After an expansive 162-game regular season, Major League Baseball’s postseason is well underway.
Because the regular season is so long, strategy changes as teams enter a playoff atmosphere where every game counts.
A somewhat new strategy involves teams playing all pitchers for the game instead of starting with the starting pitcher.
Former pitcher John Smoltz reveals his thoughts on these “bullpen plays” that teams have been using more and more over the years.
“You can’t do it 3 out of 5 games, but you can do it to rebuild and rebuild your rotation,” Smoltz said.
Bullpen games have proven to be an effective way to rebuild the starting rotation #Postseason.
John Smoltz weighs in on the strategy.#MLBNow pic.twitter.com/XLTxn6FTGI
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) October 14, 2024
Apparently, every once in a while, Smoltz likes the idea of ​​making sure your top starting pitchers get enough rest between starts.
He explains how this strategy couldn’t be used for multiple games for multiple games, but could be used to reset the rotation and give the team’s best players another day of rest before taking the field again.
The Dodgers appear to be leaning toward the bullpen in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.
Jack Flaherty started Game 1 for the Dodgers and threw 7 strong innings, meaning the Dodgers are fresh for Game 2.
It will be interesting to see how Dodgers manager Dave Roberts uses his pitchers in Game 2 as they take a 1-0 series lead.
Bullpen games are becoming more and more popular and seem to play a major role in many team’s postseason strategies.
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