Logan Gilbert pitching for the Seattle Mariners; CC by License 2.0
With the World Series matchup between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning today, we are nearing the conclusion of an extremely eventful 2024 MLB postseason. Within every series, we have seen dominant pitching performances, as well as a variety of ways pitching staffs have been deployed. From your traditional “starter to relief corps” formula, used by teams like the Yankees and Mets, to AJ Hinch and his “Pitching Chaos” from the Detroit Tigers, to even your NL Pennant-winning Dodgers, who have now consistently thrown openers and bullpen games in division and championship series games. These different styles led this writer to think about how other teams would be able to find success in the postseason, had they made it in 2024. Whether it would require your typical lineup of starters, or if there is a tad more creativity involved, here are five pitching staffs that would have thrived in the 2024 MLB Postseason.
Seattle Mariners
This one feels like a free space. The Mariners have had a dominant starting rotation for what feels like ages, and this season was no exception. Originally headlined in 2022 by key trade acquisition Luis Castillo, Seattle has been quickly surrounded by the elite homegrown quartet of George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller. And if those names were not enough for you, throw Emerson Hancock’s name in the mix as well, as he has filled in admirably whenever any of the previous five were injured. While Castillo and Kirby were getting Cy Young votes in 2023, this season looked more like the breakout campaigns for Gilbert (3.23 ERA), Woo (2.89 ERA), and Miller (2.94 ERA). Unfortunately, due to yet another season of putrid offense in Seattle, these horses will have to wait for next year to be let into postseason pastures. However, had the Mariners’ fortunes turned around and they were able to clinch a wildcard berth this season, they would have had a completely valid argument to be the favorites just from their starting pitching alone.
As it stood when the season ended, Castillo was sidelined with a strained hamstring, and while they would have appreciated his postseason experience, I would imagine the Mariners would opt to leave him off a postseason roster in hopes he could pitch for them in a future division or championship series. From there, it would feel like pulling teeth to determine who would have had to come out of the bullpen in a potential wild card series, as any of Kirby, Gilbert, Woo, or Miller could have been trusted to give them a chance to win. However, with Miller dealing with a blister issue just before the season ended, he may have fallen into the same category as Castillo. This would have left the perfect room to line up Kirby for Game 1, Woo for Game 2, and give Gilbert the winner-take-all Game 3 if need be. Past that, even if more injuries were to persist, Hancock is a capable starter that most teams this postseason would kill for (ask the Dodgers or Tigers). Not to mention, the Mariners bullpen is one you could be reasonably confident in to take you home, with the likes of Tayler Saucedo, Trent Thornton, and Collin Snider leading to a dominant Andres Munoz.
What is ultimately unfortunate is that the Mariners having a playoff-caliber rotation is one narrative as old as time. The only way they will be able to truly show their talents is if Jerry Dipoto can build an equivalently leveled offense to complement them perfectly.
Toronto Blue Jays
In 2023, the pitching of the Toronto Blue Jays single-handedly carried the team to the postseason, and despite some controversial decisions in their series against the Twins, they only surrendered 5 runs in two games in a losing effort. The pitching was bound for some regression in 2024, and it hit like a truck at the beginning. Ace Kevin Gausman began the season with a shoulder injury, leading him to an 11.57 ERA after 3 starts and a 4.75 ERA by the end of June. Bowden Francis had made the starting rotation out of spring training but was sent down to Triple-A after posting an 8.59 ERA by the end of April. Even their most valuable trade chip at the deadline, Yusei Kikuchi, was traded with a 4.75 ERA through 22 starts.
So wait, why are these guys even being considered to be a part of this article? Well, it just so happened that past the trade deadline, this Jays rotation found that 2023 form. Gausman found himself with 2 complete game shutouts and brought himself down to a 3.83 ERA on the year. Jose Berrios had a 2.95 ERA in the second half of the season. Yariel Rodriguez was moved into the rotation after Francis was sent down, and while not spectacular overall, his first season had several successful outings as a starter and could be relied upon heavily as a long reliever in a postseason context. Even Ryan Yarbrough, acquired in a straight swap from the Dodgers for Kevin Kiermaier, could have vied for a key role in the postseason, as he posted a 2.01 ERA in 31.1 IP as a Jay.
As the season came to a close, it's fair to say the Jays rotation was closest to hitting its stride all year. Everyone not named Alek Manoah was healthy enough to go the distance in a playoff game, and even if one faltered, there would be another one available to pick up the slack before things got too out of hand. A dream rotation lineup for a Wild Card series would likely include Gausman going Game 1 and Berrios going Game 2 (and ideally not being pulled extremely early). Game 3 would be where things would get interesting, as there would be debate as to whether proven vet Chris Bassitt or new stud Bowden Francis would get the ball in a winner-take-all scenario. Perhaps even a combination of the two would be best, given the quality of both starters being miles ahead of anything the Blue Jays bullpen would have been able to provide. With a WAR of -3.0 in 2024, the most realistic strategy may have been to try and squeeze the most out of each starting pitcher and pair them with an alternative starter/long-reliever. For example, Gausman with Yarbrough, Berrios with Rodriguez, and Bassitt with Francis. From there, the gaps would be filled in with their most dependable relievers at the time, such as Genesis Cabrera, Erik Swanson, and Chad Green.
Similar to the Mariners, the Blue Jays’ offense would likely be unable to bring them a win in a single game, never mind a series win. However, the starting pitching would be able to do their part and then some.
Chicago Cubs
It felt like this season, the Cubs were primed to retake a successful form long forgotten for nearly a decade. With the Brewers selling their best pitcher in Corbin Burnes, and Chicago paying top dollar to take their manager away in Craig Counsell, it felt like this was the Cubs’ division to lose. Things didn't turn out that way, as their offense and bullpen were lackluster at best. However, their starting pitching did not disappoint. Justin Steele continued his ace form, as despite some injuries, he posted a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts. Jameson Taillon had a bounceback season, posting a 3.27 ERA in comparison to 2023’s 4.84. Javier Assad took to a starting role nicely with a 3.73 ERA in 29 starts. The star of the show in 2024, however, was undoubtedly Shota Imanaga. Seen as more of a compensation prize to teams unable to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Imanaga proved a lot of doubters wrong, dominating his first 9 starts with a 0.84 ERA. While that dominance faltered at times, Imanaga did end up with an impressive 2.91 ERA and 1.021 WHIP on the season as a whole. Factor in that if you remove two starts in which Imanaga gave up 7 and 10 ERs respectively, we could very well be talking about a top Cy Young vote candidate.
These four would likely round out any kind of postseason rotation applicable, and in any order you would likely feel comfortable with as a Cubs fan. With the bullpen, however, comfortable is not the word most Cubs fans would have used at first. However, with a combined bullpen ERA of 3.81 by season’s end, Chicago managed to put together a formidable force. Trade deadline acquisition Nate Pearson presents a great fastball-heavy repertoire. Experienced veterans like Jorge Lopez and Drew Smyly looked great as Cubs and would have likely played a critical role. Long men Hayden Wesneski and Kyle Hendricks would be able to navigate through difficult situations, and young guns in 26-year-old Tyson Miller and 23-year-old Porter Hodge would have assisted greatly in the backend of the bullpen. This Cubs crew would not necessarily be considered the most talented group of pitchers you would find in the postseason, but if $40M man Craig Counsell were able to play his cards right in specific matchups, this Cubs team could have been a difficult one to get past.
Alas, Craig Counsell and his Cubs have yet to truly earn their pay, but there are hopes for next season that this pitching staff can be put to good use back in the postseason.
Oakland Athletics
Okay, hear me out on this one. There is absolutely no guarantee that the A’s would even win a game in this postseason. However, I can imagine the same thing was likely said about the Tigers, and their rotation had their fair share of struggles as well. You could find worse options to throw out to the mound consistently (just go ask the White Sox). Joey Estes gave up 3 ERs or less in 18 of his 24 Games Started. JP Sears posted his lowest ERA in an Athletics uniform (4.38) with the most innings pitched in his career (180.2). Mitch Spence showed glimpses of a quality starter, consistently reaching 6+ strikeouts, and even a 10 K game against the Rays in August. Osvaldo Bido, once consistently tabbed as a starter in August, lowered his ERA from 5.00 to 3.52 in just 6 starts. I’m not saying this rotation is perfect, but to say that it is not capable of guiding a team through the postseason would be simply inaccurate.
In fact, the “pitching chaos” Detroit method would be a perfect fit for this team. Sears is really the most complete starter of the bunch, leaving Bido, Spense, Estes, and even proven vet Ross Stripling to operate in both long and short-relief roles if necessary. Mix these options in with a surprisingly dependable bullpen, and the A’s present a challenge to get past. Oakland’s bullpen accumulated 101 holds, good for 6th in the league, so they are no stranger to being put in tough positions. While 12 of those holds were lost in trading Lucas Erceg to the Royals, there are still plenty of options to go around with underrated arms like Austin Adams, TJ McFarland, Tyler Ferguson, and Scott Alexander. Not to mention, there is an absolute monster flamethrower in the back of the bullpen named Mason Miller that teams would have to try and score off of. If Mark Kotsay could develop a game plan where Sears could go for one game, and have the remainder spread out based on lineup matchups, I think it could display the A’s in a much stronger light than they were this past season.
San Francisco Giants
When you have two perennial Cy Young contenders in Logan Webb and Blake Snell at the top of your rotation, you are in a pretty good spot in the postseason. However, the 2024 Giants were much more than just a top-heavy rotation. Jordan Hicks shined in his first year as a full-blown starter, posting a solid 4.10 ERA in 27 starts. Robbie Ray was acquired knowing full well he would not return from injury until mid-July, but was serviceable upon his return, and a former Cy Young pedigree never hurts to have in the team arsenal. To have the depth of young starters in Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong cannot hurt much either. On top of all of these quality starting options, the Giants bullpen is sneaky full of dominant pieces. The weakest of the bunch is, surprisingly, former closer Camilo Doval. Despite having his worst season to date and losing the closing role, Doval still rocks a deadly 3-pitch combo with a 99 MPH cutter, 97 MPH sinker, and 88 MPH slider. Despite what transpired in the regular season, Doval would have had the perfect opportunity for redemption in the postseason. He would not have to do it alone either, as his replacement as closer, Ryan Walker, is one of the best kept secrets in the league. In 2024, Walker produced a 1.91 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP in 80 IP. Pairing Doval and Walker with experienced postseason vets in the Rogers brothers, Taylor and Tyler, budding lefty Erik Miller, the 6 '11 literal giant Sean Hjelle, and returning starter Tristan Beck, the Giants’ pitching would likely be the least of their concerns in the postseason.
Blake Snell’s historic second half, where he posted a 1.45 ERA in 12 starts, 1 of which was a no-hitter, would likely line him up for Game 1 in a wild card series. Although, let’s be honest, having to pick between Snell and Logan Webb for a Game 1 is a scenario where you can’t go wrong. It is more curious to see how a Game 3 or 4 would line up with Hicks, Ray, Harrison, and even Beck available. Ray could likely be ruled out towards the bullpen, as he would have been just activated from the injured list on October 1st. Hicks has ultimately been more successful than Harrison in 2024 but began to come out of the bullpen closer to October. Therefore, it would seem likely that Harrison could throw a Game 3, and have Tristan Beck begin a Game 4, with the option of bullpen support in Hicks or Ray available if need be. Past that, the bullpen would be reliable enough to fill out whichever innings remained.
Unfortunately, similar to a lot of the teams listed here, a lack of consistent offensive production held back this Giants team from its first postseason berth since 2021. Hopefully, with a change in management, Buster Posey can help guide this pitching staff to some more important games down the line.
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