Playoff experience: 3 make MLB debuts in 2020 postseason

It's normal for a baseball player to dream of making his big league debut or pitching in the postseason.

Doing both at the same time? That's a lot to digest — but Ryan Weathers handled it OK.

“We felt confident we were going to use him tonight, and how he performed was everything we could have asked for," San Diego manager Jayce Tingler said. "He was confident, he was throwing strikes, he was pounding the zone, he was using all his pitches. It was very impressive.”

Weathers pitched for the first time in a major league game Tuesday night when he appeared in relief for the Padres in Game 1 of their NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He became the fifth player in the modern era to make his big league debut in a postseason game — and three of those newcomers did it this year. Minnesota outfielder Alex Kirilloff and Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan were the others.

Maybe nothing should seem surprising in this unusual season, but considering the lack of minor league games in 2020, it's pretty remarkable that teams feel comfortable inserting players into the postseason with no recent game experience.

“Those guys have been competing, they’ve been practicing, they’ve been working out. Ultimately we made our decision," Tingler said before Tuesday's game. "I think guys improved throughout the year over at the alternative sites, just as they would if they were in Double-A or Triple-A and continued to log innings, log at-bats.”

It's not unheard of for a player to shine in the postseason with almost no major league experience. During their 2002 championship run, the Anaheim Angels leaned heavily on reliever Francisco Rodriguez, a rookie who had pitched just 5 2/3 innings in that regular season. The lack of familiarity for hitters may have worked in his favor, in addition to his obvious...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Playoff-experience-3-make-MLB-debuts-in-2020-15627045.php