Fresh off the Pirates' sweep of the Dodgers, David Bednar was named the National League Reliever of the Month for May.
Bednar finished the month by going 2-1 with seven saves, a 1.65 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and .169 batting average against. Entering Friday's slate of games, Bednar leads Major League Baseball with four multi-inning saves and is tied for the third-most strikeouts among NL relievers.
Bednar is the first Pirate to win the award since Felipe Vazquez in August 2019.
"It's cool. It's definitely an honor," Bednar said. "But ultimately it means when I'm throwing it well, I'm giving our guys a chance to win games. That's the main thing and the only thing that matters."
In his most recent outing, Bednar blew his first save of the season in the eighth inning of Monday's win over the Dodgers, but stayed in after the Pirates regained the lead in the ninth inning. Bednar, who logged a career-high 50 pitches in the outing, takes pride in being able to take the ball in different ways, including multi-inning appearances in high-leverage situations late in games.
"I think the biggest thing for me is for all these guys and the coaching staff that whenever I take the ball, I want it. It doesn't matter the day. I'll stay out there until it's done," Bednar said.
"I would be hard pressed to find somebody who deserves it more with what he's done; the situations he's done it in," Derek Shelton said. "Not only in the leverage, but in the non-traditional two-inning saves and just the way he's performed. I'm very happy for him. I think he's very well deserving of it."
Bednar has been rock solid out of the bullpen since he was acquired via trade in January 2021. For a team as young as the Pirates, trying to find their identity, having a guy like Bednar emerge as a stabilizing force gives Shelton a valuable weapon that's under club control through 2026.
"When you have stability at the end of the game when you have the opportunity to win, it's something that you lean on," Shelton said. "We've leaned on David and he's presented himself in such a good way and won that award. But that stability at the end of a game is extremely important for a young club."
In case you needed another reason to smile and/or laugh, former Pirate and current Yankee Clay Holmes won the American League Reliever of the Month.