Iowa Baseball Season Preview: Bullpen

The Iowa Baseball season preview series continues on with a look at the Hawkeyes bullpen. Last season was tough for the Hawkeye relievers, and they played a significant role in the team’s overall struggles. After the bullpen posted a 4.29 ERA during the 2023 NCAA Tournament season, they plummeted to a 6.79 ERA over 258.1 innings last season. For the Hawkeyes to have a rebound season and enter NCAA Tournament discussions, the bullpen must make substantial improvements. First-year pitching coach Sean Kenny comes over after a year at Houston and has been tasked with trying to turn things around.

“Sean came into a situation and handled perfectly,” said head coach Rick Heller. “He didn’t dwell on anything, didn’t talk about the past. He just came in and set the tone with what he believed in, the things I believe in and organized the staff and brought them together quicker than I thought he would.”

“I couldn’t believe how quickly things flipped in the fall games with how our pitchers pounded the zone. It was pretty dramatic.”

We take a look at the key returning pitchers and the newcomers, including two freshmen who have the potential to make an immediate impact.

THE RETURNING NAMES

If the bullpen is going to take a jump from last season and become a more reliable group, they are going to have to do it with a lot of the same arms from a year ago. There are some notable additions to the staff that will be highlighted, but the Hawkeyes do return eight of their top ten in terms of appearances. The big departure is Jack Young who took the leading role last season, appearing in a team-high 28 games, posting a 2.76 ERA over 32.2 innings. He will be tough to replace, but there is plenty of talent for pitching coach Sean Kenny to work with.

“A lot of pitchers that are back from last year, obviously, there were talks after the season about expectations, and I think a lot of those guys came back with a different mindset,” said Heller. “Before Coach Kenny was here, they were going to make those changes individually, the things they needed to do to get on the field or to have a bigger role.”

RHP Anthony Watts

Pitch Arsenal: FB (91-94), SL (85-88), CH (85-87)

The coaching staff spent a lot of time trying to decide how they wanted to utilize Anthony Watts this season, and what role would give him the best chance to be successful. They landed on using Watts out of the bullpen as a guy that can come in after the starter and potentially go 3-4 innings to close out a game, but he could also be used as a one inning closer or a starter if needed.

“As much as Anthony wants to start, he just wants to help the team win, and he’s a better version of what you saw last year,” said Heller. “If he throws strikes with his fastball, which got him in trouble last year, his slider is what he hangs his hat on. It’s a devastating pitch, but he’s also improved his changeup too.”

“He’s got some unique characteristics, unicorn type movement patterns on his pitches, which is what you’re looking for. That’s what the world of pitching is today. Both college and professionally, you’re looking for guys above and below the (average) spin rates.”

Watts appeared in 21 games last season, including three starts, finishing with a 3.18 ERA over 45.1 innings. He totaled 58 strikeouts, which is good for 11.5 K/9, while he held opponents to 0.71 hits per inning. Those numbers showcase how good his stuff is, but it was his 18.4% walk+hbp rate that got him in trouble in some games. Anthony spent the offseason to trying to refine his delivery, so that he can hopefully be more consistent and keep his fastball velocity up around 93-94 deeper into his outings.

“He has improved his ability to maintain his velocity. Last year, he’d drop off after a couple innings. He’s a max effort guy, which, at times last year, led to that, but he’s smoothed things out, and he’s worked hard on cleaning up his movement patters with his delivery, so that it is smoother and hopefully less stressful on him to where he can maintain his velo.”

LHP Ben DeTaeye

Pitch Arsenal: FB (88-91), SL (76-77), CH (77-79)

A guy that wasn’t highly talked about last season, Ben DeTaeye, on a pitching staff with few lefties, was called on to be the reliable left-hander in the bullpen, despite missing the entire 2023 season with Tommy John surgery. He ended up being one of the most consistent guys out of the bullpen, appearing 19 games, posting a 4.81 ERA over 24.1 innings, including a stretch of 11 scoreless outings from March 2-April 23. Opponents averaged 0.82 hits per inning, while DeTaeye posted a team-lowest 10.5% walk+hbp rate, putting just 11 of 105 batters faced on base.

Ben followed up his successful season with the Hawkeyes and played with the Matsu Miners in the Alaska Baseball League. He appeared in ten games, finishing with a 1.24 ERA over 29.0 innings, including 31 strikeouts to 12 walks.

Although his stuff is not overpowering, with a fastball that will top out at 91 mph, DeTaeye executes his pitches well and gets guys out. Expect him to be frequently called on out of the bullpen, as a veteran arm that has proven he can be relied on in leverage situations.

RHP Sam Hart

Pitch Arsenal: FB (88-90), Sinker (87-89), SL (75-77), CH (84-85)

A transfer in from Indian Hills CC last season, Sam Hart was expected to join the staff and make an immediate impact at the back end of the bullpen for the Hawkeyes. Like several others on the pitching staff, Hart just wasn’t able to contribute the way that many hoped he would. He appeared in 15 games, posting a 9.00 ERA over 13.0 innings, allowing 1.31 hits per inning and compounding it with a 23.6% walk+hbp rate. Rick Heller says that he saw Sam Hart trying too hard last season, rather than trusting his stuff, which has proven effective at the JUCO level. It’s a delivery and pitch arsenal that can be compared to that of former Hawkeyes Jacob Henderson and Jack Young, who both had success out of the bullpen.

“He has been a different guy that he was last year. He’s more confident and I think he has good feel for what he needs to do to be successful,” said Heller. “He tried too hard a lot last year and, at times, you would see him worrying about his velocity. (This spring) he hasn’t been concerned with velocity. He was concerned with throwing strikes and getting guys out because his stuff is plenty good.”

“We talk with everybody about doing your one-ninth, and everything will be fine and so far, so good with Sam. We just have to get Sam to stay focused on the next pitch, and just do what he can and not try to do too much.”

Every pitching staff needs a couple of bullpen arms that the coaching staff can rely on in most, if not all situations and Sam Hart, when pitching at his best, has the ceiling of a Jacob Henderson. A guy that can be called on in tough situations or at the end of games to get big outs. Getting Hart in the right mindset and not looking to do too much when he enters games could be the biggest key.

RHP Jack Whitlock

Pitch Arsenal: FB (85-87), SL (74-75), CH (77-78)

During the Hawkeyes 2023 NCAA Tournament season, Jack Whitlock was the most dominant arm in the bullpen down the stretch. He appeared in 19 games, posting a 2.52 ERA over 35.2 innings, including 38 strikeouts and a 7.6% walk+hbp rate. Those numbers, in some big-time games had everyone thinking he was going to be the go-to arm in the bullpen last season.

Instead, Whitlock struggled throughout the season, finishing with a 12.27 ERA over 18.1 innings. His hits allowed per inning skyrocketed from 0.51 in ’23 to 1.48 in ’24, while walk+hbp rate also increased to 17.3%. After putting together 13 scoreless outings in 19 appearances in ’23, Jack did it in just six of 17 outings last season.

Despite the disappointing campaign a year ago, Whitlock has experience pitching and pitching well at the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. Even at his best, Jack isn’t going to overpower hitters with his fastball, which sits in the upper 80’s, but he locates it well and then uses his frisbee slider to get outs.

Rick Heller referred to Jack Whitlock and Sunday starter Reece Beuter as the “swing guys” on the pitching staff, noting that how those two pitch this season could be key for the overall success on the mound this season. The aforementioned Sam Hart could be tossed into this conversation as well.

“If they have great years, that makes our team a lot better. Our pitching staff needs to step up and be really consistent and that would mean both Beuter and Whitlock having roles where they not only eat innings, but limit runs and damage…We know both of them are capable of doing it and those two guys could put us over the edge with how good our staff is.”

RHP Ganon Archer

A potential surprise arm to keep an eye on this season is former Kirkwood CC transfer Ganon Archer. He wasn’t 100% healthy last season, and that impacted his numbers. Archer appeared in 14 games, with two starts, posting a 5.94 ERA over 16.2 innings, including 26 strikeouts to ten walks. The numbers weren’t terrible, and his 14.1 K/9 stands out. Rick Heller says that since Archer has solved his injury issues, he’s been a different pitcher.

“He was dealing with some shoulder tightness most of the second half last season that really hindered him, and it carried into the summer, but the doctors and trainers said it wasn’t showing anything major,” said Heller. “He ended up getting a cortisone shot in the fall, and since then, he’s been lights out. He’s back to the guy we thought he would be.”

“Ganon brings some unique characteristics that you don’t see a lot with his delivery angle and how his breaking ball plays, and if he pounds the zone, he’s tough to hit. His velo has been up to 94-95 a few times this spring. It was 88-90 (last year) and he’s just a different guy at 92-95.”

There’s always a guy that seems to surprise and fill a bigger role than expected. Two years ago, it was Jack Whitlock. Last season, it was Jack Young and Ben DeTaeye. It’s possible that Ganon Archer could be that guy this season.

LHP Brant Hogue/LHP Elliot Cadieux-Lanoue

A couple more names to keep an eye on this season, former Oklahoma State transfer left-hander Brant Hogue is in his second year post-Tommy John surgery and is looking to have a more consistent season this year. Hogue appeared in 13 games last season, posting a 7.94 ERA over 11.1 innings. The coaching staff, including pitching coach Sean Kenny have been encouraged by the strides he has made over the offseason.

The other name to know is sophomore left-hander Elliot Cadieux-Lanoue. As a true freshman last season, Elliot appeared in 15 games, with four starts, posting an 11.15 ERA over 15.1 innings. Rick Heller says that ECL has shown flashes over the offseason, but is still working on putting everything together on a consistent basis.

This pitching staff does not have many left-handed options out of the bullpen. It would really be a benefit to the entire staff, if the coaches could rely on either Hogue or Cadieux-Lanoue to log some valuable innings this season.

THE NEWCOMERS

Houston transfer RHP Dan Wright

Pitch Arsenal: FB (89-91), Sinker (87-89), CT (82-85), SL (77-82), CH (81-83)

It’s been an interesting path for Dan Wright to get to Iowa City. Originally from Sergeant Bluff, Wright started his collegiate career as a quarterback at Wisconsin, but switched to baseball, spending the 2022 year at Iowa Western, and the last two seasons at Houston. Last season for the Cougars, Wright was used predominantly as a midweek starter, appearing in ten games with nine starts. He posted a 3.86 ERA over 21.0 innings, totaling 15 strikeouts to 13 walks. Wright recorded five scoreless outings and held opponents to just 0.71 hits per inning. A stark improvement from the ’23 season where Dan allowed 49 hits over 30.0 innings.

“The thing I found out, being around Dan is he’s a really mature, intelligent guy that understands all the stuff that’s going on. I think he’s taken a lot of the stuff we do and that has helped him. He’s improved and gotten better from last year.”

Standing at 6’9, Wright is one of the tallest players in program history and his height provides a different look for opposing hitters. With his experience as both a midweek starter and a reliever, the coaches can use him as a versatile piece on the pitching staff. After slashing his hits per inning allowed in half last season, Dan will be looking to take his 16.1% free base rate from a year ago and get it back to where it was in ’23 (11.0%).

Georgia transfer RHP Will Pearson

Pitch Arsenal: Sinker (87-89), SL (72-74), CH (78-80)

Potentially an underrated addition to the pitching staff, Georgia transfer Will Pearson racked up a ton of experience at the highest-level of college baseball in the SEC. Over three seasons with the Bulldogs, Pearson appeared in 64 games with a 5.06 ERA over 74.2 innings. Somewhat similar to former Hawkeyes Jack Young and Jacob Henderson, Pearson is not going to overpower hitters with a high velocity fastball, which is a sinker that will sit in the upper 80’s. Instead, his low 3/4 arm slot is what makes him a unique pitcher.

“Really been impressed by Will. He’s a lot like Dan Wright, where he’s been through a lot of battles. Will has been to different places; he’s been on the big stage, and nothing is too big for him.”

He’s not going to rack up a ton of strikeouts, in fact, he averaged just 6.03 K/9 at Georgia, but his 13.2% free base rate is a decent starting point for a pitching staff that gave up nearly a 20.0% free base rate last season. Best case scenario, Pearson returns to his ’22 self where he posted an 8.1% free base rate and becomes this staff’s version of Jacob Henderson.

Freshman RHP’s Tyler Guerin and Jaron Bleeker

Generally, Rick Heller’s teams have a freshman or two that manage to crack their way into the bullpen rotation, whether it’s on the weekend or during midweek action. This season will be no different, and Heller really is excited to see what they will get from true freshman right-handers Tyler Guerin and Jaron Bleeker.

“Both of them are mature for their age and they’re not afraid. They’ve just came in and pitched and have since day one…Both of them have added weight and gotten stronger, which is going to be big for them, but I think the biggest thing is their makeup and their mental toughness to just go out and pitch and not make it too big a deal like a lot of freshmen do.”

“Tyler brings his size, and he’s 90-95, he’s got good velocity, good breaking ball, and his changeup is really coming. Bleeker throws four pitches and can generally pound the zone with four pitches.”

The brother of junior first baseman Blake Guerin, Tyler was rated as the #1 player in Minnesota and the #41 right-handed pitcher in the country by Perfect Game. As a senior at Mounds View High School, Guerin posted a 3.03 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 69 strikeouts and a 3.13 SO/BB ratio. At the plate, he batted .382, with 25 RBI’s, helping the Mustangs to the 4A State Championship game. He was named East Metro Player of the Year and Prep Minnesota Player of the Year.

As for Jaron Bleeker, he was rated as the #3 right-handed pitcher in Iowa and the #366 right-handed pitcher in the country by Perfect Game. As a senior at Bishop Heelan, Bleeker posted a 1.29 ERA over 70.1 innings, totaling 96 strikeouts and helping the Crusaders to a 3A State Runner-Up finish.

FINAL OUTLOOK

Anthony Watts and Ben DeTaeye look to be the go-to relievers this season, and if Jack Whitlock can return to his ’23 form, the Hawkeyes will have a really good foundation to work with. After that, it will really depend on who steps up and earns roles throughout the bullpen. Can Sam Hart and Will Pearson turn into Jacob Henderson/Jack Young type arms? Can Ganon Archer and/or Dan Wright earn a larger role than originally expected? Does Brant Hogue give the group another lefty they can rely on? Where do the freshmen, Guerin and Bleeker slot in?

The question with the bullpen is not the level of the talent, but whether or not they can get consistent contributions across the board. I believe this bullpen has potential, but it will be a bit of a wait and see process with who steps up early in the year and how roles evolve.

Up Next, we shift our focus to the potential outcomes for the Hawkeyes this season. We’ll examine both the best- and worst-case scenarios, looking at what factors and results could lead to each one.