We Got Wood - 44.02 - Pena Takes Reliever Honors with Ease

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As is typically the case with a Wilson GM'd team, there is always one neglected area of the team where either one guy is the only choice for the award or no one really deserves yet it goes to someone anyway. That is likely the case with the 2043 Reliever of the Year Award for the Lumberjacks. While the bullpen ranked a modest 8th in the Frick League in 2043, there wasn't one name that really jumped off the page as a guy that was a clear cut choice to take home an accolade. Which is why in the end, you just give it to the guy with the best WAR and move on.

That guys in 2043 is Orlando Pena.

Yes, this is the same Orlando Pena the Lumberjacks picked up on waivers from Louisville in 2040.

Pena appeared in 36 games in 2043, logging a total of 71.0 innings in the process. Despite a 1-6 record and a save, Pena finished the season with a 3.68 earned run average and 1.17 WHIP. He struck out 86 batters compared to 33 walks, not a terrible total for a guy with a 2 control. The strikeout and WHIP marks were career bests, which helped lead him to another career best 1.0 WAR marking only the second time in Portland history a reliever has posted a WAR over 1.0, joining Flynn Venegas who had a 1.1 WAR in 2041.