HOUSTON — Liam Hendriks broke out this year not only as the A’s surprise closer in place of a struggling Blake Treinen, but one of the premier closers in all of baseball.
His 3.4 WAR leads all relievers and, since taking over the role officially on June 21, Hendriks’ 20 saves leads the league on the back of a 1.75 ERA. And all these numbers are mere half-indicators of how reliable he’s been, rarely one to crumble under the pressures of a four-out save or game-threatening moment.
Hendriks’ potency is all mind over matter; his skyrocketed strikeout rate — a dominant 16.