Kirby Lee-Imagn Pictures
It’s no secret the Dodgers have been hurting for pitching as a result of, nicely, their pitchers have been getting harm. As throughout final October’s championship run, at instances they’ve resorted to bullpen video games, together with a pair with Shohei Ohtani serving as an opener whereas rebuilding his pitch rely following UCL reconstruction surgical procedure. Taking a web page from earlier seasons below supervisor Dave Robertsthey’ve additionally snuck in a handful of innings from place gamers, not solely once they’ve been on the quick finish of blowouts, however once they’ve led. Enrique Hernández has pitched 5 instances, 4 in video games during which the Dodgers thrashed opponents. Even with tighter guidelines in place for when groups can hand the ball to place gamers, the development is nearing its peak in recognition once more following a current dip.
It’s been practically three years since I checked in on the development of place gamers pitching. What was as soon as a enjoyable little beat to cowl grew to become much less gratifying because the follow proliferated to the purpose that Main League Baseball needed to codify when groups might do it. Fortunately the events themselves are nonetheless appropriately light-hearted, stuffed with giggles, eephus pitches, and batting-practice fastballs.
Right here’s the evolution of the development over the previous decade, expressed as a proportion of whole aid appearances:
Be aware that this rely doesn’t embrace extra-innings video games, which significantly earlier than the 2020 introduction of the so-called “Manfred Man” might lengthen for a ridiculously very long time — to the purpose {that a} place participant may take the ball as soon as a supervisor burned by means of the remainder of his workers. Right here’s the information underlying the above graph:
Place Gamers Pitching
As Share of Whole Aid Appearances
Season
PPP
PPP%
2016
24
0.16%
2017
36
0.23%
2018
62
0.38%
2019
88
0.53%
2020
34
0.55%
2021
88
0.53%
2022
131
0.82%
2023
114
0.72%
2024
88
0.56%
2025
61
0.76%
SOURCE: Baseball-Reference
Contains solely nine-inning video games. Doesn’t embrace place gamers who transformed to pitching later of their careers.
From 2016 to ’18, the speed of PPP appearances greater than doubled, and it continued to rise, with a localized peak throughout the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. That peak occurred as Main League Baseball and the Gamers Affiliation agreed to waive a few guidelines that had been launched in February, one which restricted groups to carrying 13 pitchers on their 26-man rosters and one other that restricted them to utilizing place gamers to pitch solely in further innings, or in video games the place the rating margin is greater than six runs. Someplace between MLB’s announcement of the rule and the publication of that yr’s official rulebook, the language was revised to incorporate rating margins “equal to or greater than” six runs. The waiver continued by means of 2021 and into the beginning of the ’22 season, which was delayed because of the house owners’ lockout. Groups had been allowed to hold 28 gamers by means of Might 1, after which rosters had been lowered to 26; at that time the six-or-more-runs requirement lastly went into impact, however not till Might 30 had been groups restricted to 13 pitchers on the 26-player roster.
Given the expanded rosters, simply seven place gamers pitched between Opening Day and Might 1, 2022, however as soon as rosters had been trimmed from 28 to 26, even with the six-or-more-runs rule, the floodgates opened, with 124 extra PPP appearances by means of the remainder of the season. The record-high seasonal price of 0.82% of aid appearances made by place gamers was greater than double what it had been in 2018 and greater than 5 instances what it had been in ’16. The foundations had been revised for 2023, limiting PPP appearances within the ninth inning or earlier to these the place a workforce trailed by eight or extra runs, or, for the ninth, main by 10 or extra runs; even then, the speed of PPP appearances was increased than it had been in any yr previous to 2022.
Although the foundations governing PPP appearances haven’t modified since then, the fever broke considerably final yr, with the speed again within the ballpark of 2019–21 ranges. This yr, it’s again up, increased than any season besides 2022. That’s regardless of scoring ranges being at their lowest for the three-year interval (4.34 runs per sport, in comparison with 4.39 final yr and 4.62 in 2023). As Baseball Prospectus’ Patrick Dubuque noticed in mid-Might, we’re seeing extra blowouts than standard, as measured by the usual deviation in rating margin; updating his numbers, the SD of two.89 is barely behind that of the shortened 2020 season (which we are able to moderately throw out) and tied with what it was in 2000 for the best since 1939. The share of video games determined by eight or extra runs — in different phrases, these during which a place participant might pitch for a trailing workforce below the newest rule change, fell from 9.5% in 2023 to eight.8% final yr, however is again as much as 9.3% this yr. Even with the epic futility of the Rockies (18-63 total, and 1-9 in video games determined by eight or extra runs), I don’t assume that’s sufficient to account for the spike in utilization, however it’s value noting.
Make no mistake, these place gamers are fairly unhealthy at pitching:
Place Gamers (Are Actually Dangerous At) Pitching 2021-25
Season
G
IP
Okay%
BB%
HR/9
ERA
FIP
2021
88
78.3
5.2%
7.0%
2.99
8.16
8.01
2022
131
131.3
2.6%
7.7%
3.29
10.07
8.77
2023
114
114.3
2.9%
6.2%
3.07
10.15
8.37
2024
88
91.3
1.1%
9.4%
1.48
7.59
6.57
2025
61
68.7
2.6%
8.8%
2.10
11.01
7.30
SOURCE: Baseball-Reference
This yr’s ERA is the second worst for all of the seasons I’ve tracked going again to 2013. It was 11.71 in 2018, with a 9.51 FIP, albeit in an aggregation that didn’t omit the extra-innings guys, which is why I selected to not republish my pre-2020 knowledge.
Hernández, the Dodgers superutilityman, postseason heroand neighborhood spokesmanis a frequent practitioner of the PPP phenomenon, bringing his explicit band of jocularity to the event. In his first look of the season, on April 29 in opposition to the Marlins, he grew to become the primary pitcher to put on MLB’s accredited hybrid protecting helmet/cap in a sport (a contraption initially designed for Bobby Millerwho was concussed by a comebacker throughout spring coaching), and made some quirky statistical historical past as nicely:
Kiké Hernández Of The @Dodgers is the one MLB participant within the fashionable period to attain a number of runs, play a number of positions and have a scoreless outing on the mound all in a sport he didn’t begin. pic.twitter.com/xkmBGnb1mE
– Optastats (@opastats) April 30, 2025
Hernández threw a scoreless inning within the Dodgers’ 15-2 rout that evening, however the returns have diminished as Roberts has referred to as upon him with rising frequency — 4 instances since Might 31. Throughout a June 10 loss to the Padres, he threw the longest PPP outing of the season, going 2 1/3 innings. However his final two appearances have backfired. On June 14, a sport during which the Dodgers led the Giants 11-0, he lastly recorded a strikeout in his eighth profession look, because the Giants’ Christian Koss checked out an 87-mph fastball in disbelief, however that was one in all simply two batters he retired out of 9 confronted; he was charged with 5 runs and needed to be relieved by Anthony Banda. This previous Sunday in opposition to the Nationals, he entered with the Dodgers main 13-3 within the ninth, retired simply one in all six batters confronted, and was charged with 4 runs; Alex shutters needed to file the ultimate two outs. Hernández is now carrying a 15.19 ERA and 9.51 FIP in 5 1/3 innings this yr. He’s tied with the Brewers’ Jake Bauers (who has a 3.60 ERA and 5.67 FIP) for this yr’s lead in PPP appearances with 5, and is seventh in such appearances because the begin of 2016:
Most Place Participant Pitching Appearances, 2016–25
The 29-year-old Bauers, who hadn’t pitched since little league, is the quick riser on this desk, with all 9 of his appearances coming prior to now two seasons. “I discovered myself on the mound the final couple instances out, like, actually pondering to myself, ‘These guys can’t hit you,’” he stated lately. “That’s ridiculous to say out loud, however I don’t know, there’s type of an angle that comes with it.”
Not on the desk but, however making tracks as nicely is the Twins’ Jonah Bride, whose 4 pitching appearances have all occurred this month.
As for the development of PPP appearances in leads, excluding extra-innings video games, solely 5 instances did a place participant pitch in a victory from 2016–21, a rely that included one participant going through a single batter as a part of a nine-position stunt (the Tigers’ Andrew Romine in 2017), three by the Dodgers’ Russell Martin (all in 2019, his last yr within the majors), and one by the Angels’ Jared Walsh (additionally 2019) throughout his short-lived try to make it as a two-way participant. In 2022, the whole skyrocketed to 18, with the Dodgers’ Alberto accounting for eight of these appearances himself (and 10 whole, together with losses); the rely additionally included the Cardinals’ Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols. The frequency of PPP appearances on the profitable facet in blowouts is now at its highest price because the 10-run rule went into impact, greater than triple final yr’s price:
Place Gamers Pitching in Wins As
Share of Place Participant Aid Appearances
Season
PPP_W
PPP_W%
2017
1
2.8%
2019
4
4.5%
2022
18
13.7%
2023
9
7.9%
2024
3
3.4%
2025
7
11.5%
SOURCE: Baseball-Reference
Contains solely nine-inning video games. Doesn’t embrace place gamers who transformed to pitcher later in profession.
The Dodgers account for 16 of the 42 whole PPP non-extra innings appearances in wins since 2017, adopted by the Giants (six), and the Brewers and Cardinals (three apiece); no different workforce has greater than two. Maybe surprisingly, the Dodgers don’t have essentially the most total PPP because the begin of 2016; their whole of 34 is seventh, behind the Twins (39), Brewers and Cubs (37 apiece), Diamondbacks and Tigers (36 apiece), and Reds (35). The Rockies (12), Braves (13), Yankees (14), Blue Jays and Guardians (15 apiece), and Mets (16) convey up the rear.
I do know it’s straightforward to complain concerning the unhealthy look that comes with utilizing place gamers to pitch on both finish of lopsided video games; all of us like to yell on the occasional cloud. Nonetheless, even with the tighter guidelines, the utilization itself is much less an issue and extra a symptom of bigger points — aggressive stability, reliever utilization, roster guidelines — that the sport hasn’t solved. We will fret about all of these issues whereas nonetheless having fun with the occasional eephus.
