• Rating: 4.83 • 2025 Stats: 32 G, 25.1 IP, 4.62 ERA, 4.24 FIP, 1.421 WHIP, -0.1 bWAR • Date of Birth: January 31, 1998 (Entering age-28 season) • 2025 Earnings: $461,720 • 2026 Status: Pre-arbitration

A successful bullpen needs a variety of not just velocity, but also arm angle, pitch selection, and pitch movement. That’s where pitchers like Kyle Backhus come into the picture. He’s a prototypical pitcher who likely would never have found success at the major league level in a pre-Moneyball era. There’s even a scene in the movie where Peter Brand introduces Billy Beane to Chad Bradford, a “submarine” pitcher (i.e. one whose release point is closer to the ground) who was dismissed by most of the league because of his unorthodox arm angle. After successfully convincing Beane to sign

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