Inside an emerging pitching trend and how it could shake up MLB's playoff race

On the same night Royals All-Star Seth Lugo struck out 10 batters in seven scoreless innings in the Bronx, fellow first-time All-Star and recently converted reliever Reynaldo López left his start with an injury after just one inning. 

Tuesday night's juxtaposition comes down the stretch of a 2024 season that has seen a spate of successful transitions from the bullpen to the rotation. Many of this year's top relievers-turned-starters are still being let loose as they progress further into uncharted territory from an innings standpoint while excelling as rotation linchpins for playoff contenders. 

The question, as October approaches, is how long it can last. 

For the Braves, they hope their success story didn't come to an end Tuesday night at Nationals Park. 

Among pitchers who've thrown at least 100 innings this year, none have a lower ERA than López — a particularly notable accomplishment considering this is the 30-year-old veteran's first season as a full-time starter since 2020. He has already pitched nearly as many innings this year as his past two seasons combined, but even after a few-week stint on the injured list last month due to forearm inflammation, he didn't seem to be wearing down. 

He returned with authority, posting a 1.96 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 23 innings over four starts before Tuesday night, when it again became evident again that something wasn't right. 

The transition to the rotation for hard-throwing relievers like López requires a mentality change. As a starter, López knew he could no longer sit in the high 90s in velocity the way he did as a full-time reliever. Still, he also knows he has that in the tank when he needs it. Chris Sale describes López's ability as "throttle control." 

"One out, guy