The regular season is coming to an end, and it is time again to start thinking about a playoff roster. The season will conclude this Saturday in Colorado and within the days after that it should start to become clear who has made the postseason roster and what their roles will be.

One of the many locks to be on that playoff roster is current starter Alex Wood. But, Wood finds himself in a situation that caused Dodger fans and writers to have the same debate as the one following spring training: will he be a starter or a reliever?

Wood has served as the Dodgers number two starter for the majority of the year and he has done so in stride. With the exception of a few starts and a pretty lengthy absence due to injury, Alex Wood has been one of the game’s best pitchers this year and was on historic  pace as he started the season with wins in his first 12 decisions. But, Wood did start the season in the bullpen before being moved back out to the rotation.

Right now, the management seems to be having the same problem as they had when they broke camp: there are too many starters and not enough rotation spots for them to confidently commit Wood to a role. Clayton Kershaw and Yu Darvish will undoubtedly take the first two slots in the playoff order and will likely be followed by Rich Hill, who has been exceptional lately, even during the Dodgers lengthy losing streak. The fourth spot is the one up in the air, and it is actually for a reason that most people may not see at the moment. Hyun Jin Ryu is not cut out for a bullpen role.

At this point you may be wondering what this could possibly have to do with Alex Wood?  Allow me to explain. Ryu has been a starter since day one and I firmly believe his stuff does not play up out of the pen. None of Ryu’s pitches feature high velocity and his deception comes from his ability to throw offspeed pitches with serious movement. These things belong in a starting rotation, and I think he has done enough to earn himself a spot on the playoff roster. But, if what I just said is in fact true, Ryu will have to be in the rotation, which will leave no other spot than the bullpen for Alex Wood.

On Tuesday night following his victory over the Padres, Alex Wood shared that,” I think I’ve done enough to deserve a spot in the rotation for the playoffs.”

While this may be true (I would be lying if I said it was not), Alex Wood would actually best serve the team from the pen in the playoffs as there is nothing harder to hit than a starter in the bullpen. Wood, unlike Ryu, can get his fastball up to about 94 miles per hour, a perfect velocity for deceptive long relief pitching. Alex Wood’s effectiveness this year will allow him to pitch out of the bullpen and not only give his team some length and innings but he could also probably get the job done pretty cleanly. Starting pitchers who move to the bullpen make lethal relievers because their stuff plays differently and honestly, more effectively. Wood would not only serve as an innings-eater but could probably work in a setup role or as a high leverage pitcher.

Statistically, there is good proof that putting Wood in the bullpen could benefit the Dodgers during a playoffs that will not be easy. In the five and a third innings that Wood has pitched from the bullpen this year, he has only allowed one person to reach base and it was on a walk, not a hit. In those innings, Wood faced 19 batters and struck out four of them, but these still are not strong enough stats to prove my point. So, I looked to velocity and spin rate to get the point across. From the bullpen, Wood sports a fastball that sat around 93 miles per hour and got up to 95 on certain pitches. His fastball was moving arm side and his spin rate was actually higher from the pen than it has been from the rotation. And, if that doesn’t drive the point home that Wood could be an X-factor from the pen, hopefully this will. Alex Wood has made it very clear that he is dealing with fatigue and has had shoulder problems within the past two months. And, while he has still been effective as a starter, he may be better off working two innings and throwing a little harder than he would trying to get through six.

In the end, there is an argument to be made both ways. Wood’s ability to increase velocity and spin rate out of the pen could make for a seriously effective pitcher who can get outs on both sides of the plate. If the Dodgers wanted to utilize the talent they have on the roster, they would put Ryu in the rotation as a fourth starter and let Alex Wood clean up opposing hitters as a reliever.