Given the chaos of the last season, it’s a little easy to have lost track of but Ryan Yarbrough no longer needs cover. The pitcher who made his name in a role without a name (“headliner?” “bulk guy?” “follower?”) has started 18 of his last 20 appearances and has a 4.02 ERA in the 20 appearances.
How did we get here?
It all started with his now infamous start in Seattle in August of 2019. Yarbrough had been semi-alternating traditional starts with “headliner” outings, five of his 14 appearances since May had come as traditional starts and the other nine a mix of “headliners” and shorter appearances.