The Washington Nationals closer has made improvements to find a more sustainable success
Kyle Finnegan has been a consistent reliable arm in the Washington Nationals bullpen for years now. He has a 3.51 ERA in 309 outings in the curly W. That is not elite, but it is steady and dependable production for a bullpen that has desperately needed that over the years.
However, this year, at 33 years old, he is showing that he might have unlocked another level. Don’t get it twisted, Finnegan has gotten hot before. Last year he was an All-Star and had a 2.45 ERA at the break. However, he was riding his luck. Even in the first half he had a 3.98 FIP, a sign that regression was coming.
Regression did come, and it hit like a truck. Finnegan had a 5.79 ERA in the second half. That led to him not being moved at the deadline and getting non-tendered by the Nats. Mike Rizzo smartly brought back his closer on a cheaper deal, and Finnegan has been a life saver.
His 15 saves lead the league, and he has a 2.55 ERA. Finnegan is also getting it done in a much more sustainable manner. His FIP of 2.34 is actually below his ERA and his xERA is 3.21, a stat that has not loved Finnegan the past couple years.
So what has changed for Finnegan? The biggest key has been limiting hard contact. Last year he was giving up too many lasers. His average exit velocity allowed of 91.3 MPH was in the first percentile and his hard hit rate of 48.1% was in the second percentile.
This year those numbers have totally flipped. Finnegan’s average exit velocity is now 88.6 MPH and his hard hit rate is 34%. Those rank in the 67th and 84th percentile respectively. Both of those numbers are the best marks for him since 2020.
He has also not allowed a home run this season. That is shocking to me because I have always thought of Finnegan as a guy prone to the long ball. While I doubt he goes the whole season without allowing a homer, he has done some things to limit the big fly.
In my opinion, the reason for this is his command, which is hard to quantify. Just watching him this year, it feels like he is throwing less pitches over the heart of the plate. He is throwing quality strikes, especially with the fastball.
Finnegan is actually walking more guys than last season, but I do not think that is necessarily a bad thing. He is not giving in and throwing pitches over the heart of the plate, which is something he would do in previous years. Finnegan has become a more mature pitcher.
While he is 33, he has not been in the big leagues that long. He came up in 2020, so it seems like Finnegan is still learning and evolving as an arm. It is tough to imagine what the bullpen would look like without him.
However, as the deadline gets closer we might have to entertain that possibility. If Finnegan keeps up this pace and the Nats remain out of contention, they will have to entertain offers. He is only on a one year deal, so flipping him at the deadline could be smart, especially with the Nats other bullpen arms showing more competence.
Teams like the Phillies and Diamondbacks are going to be desperate for arms at the deadline. While the Nats did not get what they wanted for Finnegan last year, this new and improved version will interest suitors.
Kyle Finnegan has been mostly the same, solid but not spectacular reliever for years now. It is still possible, he comes down to earth and becomes that mid 3’s ERA guy he has always been. However, there are some signs that this old dog is learning new tricks.