Every Saturday Mick Cialella updates the MLB Bullpen Depth Charts and Closer Rankings.
This week, the closer carousel continues to turn in the American League West. Jose Leclerc is no longer “le closer” in Texas. The young right-hander had another meltdown on Tuesday, as he allowed three runs and four hits in his inning of work. Surprisingly, he did not walk a batter, but he still could not get the job done. Manager Chris Woodward has removed Leclerc from closing duties. However, the move is expected to be short-lived. Texas has a lot invested in Leclerc, and they will try to get him back to where he was at the end of 2018. I have removed Leclerc from my closer rankings, but I imagine he will make his way back in a few weeks.
With Leclerc out of the picture for the moment but still in good favor in the organization, this has all the makings of a temporary committee approach. Texas has only played twice since Tuesday and has lost both games. But the usage suggests that veterans Chris Martin and Shawn Kelley are Woodward’s top choices. Martin pitched the ninth and Kelley the 10th in a tie game on Friday night. I picked up Kelley in a league as a speculative pickup, but I do not think either is a must-have. I am listing Martin ahead of Kelley in my rankings but that is purely a guess at this point based on Friday’s activity.
Below are the rest of my closer rankings and team-by-team bullpen depth charts. I have also put together some notes and thoughts on each team’s current primary closer. There are plenty of situations around the league where rostering multiple relievers from one team is a smart idea. Enjoy the lists and feel free to comment below with any questions.
Bullpen Depth Charts and Closer Rankings
+ Injury Concern
* Part of Committee
NMU Rank = The potential rank if the Next Man Up becomes closer
AL East Bullpen Depth Charts
It took until May, but Michael Givens finally captured the team lead in saves. Before you get even a little excited, he now has two. So yeah, not a whole lot to see here. If there is a silver lining for Givens owners, it is that the rest of the bullpen is devoid of better options. On the same day that Givens recorded save number two, Baltimore blew a ninth-inning lead in the nightcap of a doubleheader in Chicago. Givens is still the preferred option, but the Orioles are #notgood and manager Brandon Hyde frequently uses Givens before the ninth inning. It is a recipe for a 20-25 save season and little else. If Givens is your RP3, you can live with the results for now.
Ryan Brasier also blew a ninth-inning lead in Chicago this week. Maybe he wanted Baltimore’s relievers to feel better. Brasier’s blown save was not all his own doing. The inning started off with a Rafael Devers error. Devers must have thought Chris Sale was pitching. Brasier eventually gave up a three-run home run to Nicky Delmonico, giving the White Sox the win. Brasier is still the safest option in the Red Sox pen. But keep an eye on those longballs. Delmonico’s blast was the third allowed by Brasier already this season. He gave up just two in 33.2 innings in 2018.
Aroldis Chapman pitched five times last week before not taking the mound for five days this week. Such are the ebbs and flows of life in the bullpen. Chapman earned his sixth save of the year on Friday and you have to believe a run is going to happen sooner or later. His strikeout rate has dipped this season, but a coinciding decrease in walk rate is a good trade for fantasy owners. Chapman’s 1.34 FIP proves that he is still a high-end closer and does not appear to be in danger of a massive erosion in skill level.
I have talked up Jose Alvarado for two months for two reasons. First and foremost, he is awesome. Secondly, and perhaps even more tied to his fantasy value than his awesomeness, was that I thought Kevin Cash got a false rap as a manager who would flip flop between closers. From 2015-2017, Cash had Brad Boxberger and Alex Colome as his closers. In 2015, Boxberger had 41 saves. Yes, that Brad Boxberger. From 2016-2017, Colome had 84 of Tampa’s 95 saves. Yes, that Alex Colome. And yet, here we are with Alvarado sporting a grand total of four saves despite a 1.38 ERA and 35.3 percent strikeout rate. He hasn’t had a save in four weeks. You cannot be considered a high-end closer if you go a month without getting a save. I’m not even sure you can even be called a closer at all.
So Alvarado drops this week. He is still a fantasy asset, but the bar needs to be lowered, and perhaps by a significant margin. I only dropped him a couple of spots for now, but I may have to revisit this again next week. Meanwhile, Diego Castillo and Emilio Pagan are also in the mix. Castillo and Alvarado are more or less on even footing, with Pagan third in the pecking order for now. It really is an embarrassment of riches in Tampa, as Pagan has allowed a single and a walk in eight innings. Small sample size to be sure, but Pagan is currently a top-6 pitcher in terms of xBA, xSLG, and xwOBA.
Ken Giles picked up a win on Sunday in Toronto’s walk-off victory. He followed that by striking out all three hitters he faced in recording his eighth save on Friday night. Giles has been outstanding so far this year. He has a 38.1 percent strikeout rate and a 1.76 ERA through Friday. If you remove his blowup in Fenway three weeks ago, he has been about as good as any closer in the game. There does not seem to be any real competition for the job, so his prospects seem relatively safe going forward. With the uncertainty surrounding so many would-be closers, Giles should be a top-10 closer for the rest of the year.
AL Central Bullpen Depth Charts
The aforementioned Colome has been effective this season, previous shade aside. The former Ray has converted all six of his save opportunities to go along with a tidy 2.13 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. He does not have the crazy strikeout numbers that the elite closers have, but he is steady and will get his fair share of saves. Colome should be able to fend off Kelvin Herrera for the foreseeable future.
Brad Hand has a save and a win this week. Wins are always a welcomed sight for a closer. Hand has really found his groove lately. Since taking a loss in Kansas City nearly three weeks ago, Hand has pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing just four baserunners and striking out 12. Hand is in a prime situation with a Cleveland team that will be in contention all season long. He should flirt with top-5 potential this year and is a rock solid RP1 in fantasy leagues.
Shane Greene still leads his league in saves and still basically saves every game his team wins. He’s like a lesser version of Kirby Yates. Greene has now saved 13 of Detroit’s 14 victories this season. To say that pace is unsustainable is obvious. Greene has outperformed his peripherals to this point in the season However, you can make the argument that this has been a bit of regression after he seemed to underperform last season. No matter the stance, Greene is well above Joe Jimenez or anyone else on the Tigers totem pole.
Ian Kennedy is closing games and posting a 29.2 K-BB rate. Welcome to 2019, folks… While Brad Boxberger and Wily Peralta have reverted to their former selves, Kennedy has tweaked his pitch mix and the results have been stellar. Kennedy has basically scrapped his changeup and increased the usage of his curveball. The move to the pen has also afforded Kennedy the chance to let loose a bit, as evidenced by a roughly 2.0 MPH increase in his offerings. These alterations have resulted in career-highs for Kennedy in several categories including strikeout rate, walk rate, and ground ball rate. Time will tell if these adjustments will stick over the course of the entire season, but it is hard to argue with the results to this point.
After Taylor Rogers randomly had a couple of saves last week, Blake Parker earned saves on both Sunday and Monday. Parker certainly has done nothing to lose the job. Parker enters the weekend perfect in six save chances to go along with a 0.96 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. Rogers has more strikeout potential and has some upside, as the Twins like to mix and match. But for now, I have to believe that Parker is still the reliever to own in Minnesota.
AL West Bullpen Depth Charts
Roberto Osuna earned a victory over the weekend when he went two scoreless innings against Cleveland. His next appearance did not come until Friday when he pitched in mop-up duty. There is nothing to worry about here. He was simply getting some work in after not pitching for a few days. He still leads all pitchers with a 0.23 WHIP and a .134 xwOBA. Houston has struggled a bit of late but they will get back to their winning ways shortly. An upcoming homestand against Kansas City and Texas could bring a few saves to Osuna over the course of the next week or so.
The Angels have used both Ty Buttrey and Hansel Robles to close out games during their four-game winning streak. On Sunday and Tuesday, it was Buttrey setting up Robles. But on Wednesday, Buttrey went two innings to get his first save. Robles was back on Thursday and closed out the win, albeit in a non-save situation. This has the looks of a committee with Robles leading the charge. He is still available in way too many leagues and should be added where available.
Blake Treinen had an ugly loss over the weekend in Toronto. He looked to be in line for the win when Oakland scored three runs but promptly gave it back and then some, giving up four runs in a loss. Even the best of the best will have an occasional outing like this. Treinen has not pitched since, so I would expect him to get some work this weekend even if there is not a save on the line.
Anthony Swarzak took his first loss of the season on Friday in Cleveland. He has now given up at least one run in five consecutive appearances. Complicating matters in Seattle is that Roenis Elias is dealing with an injury. Elias has not pitched since last Friday with what is considered general soreness. I would imagine Elias begins getting save chances more regularly, health permitting. Swarzak has served up four home runs in just 10 innings. His 3.60 ERA is a false positive. Swarzak’s 8.02 FIP suggests that he should not be long for save chances if and when Elias returns to the mound.
NL East Bullpen Depth Charts
Last week I begrudgingly moved A.J. Minter up a bit in my rankings. I wasn’t fully buying in but he seemed to have locked things down following the injury to Arodys Vizcaino. So, naturally, Minter had a major meltdown on Saturday against the Rockies. Minter allowed four runs in just 0.2 innings while taking the loss. On Sunday, Minter was called upon again to protect a one-run lead, which is a good sign. Except he allowed two of three batters to hit safely before being pulled in favor of Luke Jackson, who converted the chance. Monday’s lead was protected in the ninth by the combination of Jerry Blevins and Jacob Webb. I think Minter is still the guy. But it’s difficult to have much faith long-term, especially with the possibility of a reunion with Craig Kimbrel at some point.
This week Sergio Romo has pitched in one game because, well, the Marlins won one game. Romo picked up the save but did allow a run and two hits. That is likely to be par for the course given Miami’s low potential for winning on a given night. Romo has five of Miami’s six saves on the season and is firmly entrenched as the team’s closer. However, the chances of Romo having one of those four-save weeks that can be the difference in a weekly head-to-head matchup are virtually nonexistent.
Edwin Diaz pitched three days in a row this week, the last of which came in a losing effort against Cincinnati. Diaz surrendered a game-winning home run to Jose Iglesias. There’s a sentence I never thought I would type. Anyway, Diaz remains the best in the game despite the hiccup. He has a ridiculous 38.8 K-BB rate this season. Setup man Jeurys Familia has been placed on the Injured List with shoulder soreness. The former Mets closer has been ineffective this season. Perhaps the injury can provide an explanation. Seth Lugo figures to slide in while Familia remains sidelined.
Hector Neris picked up a couple of saves this week and seems to have put last week’s poor outing against the Marlins behind him. More importantly, manager Gabe Kapler has put it behind him. There is no doubt Neris is Kapler’s go-to guy right now. David Robertson has yet to be cleared to throw, so Neris should be pretty safe for at least the next couple of weeks. The only real weakness in Neris’ game is his propensity to give up home runs. Perhaps that is why he has not previously been given an extended look in the role. I think if he can improve on that while Robertson remains sidelined, he has a real chance to stick.
Sean Doolittle earned a four-out save on Thursday against the Cardinals. Doolittle has been solid as usual but has just four saves on the year as Washington has really struggled out of the gate this season. Doolittle remains unchallenged in Washington’s bullpen, so owners simply need to remain patient and hope the Nationals get things going quickly.
NL Central Bullpen Depth Charts
Joe Maddon usually prefers to stick to one closer, so my antennae were raised a bit when Steve Cishek got a four-out save on Tuesday. Pedro Strop certainly did not do anything to warrant being pulled from the role. Strop did begin to warm up in the ninth on Friday, so it seems to be a case where he just needed an extra day of rest after pitching two innings in a 15-inning marathon on Sunday. However, Tuesday’s game did seem to cement Cishek as someone to keep tabs on and possibly pick up as a handcuff. Strop has yet to pitch on back-to-back days this season. The fact that Strop was unavailable two days after pitching two innings suggests that this will not be the last save Cishek siphons.
Raisel Iglesias earned a victory in New York on the strength of two scoreless innings. However, he then suffered the loss the very next night. In both games, he entered in non-save situations. Iglesias did enter in a save situation on Friday but promptly blew the chance. Iglesias allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth, then served up Stephen Vogt’s game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth. Cincinnati went on to lose the game in extra innings after jumping out to an 8-0 lead. Manager David Bell continues to use Iglesias when it is most necessary, regardless of whether a save is at stake. This makes sense but is obviously frustrating for fantasy owners. Those who have him rostered are just going to have to hope that his non-save appearances result in wins and not losses.
I was so close to throwing in the towel on my preseason bold prediction that Josh Hader would be the number-one fantasy closer. I really was. After all, he had not recorded a save in nearly three weeks and allowed five runs in a three-game span. But weeks like these are why I can’t quit him. Since last Saturday, Hader has pitched in three games and had three saves. That’s all well and good. But he has also had 12 strikeouts in that stretch. TWELVE. He has faced 17 batters and struck out 12, increasing his strikeout rate on the year to an other-worldly 57.1 percent. Yes, he allows too many home runs. And no, he will not eclipse 40 saves with the way he is used. But his upside in any given week is unmatched.
Felipe Vazquez finally allowed his first run of the season when Joey Gallo beat him for a home run. But Vazquez converted save chances in both of his appearances this week and remains a top closer. Vazquez has allowed a fair amount of baserunners so far this year but has been able to deliver strikeouts when necessary. He has a career-high 37.7 percent strikeout rate and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Jordan Hicks has quieted doubters who were unsure whether he could take over as a full-time closer. He has really developed his slider and is throwing it much more frequently and effectively this season. Opponents are hitting just .077 against Hicks’ slider and the pitch has a solid 24.19 percent whiff rate. Having that secondary pitch has been vital in his development. It compliments his league-leading 102 MPH fastball quite well and helps keeps hitters off balance. Hicks has not allowed a baserunner over his last four appearances (2.2 IP) and is inching closer to the top of these rankings every week. Andrew Miller did earn a save on Tuesday with Hicks unavailable and has hopefully put his rough start behind him.
NL West Bullpen Depth Charts
If you had May 3 as the date that Greg Holland would give up his first run this season, I can only assume you are lying or that you thought Holland was unavailable to pitch for the entire month of April. Yes, Holland’s ERA ballooned all the way up to 0.75 on Friday, but he still managed to record his eighth save of the season. Holland’s peripherals and Statcast numbers are off the charts. He has the game’s best xBA, second-best xSLG, and sixth-best xwOBA. I cannot imagine this dominance lasts all season long but I suppose it is possible he has one of those Fernando Rodney 2012 type seasons where everything just clicks.
It has been a relatively slow week for Rockies closer Wade Davis Davis has only pitched in a couple of non-save opportunities since last weekend. Davis did not allow a hit in either outing but did walk a batter in both. The walks have not hurt him yet. but Davis could be playing with a bit of fire. As someone who pitches half his games in Coors Field and has seen his swinging strike percent dip in two straight seasons, Davis does not have a ton of margin for error. His 93.3 percent strand rate is likely to normalize in short order. He needs to get his control in check before it manifests itself into an ugly blowup.
Don’t look now, but Kenley Jansen is quietly up to 11 saves on the year. He has had his missteps along the way, but a 2.87 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts play quite nicely, especially with that save total to boot. Jansen’s usage makes him a top-5 closer even with a slight dropoff in his skill level. The Dodgers once again sit atop the National League West, and there will be no shortage of save chances for Jansen to convert.
Jansen’s 11th save came after Kirby Yates gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth inning on Friday night. Yates was hardly subpar in the contest, as he struck out the side and allowed just the one run. Yates has an insane 41.8 percent strikeout rate and has struck out eight batters over his last three innings. The Padres have the look of a team that will fight for a playoff spot. That will allow Yates to remain a top-notch fantasy option throughout the season.
Will Smith got off to a rough start this week. He allowed three runs in a non-save chance over the weekend. But he has bounced back to record three straight scoreless innings, picking up two saves in the process. Smith does not have the crazy peripherals that some of his contemporaries do, but he has shown elite ability in previous years. There is some room for growth here, even though the Giants do not figure to help Smith generate a ton of saves moving forward. I would be concerned about Smith being traded at some point, but he should be safe for at least a few more weeks.
Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. Mick was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.
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This is my favorite closer rankings article – thanks so much!
What makes you feel like Joe Kelly is the next man up for the Dodgers?