Guardians’ Tim Herrin has quietly returned to bullpen demon he was in 2024

The Cleveland Guardians had plenty of players to thank for their incredible run in 2024. José Ramírez was his usual MVP self. Steven Kwan became an All-Star for the first time. The Reliever Who Shall Not Be Named authored a season-worthy of Cy Young votes. 

But one of the most important players on that roster was reliever Tim Herrin, who went from being a bit of a bullpen afterthought to one of the best lefty relievers in the sport. 

And, after a rough 2025 season where Herrin struggled so much he was sent down to Triple-A, Herrin seems to have recaptured that magic this season, as he entered the weekend with 8 1/3 scoreless innings under his belt. 

Herrin’s return to form couldn’t have come at a better time for the Guardians considering Cleveland’s bullpen ended April with an ERA of 4.34. Not exactly the dominant kind of performance that we’ve been accustomed to in years prior. 

But Herrin’s done his job when called upon, which admittedly hasn’t been a ton due to how matchup heavy he is. He’s the closest thing you can find to a LOOGY you can find in the three-batter era. 

Although Herrin went 1 2/3 innings in his last appearance, six of his last 11 appearances have been for less than an inning. His 11 appearances are the fifth-most on the Guardians’ roster, but his 8 1/3 innings are the least among pitchers who have been on the roster all season. 

Tim Herrin is starting to find his groove again

Herrin got his season off on the right foot in his first appearance of the season when he was able to wiggle out a (self-included) jam against the Mariners thanks to some weak contact, which has been a trend that’s continued in the month since. 

Herrin has the best hard-hit rate (11.1%) among pitchers who have allowed 25 batted-ball events, while his average exit velocity allowed (80.8 miles per hour) is the third-best mark. He’s also yet to allow a barreled ball this season. 

And, most importantly, he’s been able to tone down the command issues that have plagued him in the past. While he had good contact numbers last season (5.3% barrel rate), he walked 15.5% of the batters he faced and had walked 22 batters through 29 1/3 innings at the time of his demotion. 

He struggled against in the second half of the season after being promoted again, but was nails in the Guardians’ Wild Card Series against the Tigers. 

Although he’s walked 13.5% of the batters he’s faced this year, he’s only allowed one walk over his last 3 1/3 innings. It’s not huge, but it’s a step in the right direction. 

Even though there’s always going to be a cap on how much a reliever like Herrin can impact the Guardians, he’s still a valuable weapon given how well he matches up against left-handed pitching. He still has some kinks to work out, but he’s clearly a valuable piece in a Guardians’ bullpen that’s still finding its way. 

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