The difference between reliability and being a liability is a reliever's ability to avoid walking batters.
Except in the case of the Cardinals' bullpen, in which the most reliable high-wire walkers often walk.
Perhaps no player is more conspicuous with this than Alex Reyes, the closer, who has walked 12 batters in 141/3 innings pitched.
"He has a dynamic arm, electric stuff," John Mozeliak offered Tuesday, "[though] I think pitch efficiency is something that we still would encourage."
The team's president of baseball operations embraces the dilemma. Because, of course, Reyes is eight for eight in save opportunities this season. And guys really aren't hitting Reyes, either -- he allowed half as many hits as walks ... though why swing if he's walking everyone? The answer, as we know, is because he's as efficient as he is inefficient, striking out guys with a similar rate to the walks (actually better). He has 15 Ks in those 141/3 innings.
When it comes to bases on balls, Reyes isn't the lone bullpen culprit. Cardinals' relievers have walked 61 batters this year, third-most in the majors. Even more telling is the walk rate of the relievers, since it's not a counting stat affected by the number of innings pitched by a bullpen. The St. Louis relievers walk 5.44 batters per nine innings. The only team worse in Major League Baseball is Cincinnati.
Tyler Webb, the bespectacled lefty, has walked eight guys (just one fewer than starters Adam Wainwright and Carlos Martinez). Genesis Cabrera, hit batsmen notwithstanding, has still four-ball-walked six opponents. And Jordan Hicks, for all of his triple-digit success, has also reached double digits in walks -- 10 in 10 innings pitched. But Hicks (5.40 ERA) was moved Tuesday to the injured list (right elbow inflammation), and Mozeliak said on a Zoom conference that Hicks could miss at least four weeks.
Walks are never, if you will, good. But some athletes do seem to thrive when there's sudden stress. And with Reyes, an important cog on a team with playoff aspirations, he seemed to produce his best work with traffic on the bases. He's walked two guys in three of his past five save appearances.
Looking back at previous years, the teams with the highest reliever walk rate are generally the teams with the lowest win totals. Though, interestingly, the Cubs have consistently been among the most-walking 'pens. Chicago routinely makes the playoffs these days (though maybe not in the coming days). The Cardinals can continue to get away with the walks if they thrive at other reliever stats, and we're seeing it with ERA (tied for 12th in MLB at 3.83) and, most notably, opponents' batting average. Teams that face Cardinals relievers hit just .189 in 2021. That's the lowest opposing average in the National League -- and second in baseball to the Yankees.
As for Reyes, his perfect save total so far blocks any issues with issuing walks. Closing is a unique assignment in sports. It's not about how you get the save, it's just about whether or not you get the save. Teams and fans will put up with a lot if it ends in a victory, even if it means ninth-inning fingernail-gnawing. Conversely, the moment that walks (and hits) lead to runs (and blown saves), the adventure of the inning is no longer charming but alarming.
So, yeah, because of his saves, Reyes is having one heck of a year. Entering Tuesday only one MLB player had more saves than Reyes' eight. That was Mark Melancon, a forgotten foe from the Cardinals' division who has resurfaced out West in San Diego.
"As Alex is evolving into this role and taking it, it's fun to watch," Mozeliak said, "because obviously when you look at what's coming out of that hand, it's really elite stuff. Obviously you can envision someone having a lot of success in that role -- and for someone that's had the career path he's had, I think everybody's just happy for him."