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For most of the 2015 season, Chasen Shreve was one of the New York Yankees’ most reliable relievers. Then September happened and Shreve had trouble getting anyone out. Heading into the 2016 season, Shreve will be counted on to be a major part of the bridge between the starters and the Yankees’ trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, and so far this spring he looks up to the task.
Prior to September the left-handed Shreve posted a 1.89 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. He would end the season with a 3.09 ERA and 1.41 WHIP after he posted an 11.12 ERA in September. He allowed 13 hits and seven earned runs including four home runs and seven walks. He looked awful. Physically, there was nothing wrong with him, but it was generally believed that fatigue was the main cause of his struggles.
Shreve pitched a total of 58.1 innings last season, all at the MLB level. In 2014, Shreve did pitch 63.2 innings, all but 12.1 of which came in the minor leagues. Pitching against MLB hitters is more physically draining because you have to bring your best stuff every day. Those higher-leverage innings obviously got to him last season; arms get tired — it happens.
This spring, Shreve has been outstanding. He has pitched 6.1 innings so far and has allowed one base runner of the 20 batters he has faced and he reached on an error. He has also struck out six batters. The Yankees obviously had faith that the end of last season was nothing more than a little fatigue and that Shreve would bounce back. If they didn’t think Shreve would be a major part of their 2016 bullpen they probably wouldn’t have traded Justin Wilson away.
It is true that you can’t put much faith in spring training numbers. However, when it comes to Shreve you can see a difference in his demeanor on the mound between September and this spring. He looks confident again, like he did last season. If Shreve is back to the pitcher he was before last September, then the Yankees could have a quartet of deadly arms in their bullpen.
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