In this bullpen, one good outing will move you up the totem pole. This unit is searching for answers, and needs guys to step up. Yesterday, Orlando Ribalta stepped up in a huge way, making the Nats one run lead stick in the 10th despite the ghost runner starting the inning at second.
That outing is likely to make Ribalta a candidate for higher leverage opportunities, especially considering others like Paxton Schultz and Clayton Beeter faltered yesterday. Now, I do not want to jinx Ribalta, but I think
he has the stuff to pitch in high leverage. The key for him will be to limit the long ball and the walks.
When Ribalta is on like he was yesterday, his mix can be nasty. He has four pitches that all move in different directions. Ribalta has two mid to upper 90’s fastballs with his 4-seamer and sinker. The 4-seamer has a lot of life at the top of the zone, while his sinker has a good amount of tail.
His most used pitch so far this season has been his tight slider. He is using it almost 40% of the time, and it is a pitch he commands pretty well. Last year, he gave up 5 of his 6 homers on the slider, so he needs to be careful not to hang the pitch. It is not the nastiest pitch in his arsenal, but he has a lot of feel for it.
Ribalta’s most unique offering is his changeup. For most of his career, the changeup has been his out pitch. It is a true straight change that relies more on velocity separation than movement. He sells it really well and the pitch is 10 mph slower than his fastball. It was his best whiff pitch last year, and will be a weapon this year.
That is a deep bag of pitches for a reliever, which makes Ribalta unique. Another thing that stands out about him is his monster size at 6’7 245 pounds. That height gives him a bit of a different look, which makes his stuff play up even more.
However, Ribalta is not a perfect option. There was a reason he started the year in AAA despite the Nats bullpen not exactly being loaded with talent. In his minor league career, Ribalta has issued nearly 5 walks per 9 innings. Like many relievers, control is not exactly a strength for him.
We have also seen him struggle at the big league level before. He posted an ERA over 7 last year. You see relievers come out of nowhere and become quality guys all the time, but his lack of previous success prevents me from being all in. He was very homer prone last year due to falling behind in counts and his tendency to hang his offspeed stuff.
In both the minors and MLB this year, he has not been walking guys though. This is likely due to a small sample size, but it is worth keeping in mind. If Ribalta’s control has truly taken a step, that would change the calculus. He has the weaponry, but in the past, he has not been able to control his pitches.
Ribalta also made history yesterday. He became the first Cuban in Nationals history to record a save. That is a pretty cool achievement for the 28 year old. If he keeps throwing the ball like he has so far this season, this will not be his last save.
Blake Butera must be desperate to find anything resembling a consistently solid reliever in this Nats bullpen. Gus Varland and Cionel Perez were solid on this road trip, but we have seen the bad from them too. Hopefully Ribalta can break into Butera’s circle of trust and stay there. Like so many relievers, Ribalta has the stuff, the key will be throwing quality strikes.
