When the Los Angeles Dodgers faced a winner-take-all game in the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants, L.A.'s pitching options included two guys who have won Cy Young Awards and two more who might win that hardware in the future. But the guy who got the ball wasn't Julio Urias, or Walker Buehler, or Max Scherzer, or David Price. Rather, it was a relief pitcher who hadn't registered six outs in any appearance all season.
With that start, Corey Knebel became the embodiment of the opener strategy, the gambit that has swiftly gained popularity since the inventive Tampa Bay Rays unveiled it in May 2018. If some influential voices manifest this winter, however, and rules are redesigned to augment the value of the starting pitcher -- as is expected -- the opener will gradually move toward extinction, like the Wildcat formation, Theranos, or Kanye's presidential bid.
This year's postseason might be the last fertile ground for the use of openers. "I think we all see the problem," said one source. "Now it's a question of doing something about it."