Strickland’s one saving grace throughout his career has been his velocity. It’s the reason he was called up in 2014 since the San Francisco Giants bullpen was full of guys who maxed out in the mid-90s.
What a weapon to have someone coming out of the ‘pen who could throw triple digits. ‘That’s the kind of weapon I want on a postseason roster!’ Bruce Bochy probably thought to himself.
Now, while that weapon didn’t quite pan out that postseason (except for Strickland’s save in the 18 inning game versus the Nationals which is grossly overlooked) and while it hasn’t quite panned out since, Strickland still provides something to the Giants bullpen.