Relief pitcher Craig Yoho was a big part of the Cleveland Guardians’ deadline recruitment. The talented right-hander came over after posting a 3.15 ERA in Milwaukee with the Brewers.
His first two appearances with a Guardians uniform were scoreless, and fans started to dream about another shutdown reliever acquired on the cheap. In his next two games, however, the 26-year-old allowed seven runs in 1.1 innings, with four walks and two home runs.
Those two games could have been enough to ruin any pitcher’s season, but Yoho has worked hard, become more comfortable with his surroundings and mechanics, and is back to being a dominant force in the Guardians’ bullpen. The numbers, of course, prove it.
After conceding four runs on August 9, Yoho has been able to string together 14 excellent innings in which he allowed just two earned runs. Over that span, the changeup artist has issued just three walks and earned a whopping 20 strikeouts, with a 1.29 ERA and a 1.82 FIP.
That BB/K ratio is what impresses us the most about that stat line. Limiting walks and striking out hitters in bunches are the signs of a truly dominant pitcher, and Yoho is definitely feeling it in that department.
The most important thing a reliever has to give his manager is trust. Yoho, after a couple of rocky outings, has repaid Stephen Vogt’s trust with scoreless appearance after scoreless appearance. It’s safe to say he is trusted to get high-leverage outs again.
If we are fair, Yoho’s tenure in Cleveland has been a success despite his seemingly mediocre 4.67 ERA in 17.1 innings. He has pitched 16 games since becoming a Guardian, and he has surrendered runs in just three of them.
The best thing about Yoho, however, is his versatility. He can be a traditional one-inning reliever, yes, but most of his value lies in the fact that he can get more than just three outs. He is often a good bet for four to six outs in any given game.
There’s still time in the regular season calendar for Yoho to keep getting that ERA down. The manager, the front office, and the coaching staff, however, know that they have a reliable reliever in Yoho. He is a big part of their surging bullpen despite the unit having an off game on Monday.
NEXT: Guardians Drop Series Opener Against White Sox
