RADIO
Yariel Rodriguez Excelling In High-Leverage Spots
In high-leverage relief spots this year, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Yariel Rodriguez has a .091 average against and a 33.3% strikeout rate. In low-leverage spots, Rodriguez has a .286 average against and a 20.5% strikeout rate. His soft-contact rate jumps 10.1% from low- to high-leverage spots, points out The Athletic's Mitch Bannon. The 28-year-old has averaged 96 mph with his fastball this year, but in the seventh and eighth innings in Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Angels, he touched 97.7 mph and showed more spin on all of his pitches. The Blue Jays could start leaning more on Rodriguez in late-inning, high-leverage situations, especially since they've been relying heavily on Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia and Brendon Little. Rodriguez is currently sporting a 4.26 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 21 strikeouts and eight walks in 19 innings over 16 outings (one start) in his second big-league season.
Source: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
Source: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
