The departure of Raisel Iglesias left a gaping hole at the backend of the Los Angeles Angels roster, for manager Phil Nevin, it meant an opportunity for guys like Jimmy Herget to take it over.
His success this season has a lot to do with his unorthodox, sidearm delivery, which according to Baseball Savant, grades out in the 1st percentile in terms of extension. His overall metrics aren’t jumping off of the page numbers, but being unique, and a closer’s mentality have fueled the 29-year-old righty, via Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“I would just say confidence,” he said. “Just attacking. Obviously, earlier this year, I was attacking a lot as well. I was getting some unfortunate hits here and there. The last two months, just attacking with everything. Just let them hit it. See what happens and it’s worked out.”
Since Aug. 2, Herget has been incredible, posting an ERA of 0.57, 2.32 FIP, and a WHIP of just 0.766 across 23 appearances. He’s relied primarily on his three-pitch slider, sinker, and curveball mix, to help him log eight saves at the backend of the Angels pen.
“Closing is great,” Herget said. “Everybody wants that opportunity, especially in the ’pen. Everyone wants to have the chance to close the game out. It’s been fun.”
The former 6th round pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft has found a home with the Angels, and with four more years of control, including three years of arbitration, he could become a great value piece for General Manager, Perry Minasian.
How Jimmy Herget landed with the Angels
On May 15, former Angels manager Joe Maddon called on Herget in the seventh inning against the Oakland Athletics to face a pair of hitters that have a history of punishing the team. Herget wound up retiring those two and went on to finish the rest of the game, earning him his first Major League save.
Flashback to last season, after being designated for assignment, Herget elected free agency following his departure from the Texas Rangers in August 2021, and the Angels signed him to a Minor League deal one day later and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate.
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