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That Jared Koenig even made it back to MLB this year with the Brewers is a great story. That he's now established himself with solid performances, such that (while he remains one of the optionable arms who can occasionally be shuttled to Nashville to keep the bullpen fresh) he's a familiar and valued part of the team's relief corps is even more fun. This weekend, however, we got a reminder of just how valuable a find he was for the team's front office and pitching development group.
With a trio of dangerous lefties often batting in the top half of the Red Sox lineup, Pat Murphy decided to deploy Koenig as the opener on back-to-back days, leading into long bulk outings by Bryse Wilson and Colin Rea. That choice wasn't even a dilemma for the Brewers skipper, because Koenig is icing on the bullpen cake. With Hoby Milner and Bryan Hudson out there, too, the Brewrrs could start the game by turning to the southpaw Koenig knowing they still had two great options for later in the game, when the same hitters could come up in a big spot.
A bullpen with three trusted lefties who can get both right- and left-handed batters out (but who are especially tough on the latter) is a manager's dream, but calling it that makes it sound too attainable--too real. Hudson, Koenig and Milner are each on pace for over 60 innings pitched, and the worst ERA+ (ERA adjusted for league and park factors, where 100 is average and higher is better) in the group is Koenig's 168. Never, in baseball history, has one pen contained three lefties with at least 60 innings pitched and an ERA+ over 130. Here are the only times that a team has even had three guys top 50 innings and a 120 ERA+.
| Rk | Team | Season | Count | Player List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOR | 2008 | 4 | Jesse Carlson, Scott Downs, B.J. Ryan, Brian Tallet |
| 2 | BAL | 1996 | 3 | Randy Myers, Jesse Orosco, Arthur Rhodes |
| 3 | BAL | 1997 | 3 | Randy Myers, Jesse Orosco, Arthur Rhodes |
| 4 | PIT | 1998 | 3 | Jason Christiansen, Ricardo Rincón, Jeff Tabaka |
| 5 | NYM | 2006 | 3 | Pedro Feliciano, Darren Oliver, Billy Wagner |
| 6 | NYY | 2015 | 3 | Andrew Miller, Chasen Shreve, Justin Wilson |
| 7 | SFG | 2021 | 3 | José Álvarez, Jarlín García, Jake McGee |
Generated 5/26/2024.
Having Koenig around amplifies the value of both Milner and Hudson, because for as long as all three are pitching effectively, Murphy can use them all more aggressively. He's been able to slide Hudson into a fairly traditional setup role, with Milner as the fireman and lefty specialist, but he's also been able to break away from those roles and use each pitcher more creatively. Koenig's starts this weekend are a great example. Because each of the others exists, Murphy can use any of them whenever he feels they'll increase the chances of a win, without risking burning them out. If one pitches on a given day, they can be down the next day, if needed. The others can cover for them.
Hudson, who has emerged as a co-relief ace for the team, has only made two appearances on zero days' rest this year--both times for a single batter, and both times in the first half of April. Koenig has made it possible for Murphy to use Hudson more cautiously, which has helped Hudson remain both healthy and devastatingly effective to this point. Match these three with Trevor Megill, Elvis Peguero, and Joel Payamps from the right side, and the Brewers have the deepest primary relief corps in the league, for (arguably) the seventh straight season.
No one should get more credit for Koenig's success than Koenig; he worked incredibly hard and stuck with the game through a lot of rejection to reach this point. However, the Milwaukee front office also deserves a huge helping of praise, for consistently finding players like these six and turning them into superb relievers. None of them are homegrown, but since all were acquired either as throw-ins, amid other teams' roster crunches, or on minor-league deals, it really doesn't matter. They each cost less than a mid-round draft pick often does. Now, they're forming a bullpen cohort strong enough to help the team open up a more comfortable lead in the NL Central, and it includes a trio of lefties who could be as good as any such collection in baseball history.
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