The Importance of Adam Ottavino

Many things will have to fall in place for the Rockies to succeed in 2015. One guy who simply must maintain is right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino.

The Rockies’ bullpen was ten kinds of bad in 2014. I wrote about it way back in spring training because even then I could see the cracks forming. The only reliever who impressed me in Arizona was Tommy Kahnle, and even he posted a FIP over 4.00 in 2014.

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Not mentioned in that article was Adam Ottavino, because I didn’t get to see him. But I have seen him plenty over the past couple seasons, and I have no trouble stating with absolute certainty that he is the best pitcher in our bullpen. (His Wikipedia page calls him “one of the best relief pitchers in the National League,” which is a stretch, but at least it means we aren’t the only ones who have noticed him.)

The Rockies have not done much to improve their relief corps this offseason, adding unproven types like Jairo Diaz and Austin House. LaTroy Hawkins is coming back for his farewell season, and his solid-if-unspectacular skills at closer are certainly better than those of the not-yet-ready Rex Brothers. There’s no more Wilton Lopez to give up a billion runs in 2/3 inning. Matt Belisle‘s gone, though I blame his struggles on overuse. So we’ve shed some definite bad guys and gained a couple who could be good. And we’ve retained a core of so-so’s like Kahnle, Brothers, Christian Friedrich, and Boone Logan (although saying he’s so-so is a bit bullish at this point).

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Which leads us to Ottavino. The news that he avoided arbitration with the Rockies and will cost a bargain $1.3 million next year should thrill this team’s fans. Ottavino’s two seasons with the Rockies have netted a 3.12 ERA, a 9.3 K/9 rate, and a 1.30 WHIP. He amassed 1.3 WAR in 2014, fourth-best among pitchers and best in the bullpen. The most exciting thing to me is that Ottavino has done quality work two seasons in a row.

Ottavino’s 2013 was slightly better from all angles, but it was also just plain too good, and he was ripe for regression. He didn’t regress very far, which is a great sign. And he’s the only pitcher who saw playing time with the Rockies in 2013 and 2014 whose FIP went down.

Ottavino shows signs of being a real workhorse, the type of pitcher that you can count on to come out again and again and get the job done. He’s not a phenom, which is why the Rockies were able to get him for so little, but following a season of such turmoil in the bullpen and so many heartbreaking losses, we need to hold onto a guy like him. Let’s just cross our fingers and hope he doesn’t pitch 90 innings in 2015 and turn into the next Belisle.

Next: Having high hopes for Jhoulys Chacin

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