The National League has some of MLB’s best relievers by name: Josh Hader, Edwin Diaz, Craig Kimbrel, Kenley Jansen, and others are excellent late-inning options.
However, the American League is well-represented too and has several All-Star worthy players currently showing off their talent in 2021.
Among them, these two names, which may not be the ones you have been hearing in the last few years, are more than deserving of playing in the MLB All-Star Game.
The All-Star Game will be held in Colorado on July 13.
2. Matt Barnes, Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are currently holding a postseason spot by virtue of leading the AL East division with a surprising 47-31 record.
Part of their success has been knowing they have a reliable option to close games when they get to the ninth inning with a short lead.
Matt Barnes, the closer of the Red Sox, has been absolutely lights out in 2021.
He has pitched 32 innings so far in 2021, and he has 16 saves to his name.
Boston can rest easy knowing that if they get to the ninth ahead in the game, they most likely will celebrate, and that’s thanks to Barnes.
The veteran right-hander has a 2.81 ERA, but it comes with a much better 1.83 Fielding Independent Pitching, or FIP.
FIP eliminated defense from the equation and focuses on what a pitcher can control.
And what can Barnes control?
Strikeouts.
Matt Barnes' 9th inning:
– Strikeout
– Strikeout
– Strikeout pic.twitter.com/g1Hn3A0xvH— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 6, 2021
As it turns out, he has gotten them in bunches this season, with a 15.19 K/9 rate (punchouts per nine innings) compared to just 2.53 walks per nine.
Barnes is currently leading AL relievers in Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, with 1.5, so his dominance should get him to a 3.0 WAR season if he keeps it up.
1. Ryan Pressly, Houston Astros
The Houston Astros have the best record in the AL and the best run differential in MLB.
It goes without saying that they have played very good baseball.
A part of that success comes thanks to reliever Ryan Pressly.
Pressly has been the Astros’ closer in 2021, with long-time fireman Roberto Osuna out of the picture.
And he has been excellent.
In 32 frames, he has a 1.69 ERA and a 1.58 FIP, showing just how difficult it is for opposing offenses to get something going once they arrive to the ninth inning and have to face Pressly.
Pressly’s control is elite: he hands only 1.41 walks per nine innings, and combined to his 10.97 strikeouts per nine frames, it’s a deadly combination for hitters.
#Astros beat the Tigers 3-2 to get a split of the doubleheader. Ryan Pressly strikes out the side in the seventh to get the save. Lance McCullers Jr gets the win. pic.twitter.com/aNtKoB7bFl
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) June 27, 2021
Pressly does not have a huge save total like Barnes, with 12.
However, a part of that can be explained to how routinely Houston gets to the ninth inning with more than the three runs or less required to ‘activate’ a save chance.
Pressly may not be a household name like Aroldis Chapman, for example, but he is more deserving of a spot in the MLB All-Star Game than his Yankees counterpart given the latter’s recent struggles.
All in all, both Barnes and Pressly should be in uniform in a couple of weeks when the Midsummer Classic takes place.
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