The Bullpen and Run Prevention

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty ImagesLast postseason, the Astros stormed their way to a second World Series title primarily due to their incredible run prevention. And it wasn’t a surprise when it happened as run prevention was kind of Houston’s bread-and-butter in 2022 as the club finished second-lowest ERA and allowed the second-fewest runs in baseball. When it was all said and done, the entire pitching staff posted an incredible 2.29 ERA (32 earned runs allowed) in 126 postseason innings, accumulating 160 strikeouts compared to only 43 walks. While batting average has its well-known limitations in terms of analysis, limiting opposing hitters to a collective .172 batting average across three rounds fraught with high-leverage moments will always remain impressive.

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