Detroit Tigers: Breaking Down Kyle Ryan’s Notable 2016 Splits

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Kyle Ryan returns after a solid 2016. The left-hander will likely serve as one of Detroit’s key relievers in 2016. Here’s a look at his notable splits.

Detroit Tigers fans witnessed left-handed hurler Kyle Ryan turn in a breakout season in 2016.

The 25-year-old, who had previously started games for the club in the previous two seasons, functioned solely as a reliever last year.

Ryan posted a 3.07 ERA in 55.2 frames for Brad Ausmus’ club. He only allowed a pair of home runs and 15 walks.

All told, that spits out to just 0.3 home runs and 2.4 walks allowed per nine innings.

Only Francisco Rodriguez, Alex Wilson and Justin Wilson appeared in more games than Ryan, who also turned in a 3.33 FIP that was third-best among Detroit relievers.

Ryan didn’t miss many bats last season.

However, 2016 represented a career year for the pitcher in the sense that he put up the highest strikeout total (35) and strikeouts-per-nine innings rate (5.7) of his career.

Here’s a look at some of the pitcher’s notable splits from his breakout campaign.

Home Dominance

Overall, Kyle Ryan enjoyed a solid season, but he was particularly efficient at home.

In 37 innings at Comerica Park, the reliever allowed just 26 hits and eight runs at Comerica Park.

More from Detroit Tigers News

• Detroit Tigers: Victor Reyes finding ways to get the job done
• The Detroit Tigers must cut their losses and release Jonathan Schoop
• Detroit Tigers: Garrett Hill’s new role and changed delivery are excellent
• Detroit Tigers: Joe Jiménez has rebounded in 2022
• Detroit Tigers: Is it finally time to move the fences in at Comerica Park?

That equates to a .197 batting average against, a 1.95 ERA for Ryan.

Strong Second Half

Ryan seemed to improve as the season went on. In 25 games during the second half, the 25-year-old held batters to a .129 batting average, a .204 on-base percentage and a minuscule .440 OPS.

Early Innings

Last season, Ryan predominantly saw work earlier in games as a reliever.

For the most part, the left-handed pitcher threw in sixth and seventh inning for the Tigers and did nothing but thrive.

In the sixth inning, opposing batters hit just .136 with a .543 OPS off the reliever.

The opposition did slightly better—but not by much—in the seventh. All told, batters hit just .204 with a .228 on-base percentage and a .561 OPS against Ryan in the seventh inning.

No Rest

Ryan faced 29 batters on no days rest in 2016. He allowed just three hits and a walk while posting zeroes.

Next: Stumpf and Bell Give Tigers More Left-Handed Bullpen Options

It is an admittedly small sample size, but it still makes for some encouraging stats, including a .111 batting average and a .249 OPS against for Ryan.