setup man

{{Short description|Pitching role in baseball}}

File:George Sherrill 2008.jpg was a setup man for the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers.]]

In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth.{{cite book|title=Fireman: The Evolution of the Closer in Baseball|first=Fran|last=Zimniuch|pages=[https://archive.org/details/firemanevolution0000zimn/page/154 154, 168]|publisher=Triumph Books|location=Chicago|year=2010|isbn=978-1-60078-312-8|ref=zimniuch|url=https://archive.org/details/firemanevolution0000zimn/page/154}}{{cite book |last=Felber |first=Bill |title=The Book on the Book: An Inquiry Into Which Strategies in the Modern Game Actually Work |page=102|year=2006 |publisher=St. Martin's Griffin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-HZ3xF7DT7IC&q=setup%20man&pg=PA102 |isbn=978-0-312-33265-5 |access-date=January 5, 2011}}

As closers were reduced to one-inning specialists, setup men became more prominent.Zimniuch 2010, pp.168–9 Setup pitchers often come into the game with the team losing or the game tied.Zimniuch 2010, p.169 They are usually the second best relief pitcher on a team, behind the closer. After closers became one-inning pitchers, primarily in the ninth inning, setup pitchers became more highly valued.Zimniuch 2010, p.163 A pitcher who succeeds in this role is often promoted to a closer,Zimniuch 2010, pp.165,168,171–3 and often fill in for the regular closer when the regular closer needs a day off for rest. Setup men are paid less than closers and mostly make less than the average Major League salary.Zimniuch 2010, p.169

The most common statistic used to evaluate relievers is the save. Due to the definition of the statistic, setup men are rarely in position to record a save even if they pitch well, but they can be charged with a blown save if they pitch poorly. The hold statistic was developed to help acknowledge a setup man's effectiveness,Zimniuch 2010, pp.169–70 but it is not an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic.

Historically, setup men were rarely selected to MLB All-Star Games, with the nod usually going to closers with large save totals.{{cite news|last=Rancel|first=Tommy|title=Set-up guys who would be worthy All-Stars|date=June 24, 2013|work=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/37360/set-up-guys-who-would-be-worthy-all-stars|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019194431/http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/37360/set-up-guys-who-would-be-worthy-all-stars|archive-date=October 19, 2014|url-status=live}} From 1971 through 2000, only six relievers with fewer than five saves at midseason were selected as All-Stars. There were 10 such players from 2001 through 2009.{{cite news|last=Kay|first=Joe|title=All Star Game could be decided by setup men|date=July 13, 2015|newspaper=The Star|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2015/07/13/all-star-game-could-be-decided-by-setup-men.html|access-date=October 12, 2018}} In 2015, the majority of the American League's All-Star relievers were not closers, outnumbered 4–3.{{cite news|last=Jennings|first=Chad|title=Yankees' Betances leading wave of standout setup men|date=July 13, 2015|newspaper=The Journal News|url=https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/chad-jennings/2015/07/13/betances-standout-setup-relievers/30111923/|access-date=October 12, 2018}} Setup men who have been named All-Stars multiple times include Justin Duchscherer, Tyler Clippard,{{cite news|last=Kilgore|first=Adam|title=2014 MLB All-Star Game: For Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard, a perfect setup|date=July 14, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/2014-mlb-all-star-game-for-nationals-reliever-tyler-clippard-a-perfect-set-up/2014/07/14/93f47676-0b5d-11e4-b8e5-d0de80767fc2_story.html|access-date=October 13, 2018}} Dellin Betances, and Andrew Miller.{{cite news|last=Crasnick|first=Jerry|title=Eight under-the-radar relievers who deserve All-Star consideration|date=June 23, 2018|website=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/23871684/eight-radar-relievers-deserves-all-star-consideration|access-date=October 13, 2018}}

Francisco Rodriguez, who was a setup pitcher for the Anaheim Angels in 2002,{{cite news|last=Curry|first=Jack|title=Rodriguez Is a Fantasy Player Like No Other|date=October 11, 2002|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/11/sports/baseball-rodriguez-is-a-fantasy-player-like-no-other.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021073705/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/11/sports/baseball-rodriguez-is-a-fantasy-player-like-no-other.html|archive-date=October 21, 2014|url-status=live}} tied starting pitcher Randy Johnson's Major League Baseball record for wins in a single postseason after recording his fifth victory in the 2002 World Series.{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Chuck|title=Rodriguez set to close for Angels|date=February 20, 2005|newspaper=USA Today|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/angels/2005-02-20-angels-spring_x.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016104142/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/angels/2005-02-20-angels-spring_x.htm|archive-date=October 16, 2014|url-status=live}}

In 2018, Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers became the first setup man to win the Reliever of the Year Award, an award traditionally given to closers. Hader was then promoted to closer the following year. In 2020, Devin Williams became the second setup man to win the award, pitching as the seventh to eighth inning man for Hader.

Tim McCarver wrote that the New York Yankees in 1996 "revolutionized baseball" with Mariano Rivera, "a middle reliever who should have been on the All-Star team and who was a legitimate MVP candidate."Zimniuch 2010, p.221 He finished third in the voting for the American League (AL) Cy Young Award,{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1996.shtml#ALcya|title=1996 Awards Voting|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=January 9, 2012}} the highest a setup man has finished. That season, Rivera primarily served as a setup pitcher for closer John Wetteland, typically pitching in the seventh and eighth inning of games before Wetteland pitched in the ninth. Their effectiveness gave the Yankees a 70–3 win–loss record that season when leading after six innings.Zimniuch 2010, pp.219–221 McCarver said the Yankees played "six-inning games" that year, with Rivera dominating for two innings and Wetteland closing out the victory.

Illustrating the general trend, both Rivera and Rodriguez were moved to closer soon after excelling as setup men. On January 22, 2019, Rivera became the first player unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, having been inducted his first eligible year on the ballot.