Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Breakout Bullpen Arms

PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 05: Geoff Hartlieb #32 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the game against the Minnesota Twins at PNC Park on August 5, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 05: Geoff Hartlieb #32 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the game against the Minnesota Twins at PNC Park on August 5, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Pirates
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 02: Geoff Hartlieb #32 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning of a game at Wrigley Field on August 02, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /

Geoff Hartlieb

Geoff Hartlieb was one of the worst relief pitchers in baseball in 2019. In his first taste of MLB action, Hartlieb posted a 9.00 ERA, 5.11 DRA, 10.5% walk rate, and he allowed home runs at a 2.06 HR/9 rate in 35 innings of work.

These poor results came despite Hartlieb possesses a power, turbo sinker and a plus slider. In the off-season, Hartlieb worked to put more of a focus on his sinker and refine his pitches. So far in 2020, these changes have worked.

Hartlieb entered play on Friday with 12.1 innings pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. While you would like to see his 14.8% walk rate and 18.5% strikeout rate both improve a tick, the overall results have been strong. Hartlieb owns a 2.92 ERA and a 4.05 DRA thus far this season. Additionally, his home run rate has dropped to 0.73 HR/9.

As one would expect for a pitcher that possesses a power sinker like Hartlieb, he has also become a top notch fireman for the Pirates this season. Hartlieb has inherited 12 base runners thus far in 2020, and he has stranded 10 of them. That is a great weapon to have out of the bullpen for when another pitcher gets in a jam.

Like Turley, Hartlieb appears to be locking up a role in the Pirate bullpen for the foreseeable future.