Editors Note: This is the latest in our player profile in our 40-man breakdown series that we have started here at the Nats Report. Check out our other player profiles.

Kyle Finnegan

• Position: Right-handed Relief Pitcher
• Current status: Arbitration eligible and a free agent after the 2025 season
• How acquired: Signed to a major league deal on December 8, 2019
• 2023 Grade: B+
• 2024 Opening Day Projection: Closer
• 2023 stats: 67 G | 69.1 IP | 3.76 ERA | 1.30 WHIP | 28 SV | 63 SO | 24 BB | 29 ER | 0.3 fWAR | 1.0 bWAR

2023 Analysis: Kyle Finnegan played an essential role in the Nationals’ bullpen in 2023, securing 28 saves and 63 strikeouts while maintaining an impressive 3.76 ERA. Although he faced some challenges, including 24 walks and allowing 11 runs, his record of seven wins and five losses is commendable. Finnegan's success can be attributed to his impressive skills with three different pitches. He utilized the four-seam to deliver 40 strikeouts, the splitter to obtain 22 strikeouts, and the slider to secure one strikeout.

Finnegan's unwavering commitment to his work makes him a crucial element of the Nationals' bullpen. During his interview with Washington Post’s Andrew Golden last year, Finnegan made a powerful statement that exemplifies his dedication to being a strong reliever for the Nats.

“Relievers’ seasons are very streaky,” said Finnegan. “You go on a week where you suck, and you go on a month where you’re getting guys out. Over the course of a season, it averages out about to who you are. I think I’ve been that guy, kind of steady and consistent. I’ve had my ups and downs, but if I have a bad streak, I usually go on a good streak. Riding a good streak, so trying to keep it going as long as I can.”

Finnegan's performance in the 2023 season had its ups and downs. However, if we closely examine his performance, we can see that he had some strong months where he consistently performed well. For instance, his performance in June was outstanding with an ERA of 0.79. While he may have struggled during some months of the season, such as in April, where his ERA was 6.00, there were also months like July, where he had a decent ERA of 1.54. Overall, we can say that Finnegan had some challenges, but his performance during certain months was remarkable, indicating his potential to perform well.

2024 outlook: It’s great to see Kyle Finnegan performing well in the spring training exhibition games with his new pitch. It's clear that he put in a lot of effort during the offseason to work on his sweeper, and this will likely have a positive impact on his performance this season. I'm confident that he will be able to close out a majority of games, potentially achieving 30 saves by the end of the 2024 season. Overall, I am excited to see Finnegan's progress and I am looking forward to seeing him perform at his best this season.

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