Position: RHP
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
Born: 10/10/1994
College: Lafayette College
Drafted: 35th round, 1044th Overall, 2016 (Padres)
How Acquired: Trade (from Padres in three-team deal involving Mets)
Bonus: N/A
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: 2
Overview
A native of Pittsburgh, Bednar has become a remarkable success for a player whom the Padres drafted in a late round from Lafayette College, which isn’t a hotbed of MLB talent. He was a starter there, posting a 3.84 ERA over three years. As pro, he’s pitched exclusively in relief. He’s almost always had very high K rates and usually hasn’t walked many. Bednar’s fastball added velocity with the move to relief, going from the low- to mid-90s to an average close to 97 mph. He has a good curve and added a splitter as a pro. All three of his pitches produce a lot of swings and misses; he’s ranked near the top of MLB in whiff percentage as a Pirate. The team obtained him in the three-team trade that sent Joe Musgrove to San Diego. Bednar is now one of MLB’s top closers.
2016-20
Bednar performed consistently well as he moved up through the Padres’ system. He appeared in just eight games in short-season ball in his draft year before moving up to low A. He spent 2017-18 at the two class A levels, putting up low walk rates and K rates usually well into double digits per nine innings. In 2019, he pitched very well in AA and earned a late-season callup to the majors, skipping AAA. He spent 2020 mostly at the Padres’ alternate site, getting called up several times but making only four appearances. The following January, San Diego sent Bednar to the Pirates as part of the three-team deal involving Joe Musgrove. The Pirates also got Endy Rodriguez from the Mets in that deal, so despite Musgrove’s success as a starter, the trade turned out well for them.
2021-23
Bednar had a spectacular spring in 2021 and made the opening day roster. He eventually established himself as the team’s best reliever. Over his last 27 appearances, Bednar had an 0.88 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. For the year he had a reverse platoon split, holding left-handed hitters to a 178/253/278 line, but right-handed hitters didn’t do a lot better at 190/254/357. After the Pirates traded Richard Rodriguez, Bednar shared 8th and 9th inning duties with Chris Stratton, but he missed about half of September with an oblique strain.
In 2022, Bednar took over the closer role and, for a couple of months, was as good as any reliever in baseball. He picked up a number of saves of more than three outs, including an eight-out save against St. Louis. The workload may have gotten to him, though, as he started showing signs of wear in June. Bednar finally went on the injured list with a sore back and missed August and the first half of September. Even with the uneven stretch, for the year Bednar allowed just a 218/281/337 batting line.
In 2023, Bednar pretty much repeated 2022, except he stayed off the injured list. In April and May he was almost unhittable, with a 1.29 ERA and 0.71 WHIP. He walked only one in 21 innings, and that one was intentional. Over the rest of the season, Bednar was less infallible, but he still finished with a 2.00 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9 and 10.7 K/9. He had 39 saves, the fifth most in team history.
2024
Bednar’s 2024 season was a disaster. An injury cost him nearly all of spring training, but instead of sending him on a rehab assignment, the Pirates activated him two days into the season. He didn’t appear to be ready, posting an ERA of 11.70 in April and blowing three of his first four save opportunities. He seemed to recover in May and June, with a 2.11 ERA and no blow saves. He missed about a month starting in late June with a strained oblique. In August, though, he had a 10.97 ERA, at one point allowing earned runs in six straight outings and blowing three more saves. The Pirates finally removed Bednar from the closer role in September. He had serious problems with his control those last two months, walking 18 in 21.1 IP.
For the season, Bednar had a 5.77 ERA and 4.4 BB/9, after having a 2.8 figure in four straight seasons. His K/9 dropped to 9.1 and his HR/9 rate increased from 0.4 the previous year to 1.4. The Pirates insisted that Bednar’s stuff was the same as ever — his fastball velocity actually increased slightly — and seemed to regard his season as a fluke. It was clear, though, that his command wasn’t nearly as good as previously.
Stats
Transactions
June 11, 2016: Drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 35th round, 1044th overall pick; signed June 14.
September 1, 2019: Contract purchased by the San Diego Padres.
January 18, 2021: Traded by the San Diego Padres with Hudson Head, Omar Cruz and Drake Fellows to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Joe Musgrove in a three-team deal; Endy Rodriguez traded from the New York Mets to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Joey Lucchesi from the San Diego Padres to the New York Mets.