New New York Mets reliever Tyler Clippard brings reliability and experience to his new team.
With the Mets two games behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East, they’ve established that they are in go-for-it mode, with the acquisitions of Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson and Clippard in the past week.
Durability and a high effectiveness rate
Over the past six seasons, Clippard has made more appearances and thrown more innings than any reliever in the majors.
And for much of that time, he has been really good. Opponents are hitting .184 against him in that span, which ranks fifth-lowest among relief pitchers.
From 2008 to 2014, Clippard was with the Nationals, primarily as a setup man. He led the majors with 40 holds last season.
This year, after being traded to the Athletics, Clippard was put in the closer’s role due to injuries to Sean Doolittle. He’s 17-for-21 in save opportunities this season, though, similar to Mets closer Jeurys Familia, he has blown two chances since the All-Star break.
Clippard joins a crowded bullpen, one that now has four pitchers with significant closing experience- himself: Familia, Bobby Parnell and Jenrry Mejia. The latter is ineligible for postseason due to a PED suspension earlier this season.
’Reverse’ course
Clippard is a pitcher who has reverse splits this season. What that means is that he’s a right-handed pitcher who is good against left-handed hitters (the reverse of the norm- right-handers are usually best versus right-handed hitters).
Left-handed hitters are 7-for-70 (.100 batting average) against Clippard this season, albeit with 11 walks, and have hit below .200 against him in three of the previous four seasons. The .100 opponents' batting average is lowest in the majors for either left-handed or right-handed pitchers.
The Mets needed someone, righty or lefty, who could get left-handed hitters out, as that’s an area that has been an issue for them since Jerry Blevins went down with an injury early in the season.
Entering Monday, Mets relievers have the fifth-lowest opponents’ OPS in the majors against right-handed hitters, and rank just about average (14th) in that stat against left-handed hitters.
Fear factor
One concern for the Mets is that Clippard’s 2015 xFIP is 5.31. This is a stat that indicates what a pitcher’s ERA should be based on strikeouts, walks and home run rate (home runs per fly ball allowed).
The positive from that is that Clippard has a history of outpitching his xFIP throughout his career, which could be due to having a lower than average hard-contact rate.
The major-league hard contact rate specific to fly balls this season is 22 percent.
Clippard’s rate is 17 percent.
Another concern is Clippard’s walk rate this season. He has walked nearly five hitters per nine innings in 2015, a two-walk increase from each of the past two seasons.
Clippard’s first-pitch strike rate has plummeted to 52 percent, a career low for him within a full season. Specifically, his strike rates are down with both his fastball and his splitter.