The key to being a great baseball team in the MLB is having a reliable bullpen. The likelihood of your team being good increases exponentially when you have a good bullpen. The point of having a bullpen in the first place is to shorten the game. If your seven, eight and nine guys dominate, you basically turn the game into six innings. If your starter can give you six-reliable innings, the team with the better bullpen will win almost every time.
This article looks at the best bullpens in the National League from a standard baseball standpoint. This article has no fantasy baseball implications besides the closers who will be named below. The NL East is represented in this article by two teams along with two bullpens from the NL West.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
Closer: Brandon League
The Los Angeles Dodgers have revamped their entire lineup this offseason, bringing in a lot of big-name guys. One of the most important names added was not Zack Greinke, but Brandon League. League had an impressive 2012 with a 3.13 ERA along with 15 saves and 54 strikeouts. They also still have Kenley Jansen, who dominated last season putting up 25 saves with a 2.53 ERA and 99 strikeouts. The Dodgers bullpen was okay last season but adding League makes them even more of a threat than years before. Look for these two men to hold control over most of the one run games in 2013.
4. Cincinnati Reds
Closer: Aroldis Chapman
Big news dropped last week when the Reds informed the MLB that they would be putting Chapman back into the closing role. After the end of last season, Chapman was set to be the fifth starter on the Reds but some new revelations prove otherwise. This makes the Reds a huge threat in late innings due to the fact they added Jonathan Broxton who was supposed to be the closer. Add the six foot, seven inch Sean Marshall and you’re looking at one of the best bullpens in all of baseball. Last season the Reds had the second-best bullpen ERA and look to do even better this season.
3. San Francisco Giants
Closer: Sergio Romo
The World Series Champion Giants look to have a repeat performance of last season. Most thought that once Brian Wilson went down for the season that the Giants' playoff hopes were in jeopardy. Romo proved those doubters wrong and went on to dominate ninth inning after ninth inning. His 1.79 ERA was one of the best amongst closers in the majors. The Giants also have Jeremy Affeldt, a reliable late-inning guy who strikes out players at a solid rate. If the Giants bullpen can stay healthy look for them to be one of the best bullpens in baseball for a long time to come.
2. Washington Nationals
Closer: Rafael Soriano
The Nationals shocked a lot of people this off season signing Soriano. He will now be their closer of the future. The depth on the Nationals' club is tremendous with Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen holding down the bullpen. Clippard recorded 32 saves last season along with striking out 84 batters. His counterpart Soriano racked up 42 saves and struck out 69 batters. Storen is another solid option coming out of the bullpen and the Nationals arguably have the best bullpen in all of baseball. Look for this squad to shorten games and potentially reach 100 wins for the first time in franchise history.
1. Atlanta Braves
Closer: Craig Kimbrel
The Braves can proudly say they have the best and most-feared closer in all of baseball. Kimbrel made his competition look silly last season, striking out 50-percent of the batters he faced. If that wasn’t enough, he held opponents to a .128 batting average and a staggering 16.7 K/9. Kimbrel is not the only stud in the bullpen. Jonny Venters, Eric O’Flaherty and recently added Jordan Walden make this braves bullpen scary good. O’Flaherty never gets talked about, but his numbers are phenomenal. In 2011 he pitched a whopping .98 ERA along with 67 strikeouts in only 73 innings of work. Last year was his “off” year, pitching only a 1.73 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 19 walks. If this bullpen can stay healthy, look for them to set some records and help the Braves make a World Series run.