September 28th, 2017 at 9:00 am 
by Jacob Rudner The regular season is coming to an end and it is time again to start thinking about a playoff roster. The season will conclude this Sunday in Colorado and within days after that it should start to become clear who has made the postseason roster and what their roles will be.
One of the many locks to be on that playoff roster is current starter Alex Wood. But Wood finds himself in a situation that is causing Dodger fans and beat writers to have a debate similar to the one that followed spring training back in late March: Will Alex Wood be a starter or a reliever?
Wood has served as the Dodgers number two starter for the majority of the regular season and he has done so in stride. With the exception of a few starts and a lengthy absence due to injury, Alex Wood has been one of the game’s best pitchers this year and was on historic pace as he started the season with wins in his first 12 decisions. But Wood started the season in the bullpen before being moved back into the Dodgers starting rotation.
Right now, the management seems to be having the same problem as they had when they broke camp: there are too many starters and not enough rotation spots for them to confidently commit Wood to a role. Clayton Kershaw and Yu Darvish will undoubtedly take the first two slots in the playoff order and will likely be followed by Rich Hill, who has been exceptional lately, even during the Dodgers lengthy losing streak. The fourth spot is the one up in the air, and it is actually for a reason that most people may not see at the moment. Hyun Jin Ryu is not cut out for a bullpen role.
At this point you may be wondering what this could possibly have to do with Alex Wood? Allow me to explain. Ryu has been a starter since day one and I firmly believe his stuff does not play up out of the pen. None of Ryu’s pitches feature high velocity and his deception comes from his ability to throw offspeed pitches with serious movement. These things belong in a starting rotation, and I think he has done enough to earn himself a spot on the playoff roster. But, if what I just said is in fact true, Ryu will have to be in the rotation, which will leave no other spot than the bullpen for Alex Wood.
On Tuesday night following his victory over the Padres, Alex Wood shared ” I think I’ve done enough to deserve a spot in the rotation for the playoffs.”
With his win on Tuesday night, Alex Wood improved his record to 16-3 and his ERA to 2.72.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
While this may be true (I would be lying if I said it was not), Alex Wood would actually best serve the team from the pen in the playoffs as there is nothing harder to hit than a starter in the bullpen. Wood, unlike Ryu, can get his fastball up to about 94 miles per hour, a perfect velocity for deceptive long relief pitching. Alex Wood’s effectiveness this year will allow him to pitch out of the bullpen and not only give his team some length and innings but he could also probably get the job done pretty cleanly. Starting pitchers who move to the bullpen make lethal relievers because their stuff plays differently and honestly, more effectively. Wood would not only serve as an innings-eater but could probably work in a setup role or as a high leverage pitcher.
Statistically, there is good proof that putting Wood in the bullpen could benefit the Dodgers during a playoffs that will not be easy. In the five and a third innings that Wood has pitched from the bullpen this year, he has only allowed one person to reach base and it was on a walk, not a hit. In those innings, Wood faced 19 batters and struck out four of them, but these still are not strong enough stats to prove my point. So, I looked to velocity and spin rate to get the point across. From the bullpen, Wood sports a fastball that sat around 93 miles per hour and got up to 95 on certain pitches. His fastball was moving arm side and his spin rate was actually higher from the pen than it has been from the rotation. And, if that doesn’t drive the point home that Wood could be an X-factor from the pen, hopefully this will. Alex Wood has made it very clear that he is dealing with fatigue and has had shoulder problems within the past two months. And, while he has still been effective as a starter, he may be better off working two innings and throwing a little harder than he would trying to get through six.
In the end, there is an argument to be made both ways. Wood’s ability to increase velocity and spin rate out of the pen could make for a seriously effective pitcher who can get outs on both sides of the plate. If the Dodgers wanted to utilize the talent they have on the roster, they would put Ryu in the rotation as a fourth starter and let Alex Wood clean up opposing hitters as a reliever.
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A very nice article Jacob and it makes a lot of sense to me. I think it should be a tough decision for the Dodgers to make. It will be very interesting to see what conclusion they’ll come to.
Thank you! Wood, if moved to the bullpen, will be an asset to the team in a big way. He will be a high leverage reliever that can pitch for more than one inning. Ryu will be used as a fourth starter.
I expect he might come in from the pen but not in a game already won or lost by one side. And, what an insurance policy if one of the starters experiences difficulties or injuries.
I expect you are right about Ryu not being a routine relief option. Maybe he is used in a lopsided game.
You surprised me, Jacob. I really expected you to come down on the side of Woody as starter. Instead you made a better case for Ryu than I would have.
I would add one more point: Hyun-Jin always seems to be at his best when all eyes are on him. Some may remember 2014, when he followed Josh Beckett’s no-hitter with 7 perfect innings. Had he completed that one it would have been the first time a MLB team had back-to-back no-hitters.
None of this is a knock on Woody. It’s just a fact that he’s better out of the bullpen than Hyun-Jin. This is about the team, not individuals.
It’s not so bad anyway. In 1959 Larry Sherry won the Babe Ruth Award (as the WSMVP was called then) by completing all four Dodger victories, earning 2 W’s and 2 unofficial saves.
Thank you for reading! Glad I could surprise you a bit.
I make this argument because I genuinely think Wood could be a star for the Dodgers out of the bullpen. Ryu has never been suited for a role where he needs to warm up quickly and overpower batters. But, Wood has pitched in relief before and has shown this year he is more than capable of doing it again. I would prefer the Dodgers use Wood in 3 games rather than 1 start.
Good article, Jacob.
I think it’s going to come down to the individual matchups, depending on which team the Dodgers face, that ultimately determine how Alex Wood and Hyun-Jin Ryu are utilized during the first round of the playoffs. Also, let’s not forget that Rich Hill has over 470 innings pitched out of the bullpen, so he’s no stranger to that role in his career. All three are left-handed, starter-caliber pitchers. So, it stands to reason, it boils down to whoever is best suited to the matchups an opponent might present.
The point is, the Dodgers are extremely deep with their pitching aresenal given a five-game series (let alone seven-games). My opinion is that the matchups will ultimately drive the decision on mid-rotation pitchers getting the starting nod during the postseason. The Dodgers have options at hand and there’s no doubt in my mind that they will utilize them all to their benefit.
This team feels special.
Rich Hill is NOT a reliever.
I’m not suggesting that Rich Hill is a reliever. You missed my point entirely, Ron. We all know that in the playoffs, anything can happen at any time. Just like nobody would ever suggest that Clayton Kershaw is a reliever, he’s taken on the role in past playoff games when needed. Rich Hill has the advantage of being familiar with the role. So, if push comes to shove, he could be used in a pinch. And I have no doubt that Dave Roberts would hesitate one nanosecond to use Hill if it were appropriate to the team winning a game.
No, I don’t think I missed your point entirely, Kevin. In fact, it was brought to my attention by someone else who interpreted it the same way.
Doc was asked several different times and in several different ways yesterday about his post season bullpen (us media types can be a persistent lot). Even though he made it abundantly clear that no final decisions have been made about his bullpen yet (and probably won’t until after Sunday’s season finale – at least not publicly), the name “Rich Hill” and “bullpen” were never mentioned in the same breath … not by anyone.
You have me at a disadvantage. I merely was suggesting Rich Hill would be in a position to step up if he was asked to pitch an inning or two. Rich Hill is invaluable and he’s gutsy enough to pitch an emergency inning if needed.
If he was used in relief, and in a certain situation that could happen, he would be like Hersisher in 1988. A relief appearance against the Mets, albeit the last pitcher available in extra innings and an unexpected save in the WS plus warming up in the pen in another game.
A Hill relief appearance would not be a planned one and certainly not an announced one. It would be of necessity and he might be a good option due to his previous experience and ability to warm up quickly. Hopefully things don’t get to that stage but I am sure Dave Roberts would use all options available. It definitely would be in a pinch.