He is one of the best relievers in the Majors.
2024 overview
- Rating: 8.47
- 2024 Stats as Marlin: 32 G, 44.0 IP, 4.30 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 1.341 WHIP, 0.1 bWAR
- 2024 Stats as D-back: 30 G, 27.1 IP, 1.32 ERA, 1.63 FIP, 0.732 WHIP, 1.3 bWAR
- Date of birth: April 25, 1995 (29 years old)
- 2024 Earnings: $1,800,000
- 2025 status: Arb-1. Bullpen pitcher on active roster.
Vote Breakdown:
AZ Snake Pit.
Introduction.
Nearly two thirds of responses rated him 9 or more out of 10. And with good reason!
He was the Diamondbacks’ best left-handed pitcher. That’s good. More than that, he was one of the best relief pitchers in the Majors!
2024 Review.
In 2024, AJ Puk began the season as a starting pitcher for the Marlins. As a starter, his ERA was 9.22. After that experience, as a reliever his ERA was 1.72.
On 25 July, the Diamondbacks traded two minor league players for him.
Let’s look at his statistics as a Diamondback. They show he is a top-6 reliever in the Majors based on the following statistics (minimum 20 innings pitched, data from Baseball Reference):
- 1.63 FIP, second best reliever in the Majors.
- 322 ERA+, fifth best reliever in the Majors.
- 0.732 WHIP, fifth best reliever in the Majors.
- 14.2 SO/9, sixth best reliever in the Majors.
This AZ Snake Pit article talks about the importance of controlling the strike zone on the first pitch of each at-bat. It was accomplished by nine Diamondbacks’ pitchers. Arguably, AJ Puk was the best of the nine.
AJ Puk’s 95.6 MPH average velocity of his four-seam fastball was outstanding. This AZ Snake Pit article includes a graph that shows that the Diamondbacks relief pitchers with velocities greater than 95 MPH had significantly lower ERAs. AJ Puk’s 1.32 ERA was the lowest of those relievers.
This AZ Snake Pit article explains that in 2024 the Diamondbacks’ pitchers allowed more extra base hits than any team in the Majors. Instead of being part of the problem, AJ Puk was part of the solution. As a Diamondback, AJ Puk’s 0.29 EBH/IP was among the best Diamondbacks.
How did Puk view three critical points in his journey in the Majors? The following are Puk’s comments (lightly edited to remove the phrase you know):
When he was about to switch from bullpen to rotation.
“I felt good and I was happy with [where] my pitches are at right now. They’re excited to see the kind of stuff that I’ve been working on to become a starter. I was able to execute it and some good pitches got thrown.” — A.J. Puk, 22 February 2024.
When he was back in the bullpen.
“I kind of raised my arm slot to be a starter again and throw a splitter…that’s the pitch that helped me get through the lineup three times. It didn’t work out. A couple things popped up, like injuries I dealt [with] in the past came back around…” — A.J Puk, 8 Sept 2024.
When he joined the Diamondbacks.
“Whenever, whereever they want to use me I’m good for it. I’m just happy to be here [playing for the Diamondbacks] and just want to contribute and win.” — A.J. Puk, July/August 2024
“Everyone has been real welcoming so far and it seems like a really good fit. … My first impression seeing the training room and the weight room and all that, it’s been pretty cool. … It feels good to make the playoffs and that’s what I’m looking forward to doing here….” — A.J. Puk, July/August 2024
2025 Outlook.
As one of the best relievers in the Majors, he will be in the Diamondbacks bullpen. The big question is what will be his role.
He is a left-handed pitcher who dominates left-handed batters. As a Diamondback, in 31 PAs against left-handed batters, his results were awesome (.161 OBP and .200 SLG).
But that’s not all. As a Diamondback, in 70 PAs against right-handed batters, his results were significantly better than the Diamondbacks’ average for that same period (.200 OBP vs .309 OBP, and .313 SLG vs .434 SLG).
This AZ Snake Pit article explains why AJ Puk would contribute more as a reliever who enters the game in high leverage situations than as a closer. Either way, he will make a very positive impact on winning games.