Bob Melvin's confidence in young SF Giants reliever is quietly increasing

Young SF Giants reliever Spencer Bivens began the season as a low-leverage, multi-inning reliever. There has been a modest shift in his usage lately, suggesting that Bob Melvin's confidence in him is increasing.

Bob Melvin's confidence in young SF Giants reliever is quietly increasing

You can usually tell how confident a manager is in a reliever by the spots they are used. Managers usually have a lot of confidence in high-leverage relievers because they are consistent, can get strikeouts, and work out of jams.

However, low-leverage relievers tend to pitch when the team is behind or when they have a large lead. That can still be an important spot in the bullpen, as teams need pitchers to fill those innings. They would prefer not to use their most trusted relievers in these spots.

Low-leverage relievers need to throw strikes and be reliable. The objective is not too different from setup men or closers. However, the dynamic of the game is different in low-leverage spots, as the team is usually just trying to preserve the deficit if they are behind. Managers want these pitchers to soak up innings, thereby limiting the bullpen's workload.

This is the role that Spencer Bivens has typically been used in, but that could be changing. Overall, he has posted a 3.07 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 5.5 K/9, and a 2.25 SO/W rate across 29.1 frames this season.

The right-handed reliever does not overpower with velocity, relying on a low-90's sinker with a changeup and a breaking ball. His cutter usage has seen a notable spike in usage to 36.8 percent this season.

Bivens does a few things well, including attacking the strike zone, limiting hard contact, and missing the barrel of the bat. That can be a recipe for success, even if his strikeout rate remains below average.

The 30-year-old reliever has put up good numbers, and Melvin has taken notice. Bivens has been used in higher-leverage spots lately. This includes getting Luke Williams to ground out with the bases loaded in the top of the 10th inning in Friday's 5-4 win.

In three of his last six outings, Bivens has come in with the Giants ahead by two runs or less, or when the game is tied. Coming in with the Giants ahead by one or two runs is a subtle shift in usage and a sign that Melvin's confidence in him is growing.

The Giants' bullpen leads baseball with a 2.38 ERA. That unit is led by Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, and Randy Rodríguez, but they have a lot of options with Bivens lower on the depth chart, but he looks to be quietly climbing up. The Giants are going to play in a lot of close games, and Melvin will not always be able to rely on his top options. He will need a good supporting cast.