We all know that closer is one of the most unpredictable positions in fantasy sports. Injuries are one major obstacle (as owners of Joakim Soria, Ryan Madson and Brian Wilson would attest to), and poor performance and job security are others. Let’s take a look at how we currently rank the 30 closers in the league (these will be our baseline rankings as we update them every Wednesday):
- Craig Kimbrel – Atlanta Braves
- Jonathon Papelbon – Philadelphia Phillies
- Mariano Rivera – New York Yankees
- J.J. Putz – Arizona Diamondbacks
- John Axford – Milwaukee Brewers
- Jason Motte – St. Louis Cardinals
- Jose Valverde – Detroit Tigers
- Rafael Betancourt – Colorado Rockies
- Heath Bell – Miami Marlins
- Jordan Walden – Los Angeles Angels
- Sergio Santos – Toronto Blue Jays
- Huston Street – San Diego Padres
- Joel Hanrahan – Pittsburgh Pirates
- Sean Marshall – Cincinnati Reds
- Javy Guerra – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Frank Francisco – New York Mets
- Joe Nathan – Texas Rangers
- Brandon League – Seattle Mariners
- Jim Johnson – Baltimore Orioles
- Hector Santiago – Chicago White Sox
- Carlos Marmol – Chicago Cubs
- Chris Perez – Cleveland Indians
- Fernando Rodney – Tampa Bay Rays
- Grant Balfour – Oakland Athletics
- Brett Myers – Houston Astros
- Matt Capps – Minnesota Twins
- Santiago Casilla – San Francisco Giants
- Jonathon Broxton – Kansas City Royals
- Alfredo Aceves – Boston Red Sox
- Henry Rodriguez/Brad Lidge – Washington Nationals
Thoughts:
- John Axford has struggled thus far (despite not yet blowing a save), most notably with his control. In just 2.2 innings he has walked 5 batters. Considering that it has always been a concern with him (6.05 BB/9 over his minor league career), it is something that you need to keep a close eye on. I wouldn’t send him plummeting down the rankings yet, but if he continues to miss the strike zone he is quickly going to fall. If you want to try to vulture some saves, Francisco Rodriguez wouldn’t be a bad thought.
- Could Heath Bell have gotten off to a worse start? He is 0-for-2 in save chances, sporting a 12.00 ERA and 3.67 WHIP. He’s not going to lose his job and we all know the potential he has, so he’s going to stick in the Top 10 for now. However, another bad outing or two will send him spiraling down.
- Everyone simply assumed Javy Guerra would quickly lose his job to Kenley Jansen. Anyone still expecting that now? Maybe at some point, but Guerra’s season has gotten off to a quick start and he proved that he could handle the job in 2011. There’s no reason to expect the team to make a change and Guerra is entrenching himself as one of the better options in the league (despite last night’s blown save). The more success he has and the more he makes it impossible for the Dodgers to make a change, the higher he will fly up these rankings.
- Fernando Rodney has done the job, so far, going 4-for-4 in save opportunities with a 0.00 ERA and 0.23 WHIP. The question is will he keep the job when Kyle Farnsworth returns? That’s going to keep his potential value suppressed, at least for now, but if he entrenches himself into the role he could fly up the rankings.
- Once the Washington Nationals situation gets cleaned up we’ll have a better idea of where they rank. If it’s Henry Rodriguez, I would expect him to significantly move up in the rankings. As of now, however, it appears that Rodriguez and Brad Lidge will continue to rotate in the ninth inning. That keeps them at the bottom of these rankings for now.
- While it appears Santiago Casilla will get the first crack at closing in San Francisco, we are going to have to wait until we really push him up the rankings. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Sergio Romo also get a look, so until Casilla is routinely getting opportunities his ranking is going to be low. However, don’t be surprised if he is considered a Top 20 option as soon as next week.
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