Bullpen Has Been Houston Astros' Biggest Strength So Far In 2016

The 2016 Houston Astros were expected to be contenders for the American League pennant. So far they are fighting to get to .500. Their biggest strength in 2016 has been their bullpen, which has kept them in the battle.

There has been much ado about little lately with the change of closers in the Astros’ bullpen.  Will Harris has converted every save opportunity that has come his way. While Ken Giles has struggled a bit this season, former closer Luke Gregerson‘s only shortcoming has been a handful of blown saves. His peripherals are fine, but he has allowed runs when the game has been on the line.

Harris has been set up admirably by Tony Sipp and Pat Neshek. Both pitchers have experience in their roles and have slid in perfectly since Harris started to close. With the third-best bullpen ERA in the AL, the Astros are doing the things necessary to win. The big offseason acquisition, Giles, has an ERA above 5.00 and a WHIP over 1.50. If he didn’t have his track record, he would be working things out in the minors.

This team hasn’t done it by being well-rested like most elite bullpens. They have pitched the third-most innings in the AL behind the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics. They do this by striking batters out, as the Astros lead MLB in bullpen strikeouts. They also have allowed the fewest bullpen walks. To have pitched as many innings as they have with so many strikeouts and so few walks is a strength that few teams can compete with in 2016.

The Astros have had trouble scoring runs all season long, and their starters have been inconsistent. Thanks to their amazing bullpen, Houston is still looking to contend in 2016.