San Francisco Giants Mailbag: Bullpen, Joe Panik, Kontos or Machi
Oct 31, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher George Kontos waves to the crowd during the World Series victory parade on Market Street. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
@MaggiePilloton who gets the last spot in the pen? Kontos or Machi? (For the record I want them both)
— Audrey Lariz (@AudreyLariz) March 27, 2015
For the record, Audrey, I would like the Giants to keep both Kontos and Machi on the roster too, because they could both provide extra depth in the bullpen. However, since the Giants have two long relievers this year, instead of just one, it seems as if just one roster spot is open in the bullpen, unless, of course, one reliever starts the season on the DL.
If that happens, then the Giants could start the season with both Kontos and Machi on the roster. However, let’s just assume for now that’s not an option. Let’s first compare stats from these two pitchers so far in Spring Training.
In eight appearances and eight innings so far, Kontos has a 3.38 ERA, has given up eight hits, three earned runs, and one home run. He’s struck out six, walked one, is allowing hitters to bat .276 against him, and has a 1.13 WHIP.
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In nine appearances and 10 innings so far, Machi has a 3.60 ERA, has given up nine hits, four earned runs, and two home runs. He’s struck out five, waked two, is allowing hitters to bat .257 against him, and has a 1.10 WHIP.
There doesn’t appear to be a clear winner statistically, as Kontos has the better statistics in some categories, and Machi is better in other categories.
Kontos has won two World Series titles with the Giants. In 2012, he was a key piece in the bullpen, who finished the season with a 2.47 ERA in 43.2 innings. Kontos struggled in 2013, especially with the command of his slider, but in 2014, he bounced back and posted a 2.78 ERA in 32.1 innings in the regular season.
Kontos has also shown a slightly higher velocity in his fastball this spring, in addition to consistent command of the crisp, swing-and-miss slider that makes him effective. Kontos is a workout fiend, is one of the hardest workers in Giants’ Spring Training, and even added swimming to his offseason routine, in order to get in the best shape possible for 2015.
Machi was dominant in the first half of last season, and he finished 2014 with a 2.58 ERA in 66.1 innings. He posted a 7.94 ERA in 5.2 innings in the 2014 postseason though, as he mightily struggled with command of his splitter.
Oct 4, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Jean Machi (63) pitches in the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals in game two of the 2014 NLDS playoff baseball game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
When Machi had command of his splitter last season, he was ruthless though. In addition, Machi lost 15 pounds in the offseason and skipped playing winter ball in an attempt to stay fresh in 2015.
If Machi can renew the consistency that he displayed in the first half of last season, he could snag that spot from Kontos. However, the same can be said with Kontos and the command of his slider.
This extremely tough decision will ultimately depend on how the rest of Spring Training goes for these two pitchers. As of right now though, the race is incredibly tight. If I had to pick one, I might pick Kontos, because he’s younger, could possibly be in his pitching prime at age 29, and has more experience in the Giants organization. In addition, his slightly higher velocity and improved command of his slider is intriguing.
However, those intangibles only slightly put him ahead of Machi, and Bochy could truly decide to go either way with this decision. Both are more than worthy of a roster spot, and as Audrey said, it’d be great if the Giants could find a way to keep both.