Lights Out: David Bednar Has Turned Into an Elite Closer

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Luke Ranalli

It's usually a chore to find anything good to say about the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially coming off a weekend that the Cardinals not only swept them, but made them look silly in the process.

However, there is some great news coming out of the Buccos bullpen, and it's in the form of a Pittsburgh Native no less. David Bednar is playing All-Star caliber baseball this season, and is pretty much the sole reason that the Pirates are still hanging on in the NL Central. Last night was no exception, as Bednar was able to come in clutch in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies to secure a 2-1 victory for the Bucs.

For those that don't know, David Bednar hails from Mars PA, was undrafted out of high school, and played his college ball at Lafayette. When Bednar entered the league he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 35th round (1,044th overall) in 2016. Bednar jumped around the minors until the Padres finally called him up in 2019 to make his debut against the Giants, where he pitched a scoreless inning. Bednar was later traded to the Pirates in January of 2021, and in his first full season in the majors, he produced a 2.23 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 61 appearances. 

Those are some impressive stats for the '21 season, but it pales in comparison to what he is doing this season. So far, Bednar has played in 18 games, produced eight saves on eight save opportunities, has 29 strikeouts, and has only allowed two runs total on 11 hits. What's his ERA so far this season you ask? Oh, just a mere 0.82. Right now, Bednar is sitting 10th among closers in saves, 5th in ERA, and 1st in innings pitched. The reason Bednar is standing at the top of innings pitched is because of how, as my sports savant friend Eric Jankoski puts it, "The Pirates are Buckin' the trend of just using the closer for the 9th inning".

"They use him in high leverage situations - he will face the heart of the order in the 8th, come in to get the last out, then pitch the ninth if the setup man is struggling."

I'd argue he's the only reason the Pirates are tied for third in the NL Central. I know that's not saying much given the current state of the division, but the team could easily be sitting in last place. As of today, the Pirates are tied with the Chicago Cubs at 17-24, and sitting in last are the Cincinnati Reds at 12-29. Without those eight saves, the Pirates could easily be looking down the barrel at last place with the Reds right now.

Hopefully the Pirates brass aren't looking at this hot streak as a means to an end for David in Pittsburgh, making him marketable for a trade. If management truly cares about this team and the fans, they will invest in Bednar for the next couple of seasons. I wouldn't bet much on the Pirates this season, but I would bet on Bednar to provide some much needed wins in close games for the remainder of the campaign.

Oh, and let's not forget that the guy walks out to the mound with Renegade by Styx blasting on the speakers in honor of the Steelers. You just can't get much more Yinzer than that...