000 World Series was that the Yankees had Rivera closing out ballgames while the Mets had  a less effective Armando Benitez attempting to do so.   Go back and look at the scores from that series and you will see that all four of the Yankees victories were one run games, to include the tone setting opening game where Armando couldn't lock down the victory.

As far as MR's career is concerned, he started his major league service time in 1995 as a starter and a reliever, before settling into a set up role in 1996.  However,

once the Yankees figured out what they had, he became their closer in 1997 and held onto the spot until the end of 2013, which was also the end of his career in

pinstripes.  

During that time, he was remarkably consistent, as listed below;

1,115 Games

2.21 ERA

652 Saves (39 AVG)

1,283 IP (78 AVG)

1.000 WHIP

 8.2 K/9

 2.0 BB/9

He clearly filled all of the listed criteria and he did all of this with one pitch, referred to as a "cut fastball".  I would gladly take a similar pitcher right now and I wouldn't mind paying a premium for the position, either.

Enough about the Yankees and let's return to our beloved Mets to see what we have in the cupboard, so to speak.

Complicating this issue is our new manager and pitching coach, who are on the record as preferring a "closer by committee".  I am not saying that I don't believe them, but sometimes you make a comment like that when you don't really have a closer on staff (which may or may not be true).  Or, you are attempting to take pressure off of your bullpen in an effort to allow a closer to step forward and establish himself during Spring Training. Mickey Callaway seems to be a smart guy and I find it hard to believe that he would not utilize a primary closer if he had confidence in one on his pitching staff, but that remains to be seen.

Of our current pitchers who are likely to trek north with the Mets for the start of the season, you have to think that Jeurys Familia is the leading candidate to be the primary closer.  He has a bit of a track record (2017 notwithstanding) and he fills most of our listed criteria, although I am not in love with his walk rate (3.7 BB/9) or the number of base runners that he allows when he is in the game (1.21 WHIP).  I think it is his job to lose for the current season, but I don't view him as the future due to the fact that he will become very expensive as he hits free agency.

Sandy spent the last trading deadline importing a collection of "power arms" that are destined to fill bullpen roles in the upper minor leagues and eventually, at the major league level.  Some of the names are intriguing, to include Drew Smith, Gerson Bautista, Jacob Rhame and Jamie Callahan. 

However, I think we have a "closer in waiting" on the roster who has been a Met farm hand since the 2013 season in Tyler Bashlor. 

TB (another interesting set of initials) has climbed all the way up to AA Binghamton, after starting in Rookie Ball with a small of appearances.   He is 6-0 and 197 pounds, so not exactly a dominating physical presence, but neither was Mariano Rivera (6-2 and 195 pounds).  Additionally, TB will pitch this season as a 24/25 year old which is a year younger then MR was when he finally made his way onto the Yankees roster.

Here are TB's minor league statistics, to date;

97 Games

3.42 ERA

16 Saves

121 IP

1.32 WHIP

13.02 K/9

4.98 BB/9

On first blush, you may not be impressed, but remember that minor league baseball is as much about teaching as it is about winning, etc.  Plus, one or two bad outings can have a lasting affect peripheral statistics like ERA, for example.  Not to mention that he hasn't had a ton of closing opportunities to date, at least when compared to MR.

With all that said, two statistics "jump off the page" and they are K/9 and BB/9.   His strikeout rate is insane and if he can carry that effectiveness to Las Vegas (likely in 2018) and possibly to the major league bullpen after that, he will be a weapon for MC and the Mets. However, pumping the brakes a bit, he also sports a relatively high walk rate which will have to come down if he is to be trusted in the long run as the primary closer.

I think 2018 will be as much about refining TB's control and letting him grow into the closers' role via experience, as anything. IF he can harness his control and maintain his strikeout rate, I think you will see him as a key part of the future Mets' bullpen.