Can Héctor Neris Shut Down Former Teammate Bryce Harper?

Héctor Neris has been terrific against left-handed batters all year, but Bryce Harper might pose his biggest challenge yet.

Author:
Leo Morgenstern
Publish date:
Oct 25, 2022 2:00 PM EDT

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Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have chosen not to carry a left-handed reliever on their postseason roster, instead relying on a group of right-handed pitchers. Those righties have gotten the job done so far, preventing damage from left-handed and right-handed batters alike.

Héctor Neris has been one of Houston’s best options to face left-handers, with a 1.76 FIP and 2.96 xFIP against opposite-handed hitters during the regular season. He allowed just one home run to a lefty all year. His FIP and walk rate versus lefties ranked first among Astros relievers, while his xFIP and home run rate ranked second (min. 20 IP vs. LHB).

Therefore, when Houston faces Philadelphia in the upcoming World Series, there is a high likelihood Neris will be called upon to face Bryce Harper, one of the toughest left-handers in the game. Harper is slashing .419/.444/.907 this postseason with a 1.351 OPS and five home runs. He has been almost unstoppable.

Neris, for what it’s worth, has performed quite well against Harper in his career, although they haven’t faced each other for many years. They were, after all, teammates for three seasons from 2019-2021.

In seven plate appearances against Neris, Harper has zero hits, two walks and two strikeouts, good for a .286 OPS. Among all active right-handed pitchers, only four have held Harper to a lower OPS in seven or more plate appearances.

Silencing Harper’s bat will be the key to beating the Phillies in the World Series. It will be a team effort for the Astros, but a significant amount of the responsibility could fall on Héctor’s shoulders.

For more on the Philadelphia Phillies, go check out our coverage over at Inside the Phillies!