Roster Review: Relief Pitching

By Hunt Palmer

LSU’s starters largely underperformed. Then they all got hurt.

The bullpen just couldn’t throw the ball over the plate at times. What looked like a stable of extremely capable arms faltered in a way I just didn’t see coming. The returners took some steps back, and the new faces struggled week after week.

Jay Johnson and Nate Yeskie pushed about every button at their disposal, and nothing truly clicked. I really think every facet of the system broke down, not just one thing. There was probably some poor evaluation. There was certainly some poor execution, and there probably wasn’t enough development.

Roll all that up, and you’ve got the second worst ERA in the SEC and a staff that leads the conference in walks, hit batters and wild pitches. There’s a direct correlation between free bases and that finish.

RELIEF PITCHING

WHO IS GONE?

Grant Fontenot, Zac Cowan, Dax Dathe, Connor Benge (listed as senior but one season was at JUCO), Mavrick Rizy

WHO CAN RETURN?

Deven Sheerin, Gavin Guidry, Cooper Williams, Marcos Paz, Ethan Plog, DJ Primeaux, Danny Lachenmayer, Jaden Noot, Santiago Garcia, Zion Theophilus, Reagan Ricken, Jonah Aase

THE OUTLOOK

Of that list of possible returners, there’s a sub list of players who I would be surprised to see back.

Sheerin is a likely draft sign. Guidry told 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge that he’s “getting older” and wants to pitch in the big leagues. Noot and Primeaux participated in senior day. That’s four of the 12.

There is always more attrition than that, and I expect more of the Rizy-types to look elsewhere via the transfer portal.

Lachenmayer, just a sophomore, suggested he would like to be back during a press conference late in the season. Paz and Ricken are good bets to be back after flashing some serious stuff at times as freshmen.

Williams (7.94 ERA), Plog (9.98 ERA) and Garcia (5.96 ERA) are left handers who did not have great seasons. Theophilus is a great, tough kid with a reliever profile that has a lower ceiling but can fill a role.

Aase missed the year with injury.

OVERVIEW

I’ll be very clear. This is without question the toughest group to forecast moving forward. LSU is likely returning all three starters and adding at least one more arm to compete. That means rotation time is going to be very. very hard to come by for this group.

Most pitchers want to be starters. So, I wouldn’t be shocked at any of the potential returners bolting for the draft and/or transfer portal. Rizy proved that, and he’s probably the biggest talent of the bunch.

Paz and Ricken are the right-handers I see with the upside that makes them a priority to return. Paz would be in year two off Tommy John. Ricken would be in year two of focusing on baseball. I like the arms, the deliveries and the breaking balls. They walked 28 in 38.2 innings combined, but they also struck out 58.

The left-handers are a crapshoot from the outside looking in.

Plog looked unhittable at times in the fall and preseason. He’s got the exact profile of a matchup lefty with his unorthodox delivery and mid 90s fastball. He just walked 16 and hit four in 15.1 innings. That’s 20 free passes. Garcia had 17 walks, four hit batsmen and eight wild pitches in 22.2 innings. That’s 29 free bases. He still managed 35 punchouts and an opponent batting average of just .221. He’s draft eligible, too.

Williams doesn’t have the stuff those two have, but he only gave up five extra base hits in 17 innings. He struck out 27. Lachenmayer threw the ball better late but still finished with 13 walks, six hit batsmen and six wild pitches for 25 free bases in 16.2 innings. The encouraging part is between his late outing against Tulane, Mississippi State and Georgia, he worked 7.2 innings and allowed just one earned run with nine strikeouts. But, there were seven walks, and Florida also teed off in Baton Rouge on the final weekend.

Johnson is always looking for lefties, and LSU returning rotation doesn’t have any. At least a couple of these guys need to stick around.

Again, if three or four of these guys aren’t back, it won’t surprise me. When you consider the core of positions players LSU should return and the starting arms that can return, the bullpen figures to see the most turnover. Due to performance this season, at this point I can’t assuredly peg a single piece into a key role next year.