The Nationals bullpen did a commendable job in the month of May. They do not have any big names in the ‘pen, but between guys like Richard Lovelady, Orlando Ribalta, Brad Lord and Gus Varland, they got the job done. However, over the past week or so, I have seen some cracks appear in the bullpen’s armor.
On paper, this should not be a good bullpen, and in April that was certainly the case. However, after a strong May, the unit has a not terrible 4.61 ERA as a unit. There have been a couple times this week where the bullpen has folded though, and I am getting a little worried.
One pitcher I am getting worried about is Richard Lovelady. In late April and most of May, Lovelady was nails for the Nats. He turned himself into a fan favorite with his high energy pitching style and emotion. However, he was always playing a dangerous game with all the base runners he allowed. The traffic Lovelady is allowing on the bases is starting to bite him. Last night, he gave away the lead, and has been shaky since pitching three straight days in Atlanta.
I do not think Lovelady pitching three straight days is the reason for his downturn though. His WHIP on the season is 1.75, with his lowest mark of the season being 1.54. That is not good, and you cannot consistently maintain a low ERA while allowing that many baserunners. Lovelady loves the big moment, and has a flair for the dramatic, but he was not going to be able to get out of every jam forever.
Getting Lovelady back on track would be big for this team, and he is a guy I have a soft spot for. However, there is a reason he has bounced around as much as he has. Lovelady has unique release traits and the intangibles of a high leverage reliever. On the other hand, his stuff is not anything special and the command is not great.
There are a few other relievers that are also turning into weak links here as well. Gus Varland was the Nats best reliever at the start of the season, but he has not been throwing many strikes lately. He has also been allowing a lot of base runners with a 1.55 WHIP.
Cole Henry was supposed to be a big part of this Nats bullpen entering the season after a solid 2025. However, he has not looked like a big league caliber arm this season. Henry faded in the second half of last season, but most fans just blamed that on fatigue. That has carried over into this season though. He got absolutely lit up last night, giving up a pair of homers.
With the way Henry is pitching, he may not be long for the MLB level. His stuff is good, but not great. He has to be locating his pitches to have success, but he has had too many uncompetitive misses and pitches thrown right down the heart of the plate. I would not be surprised to see Henry in Rochester soon.
Mitchell Parker is another guy who has struggled after a solid start. Parker is still doing some things well, but he is allowing way too many home runs. He leans a lot on his slider, which is a great pitch when it is located well. However, when it is up in the zone, it just floats right into hitters barrels.
Despite the doom and gloom of this piece, the Nats bullpen is not all bad. Brad Lord, Orlando Ribalta and Clayton Beeter are all guys I trust right now. I think Lord needs to be used in more high leverage spots though. He is such a solid long man, and has been borderline All-Star caliber in that role. Lord posted a 1.17 ERA in May, and his WHIP for the season is just 1.00, which is elite.
I love the way Lord is always on the attack mode. Not every pitcher can get away with pounding the zone as much as Lord does, but the Nats righty has a good combination of stuff and funk. He is usually not over the heart of the plate as well.
Orlando Ribalta is the one inning reliever I trust the most right now. The big Cuban has a history of control issues, but has been throwing way more strikes this year. Ribalta has always had very good stuff, so as long as he is throwing quality strikes, his stuff will play. While Ribalta is not striking out a ton of hitters, the average exit velocity against him is just over 80 MPH. That is why his .214 BABIP is not just good luck.
Clayton Beeter outings are always a bit stressful because you never quite know when he will totally lose the strike zone. However, Beeter has premium stuff and is incredibly hard to square up. He is getting a ton of ground balls this year, and is another guy who’s low BABIP has a lot to do with the kind of contact he is generating.
The Nats bullpen is not the dumpster fire it was at the beginning of the year, or during last season. However, they are beginning to show more weak spots. There was a time in mid to late May where you were starting to feel comfortable with a lead. However, that comfort is going away for me. This bullpen is starting to show the lack of star power again. They have three reliable options, but outside of that, you really have to hold your breath.
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