The Reds have the worst bullpen in MLB history at keeping the ball in the park
They cinched it on Friday night against the Pirates
By
Dayn Perry
•
1 min read
The Reds in 2016 are mostly notable for playing baseball at a .425 clip. Part of those implied failures has been a bullpen that's struggled mightily. To date, the Cincy pen has pitched to a remarkably bad 4.99 ERA and 1.80 K/BB ratio.
As of Friday night's game against the Pirates, there's also this:
Reds bullpen allowed their 93rd HR of season tonight, most of any bullpen in a single season in MLB history
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 17, 2016
Yep, they've allowed 93 homers in 524 1/3 innings this season. It was a game-tying blast by Jung Ho Kang in the seventh that set the record for the worst job of preventing home runs by a bullpen in baseball history.
In related matters, the Reds' bullpen this season has put up a WAR of negative-3.4. Next worst are the Diamondbacks at 0.2. So it's not enough to say the Reds have had the worst relief corps in baseball this season. They've had the worst relief corps in baseball this season by a yawning, gaping margin.
To be fair, the pen's been improved by the additions of Raisel Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen, but the overall body of work is putrid. Historically putrid, as it turns out.
