Dodgers: The Three Horse Race for the Setup Role

Well, September has not started off so great for the Dodgers, and their pitching has been one of the main reasons for their cold streak. As we get closer to the playoffs, the Dodgers need to snap out of their funk and establish whom their guys will be going into October. One of the key spots up for grabs is the setup role, which is looking like a three horse race between Pedro Baez, Brandon Morrow and Josh Fields.

Taking a look at all three of these guys for the setup role is a good problem to have for the team as each comes with an impressive resume. If we take a look at their ERA on the season Baez holds a 1.94 mark, Morrow holds a 2.55, and Fields holds a 2.68. However, as of late, it has been Baez who has been giving up the most runs as he managed a 3.38 ERA in August.

Baez was once thought of to be the definite setup man, but as Morrow and Fields have shown their worth, he has fallen out of the spot. He holds a lower K/9 rate over the other two and holds a higher BB/9 as well. His biggest detriment may be the fact that he is allowing more homers as well, now with seven home runs. To me, it seems as if Baez will have to make a strong September showcase in order to get a hold of a setup role.

Since we’re on the subject of homers allowed I guess we can bring up the eight total homers that Josh Fields has surrendered in his 47 innings of work. Those numbers translate to a 1.53 HR/9 ratio, which is much higher than Baez 1.13 ratio. Fields has been a pleasant surprise for the team, but he does have issues with getting hit and hit hard at times.

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What may take him out of contention for a setup role is a strained back that he’s been dealing with as of late. Fields was placed on the disabled list for the issue, and it is not yet known the length of time he will miss. Back injuries are scary though, and if he does miss an extended period in September, he will definitely not take over the role.

Want to hear a stat that I still can’t believe every time I read or hear it? Brandon Morrow has surrendered 0 home runs in 34 innings pitched this season. Yeah, that’s pretty good. Besides, his awesome donut that he holds on that stat line, Morrow also has a 10.19 K/9 rate and a 2.04 BB/9.

He’s had quite the career resurrection here in Los Angeles, and he looks like the lead horse for the setup job. Morrow is coming off a hot August and will look to continue his dominance into September where he might just cement the job down.

At the end of the day, the job is going to go to the guy that Dave Roberts feels most comfortable with before handing the ball to Kenley. Baez, while electrifying at times, can give up his fair share of homers and Fields can as well. September is going to be a huge month for these guys as they look to take the spot of the 8^th inning man.

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Look at it this way, 8^th inning in the NLDS with a one run lead who do you want running out of the ‘pen? You wouldn’t be wrong if you said Josh Fields or Pedro Baez because they have the ability to get hitters out. But, for the sake of us having a heart attack for the inning, Brandon Morrow is the best option to run in from the pen to get the ball the Dodgers the valuable outs in a playoff series.