Small sample size applies, to be sure, but the move of Archie Bradley to the bullpen has gone, not just as well as could be expected, but far beyond that. Let’s start with some numbers:
- Line: 9.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 SO, 0.00 ERA
- 1.54 FIP (best among ten pitchers on team with 5+ innings)
- 0.7 bWAR (best of any Diamondback, pitcher or position player)
By just about any measure save fWAR (which we’ll get to in a bit), Bradley has been the Diamondbacks’ best pitcher so far this year, despite being neither a starter nor a closer.