Setup pitcher

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In baseball, a setup pitcher (or set-up pitcher, sometimes called the setup man) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the 7th and/or 8th innings, with the closer pitching the 9th.

The concept of a team having a defined setup pitcher is a relatively new one which has been aided by the addition of the statistical category of holds. The role, however, remains a flexible and sometimes ill-defined one. Setup pitchers, unlike closers, commonly appear in games where their team is tied or even behind, making the designation of setup pitcher representative of only a certain number - perhaps under half - of the pitcher's appearances within a season. However, it is fairly common for a young setup man that achieves success to be moved to the closer role. Conversely, closers who are ineffective or aging may be moved into the role of a setup pitcher.

Accolades for setup men are few and far between; occasionally they will be selected to the All-Star Team (Brendan Donnelly, Hideki Okajima, Carlos Mármol, and Mike Stanton, for instance) or receive votes for the Cy Young Award or MVP (Mariano Rivera finished 3rd in the AL Cy Young voting in 1996). Francisco Rodriguez, who was a setup pitcher for the Anaheim Angels in 2002, tied starting pitcher Randy Johnson's record for wins in a single postseason.^[1] His fifth postseason win that year, which is the most for a relief pitcher, was against the San Francisco Giants in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series.^[1]

Teams commonly have a right-handed and a left-handed setup pitcher in their bullpens.

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