Emilio Pagan's Stellar Start Comes to a Halt Against Mariners

Thanks to the home runs by Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena, Pagan's earned run average has jumped to 2.89, although numbers indicate Pagan will bounce back. Among all relievers in MLB with at least two saves, Pagan's 0.54 WHIP is the lowest and boasts a strong .154 batting average against.

While it has been a couple of years, Pagan is not new to the pressure that comes with being a closer. In 2019, he went 20/29 on save opportunities for the Tampa Bay Rays, and 9/16 in 2022 for the Minnesota Twins. Arguably the best two years of his career, both with sub-3.00 ERAs, Pagan thrived because he was striking batters out and avoiding giving up hits. No longer the same strikeout threat, if Pagan can continue to limit walks (0.96 walks per nine innings) and hits (3.86 per nine innings), he'll certainly hold onto the closer gig. 

He may not be among the elite closers in baseball, but the Reds need Pagan to shake off his first blown save for the team to perform at its best. The rest of the bullpen, when healthy, has proved to be among the best in baseball, with an ERA that ranks in the top five. Ensuring that Pagan can continue to close out games and proving that the Mariners game was a fluke is vital to the success of the team.