Terminology such as “left-handed specialist” and “LOOGY,” (Lefty One-Out GuY) have become ubiquitous in the age of relief pitching specialization. The San Francisco Giants, and Bruce Bochy relied heavily on Javier López and Jeremy Affeldt to shut down left-handed hitting late in ballgame, and Bochy imagined Will Smith in a similar role before his injury.
Yet the term “right-handed specialist” has seldom been used to describe a right-handed reliever. Managers more or less expect righties to face hitters from both sides of the plate, particularly those in the close role. However, Hunter Strickland’s lefty/righty splits raise the question of whether or not Bochy should match him up only against right-handed hitting.