Notes and quotes on the reliever Davey Martinez kept on sending out there this season…
Derek Law spent two weeks on the IL in late August/early September, dealing with an elbow issue, a flexor strain, but the right-handed reliever still managed to throw the second-most innings in the majors in 2024, finishing the year with 90 IP overall this season (behind only reliever Ryan Yarborough, who threw a major league-leading 98 2⁄3 between LA and Toronto).
In doing so, Law, “became just the fourth reliever in Nationals’ history (2005-pres.) to hit the 90.0 inning mark,” as the club noted in their Season in Review for the ‘24 campaign:
”The 90.0 innings ranked second in Major League Baseball, while his 75 appearances ranked tied for fifth.
“Law posted his best year in terms of ERA (2.60) and holds (17) since his rookie season in 2016 (2.13, 14) and … struck out a career-high 76 batters.”
Law, who signed a 1-year/$1.5M deal with the Nationals last offseason, finished up his big year with the 2.60 ERA, a 3.32 FIP, 24 walks (2.40 BB/9), the aforementioned 76 Ks (7.60 K/9), and a .246/.294/.348 line against, throwing mostly cutters (37.9%) and sliders (30%), while mixing in his four-seamer (13.6%), a sinker (9.8%), changeup (5.1%), and curve (3.6%), with a .306 BAA and .407 SLG on the cutter and a .157 BAA and .220 SLG on the slider on the year.
In his final 20 appearances of the season, Law was dominant (before and after the IL stint) with a 0.79 ERA, 2.11 FIP, and .180/.235/.218 line against over 22 2⁄3 IP, with scoreless outings in his last eight trips to the mound.
“He’s been incredible. He really has,” Davey Martinez said when the manager was asked about how often he used Law over the course of the season.
“I said this before. He does not like when I give him days off, and he always says he pitches not as good when he does have days off. He wants to be out there all the time.
“With that being said, we had a little scare with him, we had to put him on the IL, but since then, once again, he’s been unbelievable.”
Law told reporters the time off late in the year rejuvenated him for the stretch run.
“Think about it,” he explained, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.
“This is like the first time your body’s getting a full amount of time off,” Law said, citing advice he got from pitching strategist Sean Doolittle.
“It’s almost like you’re in [S]pring [T]raining again, instead of the grind of the season, where you’re trying to manipulate your body to throw how it should be throwing.
“I was definitely throwing different ways to try to get around the elbow (before going on the IL). So it’s nice to feel free, I guess.”
“He loves to pitch,” Martinez added. “I don’t know if he’s joking or not, but he oftentimes asks me if he can start.
“I take it as a joke, but you never know with him. But he’s been great, he really has.
Derek Law’s 5 consecutive outs via K. pic.twitter.com/B1XaDREVuE
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 27, 2024
“To have a guy like that in our bullpen who can do that and really pitch in high-leverage, because that’s what he’s done for us and done well.
“It’s nice when you have a guy like that and you can call upon him to go out there and pitch on a regular basis. It’s really nice to have that guy and really do a good job doing it.”
Good enough the Nationals will bring Law back for another (hopefully more competitive for the club) season in D.C.?