Leverage and pitching changes
Bullpen sequencing
How the order and timing of relievers shape the matchups a team must navigate late in a game.
Why it matters
The same relievers can produce different outcomes depending on when they enter, which hitters they face, and what traffic they inherit.
What to watch
- A reliever entering before the nominal inning attached to his role
- Matchup chains created by consecutive pitching changes
- A manager protecting a later reliever by solving an earlier pocket first