Seattle Mariners 2021 Grades: Part 5 – Relief Pitchers
Joe Swenson
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Featuring: Paul Sewald
Relief Pitching: B+
Former New York Mets reliever Paul Sewald was tremendous for nearly the entire season. His ERA and peripheral numbers deteriorated as the season went on. He had incredible dominance with his unique arm angle as well as velocity and the break on his cutter and slider. The combination baffled hitters for most of the season.
Control: B+
Similar to Steck, Sewald finished the season with a 1.021 WHIP. He had 24 walks in 64.2 innings.
Dominance: A-
Sewald broke the Mariners record for strikeouts by a reliever, previously held by Edwin Diaz. His 15.3 strikeout per 9 innings rate was also a record. While Sewald had 4 saves in September/October, he struggled when asked to pitch on back-to-back days late in the season. Something to look for next season.
Featuring: Casey Sadler
Relief Pitching: A+
Casey Sadler was a pleasant surprise for the Seattle Mariners. He gave up a run on a solo home-run on July 25th and then went 29 consecutive appearances without giving up another run. The 31-year-old journeyman reliever gave up 4 runs, and only 3 were earned in 40.1 innings. Sadler had an insane season, considering he came into the year with a 3.90 ERA in 85.2 innings over parts of five MLB seasons.
Control: A+
In those 40.1 innings, he gave up 19 hits and 10 walks for a 0.719 WHIP. While Sadler didn’t make us forget about Graveman, he sure did provide needed relief Graveman’s absence.
Dominance: A+
Sadler’s BAA (Batting Average Against) was .143, and he actually gave up a higher on-base percentage than he did slugging percentage. Featuring a high ground ball percentage, rarely was he hit hard (95 MPH or higher Exit Velocity), and his 30.9% led the Mariners.
Casey Sadler, 94mph Paint. 🖌️🎨
26th consecutive scoreless appearance (Mariners franchise record). pic.twitter.com/j8rn50fkUJ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 29, 2021