{"id":6260,"date":"2024-10-01T08:14:47","date_gmt":"2024-10-01T08:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.drinkfood.info\/?p=6260"},"modified":"2024-10-01T08:14:47","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T08:14:47","slug":"dodgers-elite-bullpen-arm-could-be-their-playoff-x-factor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.drinkfood.info\/?p=6260","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers\u2019 elite bullpen arm could be their playoff x-factor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/MLB-San-Diego-Padres-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-24324875.jpg?w=858&amp;h=483&amp;crop=1\" alt=\"MLB: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There are certainly concerns about the\u00a0Dodgers\u2018 starting rotation heading into the NLDS, but their bullpen remains a pillar of strength. One of the top arms in their relief unit is 28-year-old lefty Alex Vesia, who\u2019s having an elite season as a setup man for Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vesia\u2019s Remarkable Season for the Dodgers<\/h2>\n<p>After posting a 4.35 ERA over 49.2 innings with the Dodgers last year,\u00a0Vesia\u00a0took a significant leap in 2023. This season, he has thrown 66.1 innings with an impressive 1.76 ERA, including 11.80 strikeouts per nine innings, an 83.9% left-on-base rate, and a 22.1% ground ball rate. While Vesia is not known for inducing ground balls, his ability to escape jams and deliver in high-pressure situations has been critical for the Dodgers.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large mobile-image-full-width\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-310498\" src=\"https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/MLB-Baltimore-Orioles-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-24093313.jpg?resize=539,359\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4931px) 100vw, 4931px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/MLB-Baltimore-Orioles-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-24093313.jpg?resize=384,256 384w, https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/MLB-Baltimore-Orioles-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-24093313.jpg?resize=725,483 725w, https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/MLB-Baltimore-Orioles-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-24093313.jpg?resize=539,359 539w, https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/MLB-Baltimore-Orioles-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-24093313.jpg?resize=184,123 184w, https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/MLB-Baltimore-Orioles-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-24093313.jpg?resize=262,175 262w, https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/MLB-Baltimore-Orioles-at-Los-Angeles-Dodgers-24093313.jpg?resize=600,400 600w\" alt=\"MLB: Baltimore Orioles at Los Angeles Dodgers\" width=\"4931\" height=\"3287\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exceptional Underlying Metrics<\/h3>\n<p>Vesia\u2019s underlying metrics paint the picture of a dominant pitcher. He ranks in the 99th percentile in expected batting average (xBA), holding hitters to a minuscule .161 average. Additionally, he ranks in the 88th percentile in whiff rate and the 95th percentile in strikeout rate, showcasing his ability to generate swings and misses.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dominant Pitch Arsenal<\/h3>\n<p>Vesia primarily relies on a combination of a four-seam fastball, slider, and change-up. His fastball, averaging 93.4 mph, has been particularly effective this season, holding opposing batters to just a .149 average with a .355 slugging rate. The pitch benefits from 4.2 inches of vertical movement, more than the average pitcher\u2019s fastball.<\/p>\n<p>His slider is equally impressive, featuring 7 inches of horizontal break along with a gyro movement that creates 33.5 inches of vertical drop. This movement makes his slider especially difficult to hit, providing excellent deviation when paired with his fastball.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mastering Left-Handed Hitters<\/h3>\n<p>Vesia has been especially dominant against left-handed batters. Over 27 innings, he has allowed only 13 hits while striking out 34 batters, with lefties hitting just .144 against him. Right-handed hitters haven\u2019t fared much better, managing only a .150 batting average.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Critical Piece for the Playoffs<\/h3>\n<p>With the Dodgers\u2019 starting rotation thinned by injuries, the bullpen will need to shoulder a larger burden in the playoffs. Vesia\u2019s ability to handle both left-handed and right-handed hitters makes him one of the most important pieces in the bullpen. As the Dodgers look to make a deep postseason run, they\u2019ll be leaning heavily on Vesia\u2019s reliability and elite performance to get them through tight spots.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are certainly concerns about the\u00a0Dodgers\u2018 starting rotation heading into the NLDS, but their bullpen remains a pillar of strength. One of the top arms in their&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dodgers\u2019 elite bullpen arm could be their playoff x-factor - Sport News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.drinkfood.info\/?p=6260\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dodgers\u2019 elite bullpen arm could be their playoff x-factor - Sport News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are certainly concerns about the\u00a0Dodgers\u2018 starting rotation heading into the NLDS, but their bullpen remains a pillar of strength. 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