Astros Report Card: Grading the 2019 relief pitchers; Part II

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 22: Roberto Osuna #54 of the Houston Astros is introduced prior to Game One of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park on October 22, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 22: Roberto Osuna #54 of the Houston Astros is introduced prior to Game One of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park on October 22, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
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Astros - Ryan Pressly
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 27: Ryan Pressly #55 of the Houston Astros celebrates his team’s 7-1 win over the Washington Nationals in Game Five of the 2019 World Series at Nationals Park on October 27, 2019, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Ryan Pressly:  B+

Here is another pitcher, like Osuna, that had a historic start to the 2019 season. Pressly didn’t surrender his first run of the season until May 24th, his 20th appearance of the year. In fact, dating back to the previous season, Pressly went 40 straight games without giving up one single run. That set a Major League record beating out Craig Kimbrel who held the record with 38.

Pressly had a spectacular first half of the season carrying an ERA of 0.81 in his first 32 games of the year. He had already collected 19 of his 31 holds on the season. Those 31 holds were tied for the most in the Major Leagues and the most in his 12-year career.

His 0.90 WHIP ranked the fifth lowest for AL relievers, one spot below Osuna, and was the second-best on the team among relievers with 10 innings or more of work. He ended the season with an ERA of 2.32 the 10th lowest in the league. Both of those stats were the best of his career.

Pressly had the second-highest SO/9IP (11.93) and SO/BB (6.00) and second-best BB/9IP ratios out of all Houston relievers, again with at least 10 innings under their belt.

In March of this year, the Astros and Pressly agreed to a two-year extension to his contract that will keep him in Houston through the 2021 season with a club option in 2022. So the one-two punch of Pressly/Osuna will be around for a couple of more years.

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