This O's reliever probably had a stronger 2024 season than many thought

O’s lefty reliever Keegan Akin had a strong 2022 season with a 3.20 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Then he dealt with lower back issues much of the next season and in 23 2/3 innings had an ERA of 6.85 and 1.78 WHIP. He pitched just two innings after June 28.

So fans might not have known what to expect of him in 2024. At Birdland Caravan last January, Akin told reporters he was finally healthy and feeling good but also was not taking a roster spot for granted. He would have to earn it.

He sure did and pitched better than probably many people gave him credit for.

His season was very solid, especially in the second half and he ranked among the best relievers in the game in some expected stats.

He was good both home and away and against both left and right-handed batters.

So, as he heads into a new season, his last two healthy seasons have been very good and productive ones. He’s under team control for two more seasons, and based on his results last year, the projection that he will earn $1.4 million for 2025 via arbitration, makes him a very valuable, not to mention affordable lefty ‘pen arm.

Akin pitched in 66 games and 78 2/3 innings, going 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. That number was the lowest by an Oriole left-hander since Zack Britton (0.84 WHIP) in 2016 (min. 40 games).

Akin walked 19 and fanned 97, allowing 6.3 hits per nine and 1.0 homers with 2.2 walks and 11.1 strikeouts per nine. He gave up a .193 batting average and .592 OPS to all hitters. His FIP was 2.99.

His inherited runner scored percentage was not great, allowing 35.1 percent to score but not terrible either. Another strength he has is the ability to go multiple innings, something it seems fewer and fewer relievers are asked to do.

Last year on pitches one through 15 he allowed a .203 batting average and .632 OPS. Those numbers were still good on pitches 16-30 at .163/.486. So very good as he went deeper into a game.

Lefty batters produced a .560 OPS off him and right-hander were at .618. While his 2024 first-half ERA was 3.70, it was 2.70 with a 0.73 WHIP and .515 OPS against in the second half.

In addition to all of that, he ended last season among the MLB leaders in expected ERA (97th percentile, 2.52), expected batting average (97th, .188), strikeout percentage (93rd, 31.0), expected weighted on-base average (97th, .250), and expected slugging percentage (91st, .324), per Statcast. Plus, among left-handed relievers with at least 200 batters faced, he ranked ninth in strikeout percentage.

It was quite the year from Akin, who along with southpaws Cionel Pérez, Gregory Soto and Luis González, are the current lefty relief pitchers on the 40-man roster. 

Brian Matusz has passed away: Taken No. 4 overall by the Orioles in the 2008 MLB Draft, lefty pitcher Brian Matusz has died. He was just 37 years old. The team made that announcement last night.

Matusz pitched in 279 career games for the Orioles from 2009 through 2016 and pitched in the playoffs for the club in 2012 and 2014. 

His passing was noted in tweets here, here and here

 




Quick Q&A with Zach Eflin
 

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