Pittsburgh Pirates: Five Best Relief Pitchers in Franchise History

Mark Melancon

If Mark Melancon had 400 innings pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he probably would have been number one of this list. Melancon was easily a top three relief pitcher in Pirate history, and for a good reason. Melancon spent three and a half years in a Pirate uniform, and was beyond outstanding in each of the seasons.

From 2013 up until the 2016 trade deadline, Melancon had a 1.80 ERA, 2.27 FIP and 0.93 WHIP. He is the only Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher to have a WHIP below 1.00, and ERA below 2,00. Since the stat started being recorded, Melancon has the lowest SIERA for a reliever in franchise history at 2.39.

In terms of peripherals, you ca not get much better than Melancon. He might not have been a huge strikeout pitcher during his Pirates tenure, but he still posted a solid 8.3 K/9 and 23.3% strikeout rate. But what’s even more impressive is his 1.43 BB/9 and 4.2% walk rate. Both of which are the best in Pirate history, yet again.

During his time in Pittsburgh, Melancon allowed just nine home runs in 260 innings. That was good for a 0.31 HR/9 which, you guessed it, was the lowest in franchise history. ERA- placed him at 48 while FIP- put him at 60. However, ERA+ puts him in the best light. With a 210 ERA+, Melancon was 110% better than the average relief pitcher during his time in Pittsburgh.