Quick, name the Tigers' best reliever last season in terms of WAR. Hint: he was also their best pitcher in terms of FIP and WHIP.
No, it wasn't Daniel Norris. It wasn't Bryan Garcia or Gregory Soto either.
"I know enough about him to know that he’s been pretty good," his new manager said Monday. "Not under-appreciated, but maybe not talked about a ton for his consistency the last couple years."
So let's talk a little more about Jose Cisnero.
Over 29 games out of the Tigers' bullpen last season, he logged a 3.03 ERA and an even more impressive 2.65 FIP. He struck out more than a batter per inning for the second year in a row, while cutting down significantly on his walks -- from 4.8 BB/9 to 3.0 BB/9. He pitched in every inning from the fourth to the ninth and he pitched multiple innings in a third of his appearances.
Left out of the big leagues from 2015-18, Cisnero looked a lot like a big-league pitcher in 2020.
"He’s very reliable," said A.J. Hinch. "He can throw in a lot of different roles. Has the ability to bounce back and throw often, can throw long, can throw short, the ball moves, he can keep the ball on the ground. There’s a lot to like about him as part of a good functioning bullpen. He does get passed over for whatever reason, and he shouldn’t, because he’s going to log some really serious innings for us."
In the past, Cisnero was passed over due to his lack of control. That's how he ended up bouncing between leagues in Mexico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, and even the now-defunct Can-Am League, after Tommy John surgery ended his time with the Astros in 2014. He wouldn't throw another pitch in the majors until 2019, a year after signing a minor-league deal with the Tigers.
That's why he gets passed over now, especially on a team with so many high-profile pitching prospects. Forget Mize, Manning and Skubal. Even an up-and-coming reliever like Garcia or a former All-Star like Joe Jimenez arouses more interest than a journeyman like Cisnero. He's the only pitcher on Detroit's roster above the age of 30.
He was also one of only six relievers in the big leagues last season who pitched at least 25 innings and averaged at least 10 K/9 and at most 3 BB/9. He was one of only 12 pitchers period who hit those marks and also had a FIP under 3.00. A group that includes Shane Bieber, Jacob deGrom, Trevor Bauer and Luis Castillo also includes ... Jose Cisnero.
Turns out, a fastball in the upper 90's and a put-away slider is a pretty lethal combo when you're in the zone. Staying in the zone will be the challenge for Cisnero in 2021 -- he's yet to prove anything in the majors over the course of a full season. But he proved last year that he can get outs, and maybe this is the year, at age 32, that he starts to get noticed.