Late April volatility causes an annual sorting of relievers
Apr 26 2026
April is often a rough month for relievers. Usage can be uneven, command isn't quite honed, roles are still being decided. Injuries happen. Some Aprils are complete chaos. April 2026 is no different in this regard, and now is a good time to do a bit of a whirlwind around the leagues and see what is happening.
The Athletics were always expected to be volatile and fluid in the early going, but it seems all of a sudden that Joel Kuhnel (RHP, ATH) has emerged with the closer role, as he now has four saves backed by a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP so far in April. He also has a 3.85 xERA and 10% K% to temper expectations. Here are the early results in the Athletics' pen:
| ATH | SV | HD | IP | ERA | xERA | WHIP | K% | K-BB% | HR/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuhnel, Joel | 4 | 1 | 7.2 | 2.35 | 3.85 | 1.04 | 10% | 10% | 0.0 |
| Leiter Jr.,... |
Almost!
You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
More From Relief Pitchers
This column looks at what these teams have to start their offseason work to improve their bullpen.
Sep 20 2026 3:06am
Sep 20 2026 3:06am
Just a quick run through teams and how the pens stack up at the start of the offseason.
Sep 13 2026 3:05am
Sep 13 2026 3:05am
A lot of relievers will change teams this off-season. Here are some of those worth tracking.
Sep 6 2026 3:26am
Sep 6 2026 3:26am
Aug 30 2026 3:05am
It is crunch time and you want to preserve ERA and WHIP while grabbing saves. You need to trade for these elite relievers.
Aug 23 2026 3:08am
Aug 23 2026 3:08am
