From March 29 to April 25, a span of 13 games and 12.1 innings (and nearly a month), Cleveland Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis didn’t allow a single run.
He was one of the best and most reliable relievers in baseball during that time.
Unfortunately, he has conceded runs in each of his last three appearances.
To be more specific, he has conceded six runs (five earned) in his last three games.
Even with the rough patch, his ERA for the season remains excellent, at 3.00.
His WHIP is a steady 1.13, and his ratio of walks vs. strikeouts is elite at 3/17.
With those being the facts and stats, a Guardians reporter is defending Gaddis, saying that just because he is having a rough stretch doesn’t mean he is a bad pitcher.
“Gaddis has had a rough 3 game stretch. His previous 12 games he was nearly untouchable. If he has 3 bad outings separately in 15 games maybe nobody bats an eye. All of these things are true. Many things can be true at once but sometimes we have a hard time seeing that here,” @JL_Baseball tweeted.
Gaddis has had a rough 3 game stretch.
His previous 12 games he was nearly untouchable.
If he has 3 bad outings separately in 15 games maybe nobody bats an eye.
All of these things are true. Many things can be true at once but sometimes we have a hard time seeing that here. https://t.co/NakHvGcIyE— Justin (BSky – jlbaseball) (@JL_Baseball) May 1, 2024
He was quoting a tweet from someone who suggested the Guardians should send Gaddis to low-leverage work.
Gaddis is throwing three miles per hour harder and his secondaries are also better.
With all the good work he showed for a month, he deserves the benefit of the doubt and shouldn’t be removed from his current role as a high-leverage setup man for three bad outings.
If the struggles extend well into the next month and he turns into a pumpkin, the situation could be re-visited, but he surely will have his manager’s support and Stephen Vogt will give him the ball the next time the Guards have a close lead and are in a tight spot.
NEXT: Stat Shows How The Guardians Thrive In Tough Counts
