Yankees bullpen gives them a big edge over the Red Sox

The best rivalry in sports is back and better than ever as the Yankees and Red Sox will face off in a huge three-game set this weekend in the Bronx. Both teams are neck and neck in the standings, but it’s the Yankees bullpen that will give them a clear edge in the race for AL East supremacy from here on out.

When comparing these two storied rivals you’ll find that they’re pretty evenly matched in most areas. Both have powerhouse offenses filled with All-Stars along with solid starting rotations led by two of the best ace’s the game has to offer. However, what separates the Yankees from Boston is their bullpen.

It’s the best in baseball and in my opinion, it’s not even close. It took a while for them to really click on all cylinders but over the past few months, they’ve been elite and the biggest strength of this Yankees team. The Red Sox bullpen is no slouch themselves when you look at the numbers, but when it comes to pure dominance they fail in comparison to what the Ya nkee relievers bring to the table.

The Yankees pen is second in the league in ERA at 2.68 behind the Astros while Boston sits in third at 3.10. Both are respectable ERAs but that statistic is not indicative of how overpowering they really are because there’s no way you can make the case that Houston’s pen is better than either the Yanks.

To understand how great the Yankee pen really is, look at they’re collective strikeout totals and opponent batting average and slugging percentage. Their relievers are holding opponents to a .193 batting average and .325 SLG %. Both are good for first in baseball while Boston has held hitters to a solid .219 AVG, and .348 SLG %. The Yankees are on pace to obliterate the all-time record for strikeouts from a bullpen in a season with 363 total K’s up to this point. That’s also first in baseball and a whopping 82 more than Boston’s pen at 281.

The Yankee bullpens’ ability to strike hitters out at a such a high rate gives them an edge over any lineup they face, especially come playoff time. With the Red Sox that’s not the case. Even more so when they have to go up against a Yankees lineup that feasts on opposing pens.

The Red Sox pen is no match for the Yankees offense

In early May when the Red Sox came to town we saw how much they’re bullpen struggled against the Yankee offense. They blew multiple late-game leads and during the three-game set, they gave up nine earned runs.

Even Boston’s All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel got knocked around and blew a save. In recent years, he’s been the only Red Sox reliever who’s consistently gotten the job done against the Yankees. It’s a rarity to get to Kimbrel, he’s as good as it gets closing out games, but the rest of their pen doesn’t strike fear into opposing lineups.

If you take out Kimbrel the Red Sox bullpen is pretty mediocre and they’d really struggle. If you took out Yankees All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman they’d still be among the best in the game. Guys like Matt Barnes and Joe Kelly are solid bullpen pieces but if they were on the Yankees they would be stuck in middle relief and would not be setting up for Chapman in the later innings.

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In Dellin Betances, David Robertson and Chad Green the Yankees have three All-Star caliber relievers who could probably close for most teams in baseball. They also have the always steady Adam Warren and his 1.56 ERA along with Jonathan Holder who has burst on to the scene this season to become one of Aaron Boone’s most trusted relievers.

From top to bottom the Yankees have the advantage in their pen any way you look at it and that’s including Chapman over Kimbrel. Again, Kimbrel is great, but Chapman has been untouchable this season and he’s the best closer in the game right now.

It’s going to take more than just the bullpens to win this division, but in the 13 remaining games between these two that could be the deciding factor. Starting pitching will play a big role as well, but when the game is on the line the Red Sox are going to need more than just Kimbrel to finish off this Yankee offense.

On the other end, the Red Sox offense is a force in their own right, but they have some weak spots at the bottom of their order and I’d take my chances with the Yankees relievers in a big spot because of their ability to strike hitters out.

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We’ll have to wait and see how things play out but usually when these two rivals matchup it’s more than likely going to be a close game. And if that’s the case then the Yankees bullpen should be able to lead them to an AL East title.

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