Difference between a starter and relievers?

Question

What pitching characteristics make a scout/manager say 'This guy is a starter' or 'This guy would make a good middle reliever' or 'let's groom this guy to be a closer'. What are the differences? Are relievers just pitchers who aren't good enough to start?

And why don't they turn great closers into starters?

Answer 1

A starter needs to be able to pitch effectively against the entire lineup, multiple times. Usually, a reliever needs only to manage 3 outs, or sometimes less. A starter needs to give a different look inning to inning so the hitters don't 'lock-in', so needs to have at least 3 plus pitches. A reliever needs only 1 dominant pitch to be effective, usually a hard fastball. A starter needs to have good control so that he can get through each inning in 15 pitches or less, allowing him to pitch deeper into games. Relievers don't need to be as efficient, as they probably won't pitch multiple innings. A starter needs to be as effective against right-handed hitters as he is against lefties. A reliever can 'specialize', and be what are called 'situational' relievers, usually a left-handed pitcher who is called upon to get a good left-handed batter out. These pitchers will often only face one batter and leave the game.

Bullpen specialists are becoming more and more important. Jamie Walker, for instance, is nothing more than a situational lefty as he is very hittable against right-handed batters. However, he landed a lucrative multi-year contract this offseason from Baltimore because of his ability to get left-handed hitters out. Relief pitchers are not 'worse' than starters, they are just different. Mariano Rivera would never make it as a starter. He only has one pitch. But at it's best, his cutter is the single best pitch in all of baseball, and can get righties and lefties out without discrimination.

There are some long relievers who have 3 or 4 pitches, can pitch for long stretches, but are not good enough to earn a rotation spot. These guys, though, are usually only used when there is a blowout. Sometimes, if a starter gets shelled earlier in the game, they will go to the 'long reliever' to mop up. But they aren't asked to win games often. They just sit on the bottom of the depth chart, to eat up innings when the game is already won or lost.

Answer 2

A lot relievers don't have the stamina to go a lot of innings so they can't start.
Some just aren't good enoug to start.
The difference between a lot of the good starters and good relievers is how many pitches they have. To be a starter you have to go through the kineup 3 times to get the game to the late middle innings. That means that you have to try to get each player on the other team out 3 times. If all you have is a whpper fastball and a killer splitter then it is hard to get the same guy out 3 times on the same day.In general a young starter should have 3 good pitches and a fourth for a show. The good starters typically throw four good pitches. Some closers get by with 2 and a show pitch.
I think that there are also mental aspects involved, especially for the role of closer.

Answer 3

Starters are the best pitchers who could usually pitch 9 innings. The relievers come in and pitch when the starting pitcher is in trouble. The closing reliever can only pitch a few innings. So starters are better than closers and relievers.

Answer 4

Absolutely not. Starters usually have greater stamina. Middle relief are the pitchers who come in after the starter to relieve him to set up for the next guy, in other words hees there just to be a set up and eat some innings. The closer on the other hand has the hardest job. They need to keep the lead where it is and the are usually under the most pressure out of the three. To be honest, all pitchers in the MLB are great in their field or else they wouldnt be there but the closers are the pitchers who need to have a definite technique, and the starters are the the kind of player who can sustain pitch after pitch without beind tired out too quick.

Answer 5

All of that said about stamina and conditioning can be changed. A closer could easily turn into a starter in a year and vice versa. The truth is that relievers and closers only have one or two dominant pitches. (ex: Mariano Rivera's cutter, Trevor Hoffman's change up)

Starters go through the opposing team's lineup 3 times throughout the game, therefore they need more pitches. (ex Barry Zito's curveball, 4 seam fastball, 2 seam fastball, slider, changeup)

Answer 6

Closers are very good at pitching, but only for about an inning and a half. You could start a closer, but they would wear out really fast. You wouldn't close with a starter because he needs a while to warm up.

Answer 7

Starters could bypass 6-7 innings on an identical time as alleviation pitchers purely could bypass some million or possibly 2 innings. besides that there's no longer lots of a differencein something. velocity could be harder for alleviation pitchers (Aroldis Chapman of the reds threw a 105mph fastball) yet there are annoying throwing starters at the same time with Stephen Strasburg or David cost

Answer 8

starters are pitchers that can last at least 5 innings each time dey pitch. relivers are used in case the starter os other reliver is in trouble or tired. Closers are pitchers that usually can strike out batters easily without givin up runs.

Answer 9

A starter is able to stay in for about 7 to 8 innings. They have high stanima. A reliever throws about 3 to 5 innings and doesn't have as high stanima.

Answer 10

You hit the nail right on the head. Relievers are just pitchers who aren't good enough to start.