The closer role in baseball continues to change, and it’s significantly impacted the fantasy baseball landscape. Mostly gone are the 50- and even 40-save seasons. Teams are turning to committees and using their elite arms earlier in games. This has led many fantasy leagues to incorporate holds into their scoring. For those that still rely on saves, it causes a conundrum. Owners are left either paying a premium for the “sure-thing” closers or fighting for scraps on the waiver wire and hoping for the best.
But no need to fear. Our writers are here. This week, we’re looking at the top closers-in-waiting to stash on your bench as you prospect for saves.
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Who is your top closer stash?
Jeremy Jeffress (MIL)
With the news that Corey Knebel has been lost for the season to Tommy John surgery, the door has opened wide for Jeffress to emerge as the Brewers’ closer. Josh Hader is obviously more than capable in the role, but all the available evidence suggests that Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell prefers to deploy Hader in a flexible role where he can pitch multiple innings and put out fires earlier in games. Jeffress is coming off an incredible season where he picked up only 15 saves but still finished as the fourth-most valuable reliever in standard 5×5 roto/categories leagues, trailing only Blake Treinen, Edwin Diaz, and Hader. Jeffress is capable of providing an excellent ERA, WHIP, and strikeout rate, and he could collect a ton of saves for a team that should win a lot of games.
– Andrew Seifter (@andrew_seifter)
Jeffress had a pretty strong 2018 campaign for the Brewers earning 15 saves, owning a 1.29 ERA and a WHIP of 0.991. 2018 was the most usage Jeffress experienced in his career, pitching a grand total of 76.2 innings. The Brewers are poised for another division title this year, which bodes well for the veteran right-hander as saves will be plentiful. He’s currently sitting on the 10-day injured reserved list for Milwaukee allowing fellow teammate Josh Hader to get some closing opportunities. Once Jeffress returns he should be the man to rely upon considering Corey Knebel has been lost for the season due to the dread Tommy John surgery.
– Matthew Catalano (@MatthewCatala16)
Seranthony Dominguez (PHI)
With David Robertson struggling a bit early on in the season, I really like Seranthony Dominguez’s chances of getting some saves for the Phillies. Their offense is a powerhouse and that should put enough saves on the table for both Robertson and Dominguez if Robertson can eliminate the runs he’s allowing.
– Kari Thomas (@12ozCurlSports)
On Opening Day, David Robertson was summoned for the eighth inning in a blowout. It is important to note that Robertson began warming up when the Phils were only up three, but this structure implies that Robertson was setting up Seranthony Dominguez. In the next game, Robertson gave up two runs in the ninth inning, as Dominguez pitched in the eighth. It sounds like both Robertson and Dominguez will get chances in the early going, but it has been the young guy Dominguez pitching better. Most of the other stashes are guys on bad teams, or teams that have been whispered to sign Craig Kimbrel (hello Brewers). I’m staying away from those teams and focusing on the talent and who have shown flashes of closing consistently. Dominguez is a prime example.
– Carmen Maiorano (@cmaiorano3)
Anthony Swarzak (SEA)
Hunter Strickland landing on the IL has created a mess in Seattle and the early save candidates are not encouraging. This could continue through April and fantasty owners should be thinking about the recently activated Swarzak. He dealt with injuries for most of 2018, but a look back at his 2017 efforts with a 10.59 K/9 and 30% K rate shows that he has the stuff to be a closer with elite strikeout potential. He’s currently free, and won’t bog down your roster as an ideal closer stash.
– Josh Dalley (@joshdalley72)
Ryan Brasier (BOS)
Matt Barnes is currently the closer for the defending champs with Craig Kimbrel gone. Barnes’ job is certainly is not completely safe, though. If he ends up going through some struggles Brasier seems to be the guy that would take over. Brasier had a very nice 2018 season as he recorded a 1.60 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts through 34 appearances. Having Boston’s closer essentially guarantees a ton of save opportunities. To me, it’s really a low-risk, huge-upside opportunity.
– Kamran Hoda (@Kamran_H7)
A.J. Minter (ATL)
Minter is due back from injury for the Braves this week, but he likely won’t be inserted into the closer role immediately. That job currently belongs to Arodys Vizcaino who has been solid when healthy for Atlanta. The problem is that he hasn’t been able to stay on the mound the last two seasons. With manager Brian Snitker planning to play the matchups in the ninth inning with the two relievers, I’m picking the one with more strikeout upside. I believe the Braves want Minter to be the closer of the future and once he gets the role this season, he won’t give it up. Talent doesn’t always prevail in save situations, but I’m betting on the Braves sticking with the better pitcher more often than not.
– Kyle Miller (@kmill5)
Joe Jimenez (DET)
Heading into Opening Day, Joe Jimenez looked like the best candidate to usurp his team’s closer role in April. After back-and-forth deliberation, I’m not diverting from the 24-year-old righty just because he coughed up three runs on Sunday. Despite posting a 4.31 ERA in his rookie campaign, he still looked like Detroit’s Closer of the Future by registering 78 strikeouts and a 2.91 FIP in 62.2 innings. Shane Greene, who recorded a 5.12 ERA last year, is likely to either lose the job or pitch just well enough to precipitate a trade. He’s better for a deeper league — one that that counts holds — but Jimenez still has a strong shot of earning saves in 2019.
– Andrew Gould (@andrewgould4)
Ryan Pressly (HOU)
Pressly really broke out last year with a career-best 34.6% strikeout rate thanks to a nearly unhittable slider. His slider made hitters chase the pitch outside the zone over 50% of the time and induced an unheard of 32.2% swinging strike rate. Pressly’s curveball also registered as a plus pitch, and he can ramp his fastball up over 96 MPH. The current Astros Closer, Roberto Osuna, while talented, has not had the best off-the-field resume. Given the potential volatility of Osuna, Pressly could slot into the closer’s role for one of the best teams in MLB raking up save opportunities. Even if Osuna remains the closer all year, Pressly should still produce pristine ratios and plenty of strikeouts.
– Max Freeze (@FreezeStats)
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