Oakland A’s Player of the Day: Dan Otero

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Otero was a pleasant surprise in 2013. He went from innings eater when the A’s were down to being trusted in big roles by Bob Melvin. He gained my trust this past season, and today he is our A’s player of the day. Let’s have a look at his numbers.

2013 Pitching

Dan Otero was amazing on the mound this last season. When he was first called up he was just another arm in the bullpen. Nobody really knew what to expect from him. But to everyone’s amazement, he became a major part of the bullpen and one of the most trusted pitchers on the mound. When Melvin would put Otero into the game I knew he would most likely be putting up a zero. His stats also back up what I’m saying. While the sample size is small, his numbers are still impressive. In 33 games played (39 innings total), he managed to get a 1.38 ERA, and no homeruns. He had as many earned runs scored on him as he did walks, 6. That’s pretty impressive. Especially the no homeruns. By the end of the season, Otero was the pitcher that I felt most comfortable with on the mound out of the bullpen. While the others were impressive, Otero just knew how to shut down teams when he was handed the ball. I even think that Otero should be promoted to set up man. That’s how good of a pitcher he is.

2014 Pitching

In 2014 we will be able to get a better look at Dan Otero. He is part of an already killer bullpen, so some might say it would be hard for him to stand out, but I believe he will shine in an impressive bullpen. I predict he will have another ERA under 2.00 and throughout the entire season will allow no more than 2 homeruns. Otero might be overlooked, but not by me. I believe he deserves more attention than he’s getting, as well as more credit. This is a bright and talented pitcher that has easily become my favorite pitcher in the bullpen. I truly believe he will be the best arm in the bullpen in 2014. Dan Otero is here to stay.