Aaron Motherf***in Loup! Man what a performance that was! For those of you who do not know, Aaron Loup is good. Very good. He has without a doubt been the Jays most consistent bullpen arm along with Janssen the last 3 years, perhaps their most consistent player not named Bautista or Encarnacion. Yesterday, he showed us all again, why he is the man to go to in high leverage situations.
Coming in after Detroit loaded the bases with none out and the Blue Jays holding a 1 run lead, Aaron Loup did what Aaron Loup get's paid to do. He got 3 quick outs while not allowing any run's. He did so by striking out pinch hitter J.D. Martinez, forcing Rajai Davis to pop up behind home plate, and jamming Ian Kinsler and inducing a weak pop fly to Edwin Encarnacion in foul territory on the 1st base side. However he wasn't done there as he came out for 1 more inning forcing a double play off the bat of Victor Martinez after Loup had surrendered a walk to Miguel Cabrera. He then promptly got Tori Hunter on a ground out. With that his day was done. With those two innings Aaron Loup registered a WPA (Win Probability Added) of +.469, the third highest of any reliever in 2014.
Aaron Loup had an awesome +.469 WPA today. Third highest for any reliever in 2014 (highest in AL). http://t.co/apUyK6EeRP
— Minor Leaguer (@Minor_Leaguer) June 5, 2014
This is starting to become the expected for Aaron Loup. He has been absolutely dominant. Casey Janssen has been getting all the attention, and rightfully so as he's been dominant, but Aaron Loup has been better. Since May 5th, a month ago to today, Aaron Loup has pitched 15 innings. In those 15 innings he has allowed an absolutely ridiculous 9 H, 5 BB, 13 K, 0 ER, 0 R. The man has been an ice cold killer and its time more took notice.
The question I want to ask is do you think Aaron Loup should be Casey Janssen's successor as the closer? Janssen is 32 and will likely be re-signed. However, as he declines and Aaron Loup enters his prime, Loup will likely be the more valuable pitcher. Does this mean he should be the closer? Well the entire idea of a closer is pretty stupid. If I am a manager I want my best pitcher pitching in the highest leverage situations, not just being reserved for the 9th inning where you may have built a 2 or 3 run lead and have nobody on base. You'd want your best pitcher in a situation like Loup was in last night, bases loaded, nobody out with 1 run lead against a team your battling for AL supremacy. Last night he was. Aaron Loup is that pitcher. I like him just where he is and so should everyone else. Aaron Loup is an elite bullpen arm and judging by his consistency over three seasons, he should stay that way.
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