Fantasy Baseball: Week 14 Closer Report

Senior Fantasy Baseball Expert Shawn Childs takes a very close look at each team’s bullpen to help you find the next gunslinging closer to provide saves. Get ready to DOMINATE your league!

Arizona Diamondbacks

After his disaster game on June 17th (four runs, five baserunners, and two home runs over two-thirds of an inning), Brad Boxberger tossed three shutout innings in his last three games with two saves and a blown save. On the year, Boxberger has 18 successful saves in 22 chances with some risk in his WHIP (1.31). Archie Bradley hasn’t allowed a run over his last 4.2 innings with three Ks and one save. Yoshihisa Hirano extended his shutout run to 20.2 innings with 13 hits, nine walks, and 19 Ks.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves placed Arodys Vizcaino on the DL last week with a sore right shoulder. Vizcaino didn’t give up a run over his last ten innings with two walks and 13 Ks and eight saves. He’s 15-for-17 in save conversions. Dan Winkler lost his way over his last 6.1 innings (seven runs and three baserunners with six Ks) to take himself out of contention for saves. A.J. Minter pitched at a high-level over his last 11 games (1.74 ERA and 0.86 WHIP over 10.1 innings with no walks and 13 Ks). Minter is the top choice to get saves in Atlanta with Arodys on the DL, but his window may be short.

Baltimore Orioles

Fantasy owners waited two and half months for Zach Britton to get a save opportunity only to see him plant a disaster outing (four runs and five baserunners over one-third of an inning). Britton bounced back with two shutout innings with one K and one save in his last two games. His ERA (5.40) and WHIP (1.80) are well below expected value while walking six batters in 6.2 innings. Since his blown save on June 7th, Brad Brach has a 6.14 ERA and 2.32 WHIP over 7.1 innings with eight Ks. Mychal Givens continues to struggle to find his consistency. Over his last 8.1 innings, Givens has a 2.16 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with nine Ks lower his season ERA to 3.92 and his WHIP to 1.45.


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Boston Red Sox

Over the last week, Craig Kimbrel only pitched one perfect inning with one K. Over the last two months, Kimbrel has a 3.13 ERA and 34 Ks over 23 innings with 17 saves. Craig converted 22 of his 24 saves on the year. Joe Kelly tossed two shutout innings with no hits and one K since June 19th. Kelly remains tough to hit (.152 BAA) while walking too many batters (4.1 per nine). Matt Barnes looked sharp over his last three games (three no-hit shutout innings with four Ks).

Chicago Cubs

Brandon Morrow should be activated from the DL over the next couple of days after missing time with a back issue. Carl Edwards is trending toward returning the majors after tossing in the bullpen over the weekend. Steve Cishek has a 2.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over nine innings in June with 12 Ks. Even with a closing job for ten days, Cishek didn’t have a save opportunity.

Chicago White Sox

Joakim Soria pitched extremely well over his last 15 games (no runs and seven baserunners over 14.2 innings with 15 Ks and seven Ks). His success will make him an attractive arm for a contender as we approach the major league trade deadline. Soria has two failed saves in 13 chances. Bruce Rondon remains sketchy after pitching poorly over his last 3.1 innings (ten runs and 17 baserunners). Baseball helped out Fantasy owners by changing a hit to an error on June 5th thus removing four earned runs from Nate Jones 2018 resume. He now has a 10.1 inning scoreless run while being on the DL since June 12th with an arm issue.

Cincinnati Reds

Raisel Iglesias has a save in each of his last five appearances while improving his shutout streak to 4.1 innings with three Ks. Iglesias is 14-for-16 in save tries with 38 Ks over 33.2 innings. Jared Hughes showed risk over his last 5.1 innings (two runs and nine baserunners with three Ks). David Hernandez hasn’t allowed a run over his last 10.2 innings with four walks and ten Ks.

Cleveland Indians

Over his last four games, Cody Allen picked up four saves while throwing 3.1 shutout innings with six Ks. Allen has one blown save in 17 opportunities. His ERA (3.73) moved back under 4.00 over the last week while his WHIP (1.09) points to more correction. Oliver Perez hasn’t allowed a run or hit over his last 3.2 innings with five Ks. Josh Tomlin extended his scoreless streak to 8.1 innings with no walks and seven Ks.

Colorado Rockies

After a tough start to June over 5.2 innings (nine runs and six baserunners with two blown saves), Wade Davis strung together two shutout innings over the last week while picking up his 21st save in 25 chances. Adam Ottavino struggled in his last outing on June 26th when allowed a run and four baserunners over 1.2 innings, which ended his 14.1 shutout run with 19 Ks. Jake McGee allowed a run or more in five of his last six outings (seven runs and ten baserunners over five innings with five Ks).

Detroit Tigers

Shane Greene struggled in his last two games (three runs and five baserunners over 1.2 innings with two Ks) leading to a pair of losses. Greene is 19-for-22 in save chances. Joe Jimenez was in position to pick up a win on June 25th, but he blew up in the 8th inning (three runs and four baserunners over two-thirds of an inning). His ERA (2.65) and WHIP (1.04) remain on a closing path while delivering 41 Ks over 37.1 innings. Louis Coleman struggled as well in his last two games vs. the A’s (two runs and six baserunners over one inning with one Ks.).

Houston Astros

The closing job in Houston remains in flux. Ken Giles gave up one run over his last 6.2 innings with two walks and eight Ks while earning his 11th save in as many chances on June 12th. Hector Rondon has a 0.63 ERA and 19 Ks over his last 14.1 innings with four saves. His last save conversion came on June 17th. Chris Devenski improved his shutout run to 11 innings with three hits, one walk, and 12 Ks. Rondon remains the short-term favorite for saves.

Kansas City Royals

The Royals turned to Wily Peralta in the 9th in their first save chance after the trade of closer Kelvin Herrera. Peralta was up to the task by tossing a shutout inning with a hit and two Ks. Since returning to the majors, Wily allowed one run over 3.2 innings with six baserunners, which includes four walks. His game was full of risk in the bullpen at AAA in 2018 (5.10 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 30 innings with 39 Ks). His fastball (97.0) gives him a chance to close while his command invites disaster risk. Brandon Maurer has been unimpressive over his three innings back in the majors (three runs and six baserunners). Kevin McCarthy didn’t give up a run or hit over his last five innings with two Ks. This bullpen is a complete mess and saves will be tough to come by in every dirty little corner.

Los Angeles Angels

Blake Parker returned from a tough three games (five runs, eight baserunners, and three home runs over 4.1 innings) to pitch two clean innings over the last week with three Ks and one save. Parker has two failed saves in 11 tries. His struggles this year come from six home runs allowed over 38 innings. The Angles gave Justin Anderson a successful save chance on June 21st, but he blew up in his next game (three runs, four baserunners, and one home run over two-thirds of an inning). Cam Bedrosian didn’t give up a run over his last 6.2 innings with three hits, four walks, and five Ks.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The save machine in LA has been in full force over the last seven weeks. Since May 1st, Kenley Jansen has a 1.33 ERA and 24 Ks over 27 innings while converting all 17 saves. Jansen corrected his ERA (2.45) and WHIP (0.93) while improving his save total to 20 in 22 opportunities. Josh field hasn’t allowed a run over his last 5.1 innings with five Ks. Scott Alexander is on the improve over his last seven games (no runs over eight innings with four hits, two walks, and eight Ks).

Miami Marlins

Kyle Barraclough has been the best arm in baseball over the last six weeks. He extended his hitless and scoreless streak to 11.2 innings with nine Ks and six saves. Since May 11th, batters only have one hit off of Barraclough over 18.2 innings with five walks and 12 Ks. Drew Steckenrider pitched at a high-level over his last 14.1 innings (no runs, seven hits, five walks, and 12 Ks) to fix his ERA (3.41) and WHIP (1.19). Brad Ziegler has a 0.71 ERA over his last 12.2 innings with ten Ks.

Milwaukee Brewers

Saves have been tough to come by in Milwaukee over the last two weeks. Corey Knebel allowed one run over seven innings in June with three hits, three walks, and 13 Ks while converting his only two saves chances. Knebel is 7-for-9 in save conversions. Josh Hader remains an electric arm in 2018, but he only has one save and no wins since May 19th. On the year, Hader has a 1.13 ERA and 0.73 WHIP while striking out 80 batters over 40 innings. Jeremy Jeffress struggled in two of their last three games (three runs, four baserunners, and two home runs over 3.1 innings).

Minnesota Twins

Fernando Rodney improved his shutout streak to 4.1 innings with one hit, no walks, and nine Ks. Rodney has been successful in 17 of his last 20 save tries with strength in his ERA (2.73) and WHIP (1.14). Trevor Hildenberger improved his scoreless run to 17 innings with nine hits, two walks, and 15 Ks to take over the 8th inning role for the Twins. Addison Reed showed a pulse over the last week when he threw three shutout innings with no Ks.

New York Mets

I don’t have a good feeling about Jeurys Familia going forward. He threw 3.2 shutout innings over his last three games with two hits, two walks, and four Ks. He battled his command on June 26th (14 strikes over 28 pitches), which may be a sign of his shoulder still being an issue. His velocity (96.7) on his fastball remains in a positive area. His last save came on May 28th. Familia has four blown saves in 18 chances. Anthony Swarzak pitched poorly since returning from the DL (5.73 ERA and 1.82 WHIP over 11 innings) while allowing five home runs. Robert Gsellman crushed Fantasy owners over the last week (nine runs, 11 baserunners, and two home runs over five innings).

New York Yankees

Aroldis Chapman extended his win or save streak to 16 games. Over this span, Chapman has a 0.75 ERA and 24 Ks over 16 innings with two wins and 16 saves. Aroldis has one failed save in 24 opportunities. Dellin Betances extended his scoreless run to 14 innings with one hit, ten walks, and 24 Ks. David Robertson allowed one run over his last 9.2 innings with five hits, three walks, and 11 Ks.

Oakland A’s

Blake Treinen has a win or save in each of his last eight games. He is 19-for-21 in save conversions with a high-level of success over his last 18.1 innings (0.49 ERA, 25 Ks, two wins, and 11 saves). Lou Trivino allowed one run over his last 9.2 innings with three hits, no walks, and 12 Ks. Emilio Pagan didn’t give up a run over his last eight innings with two walks and nine Ks.

Philadelphia Phillies

Over his last nine innings, Seranthony Dominguez allowed six runs and baserunners with 15 Ks. His path doesn’t point to early success for saves despite an edge fastball (98.0). Dominguez has four saves in five tries while needing to find his rhythm to have success in saves over the last three months of the year. Edubray Ramos landed on the DL over the last week with a right shoulder issue. The Phillies called back up Hector Neris after he tossed two shutout innings at AAA. Neris looked sharp in his first two games back in the majors (two shutout innings with no hits, no walks, and four Ks).

Pittsburgh Pirates

Felipe Vazquez regained his form over his last four innings (no runs, three hits, no walks, and eight Ks) leading to three successful saves. Vazquez is 15-for-19 in save opportunities with plenty of correction needed in his ERA (4.11) and WHIP (1.47). Edgar Santana pitched poorly over his last seven innings (6.43 ERA and 1.29 WHIP) due to three home runs allowed. Tyler Glasnow struggled in his last two games (three runs, five baserunners, and one home run) leading to him giving back gains over the last six weeks (1.90 ERA and 27 Ks over 23.2 innings).

San Diego Padres

Brad Hand has been a tough ride over the last ten days (five runs, eight baserunners, two home runs, and five Ks over four innings) leading to two blown saves in three chances. Hand has been successful in 22 of his 26 saves chances. Kirby Yates extended his shutout run to 13 innings with six hits, three walks, and 14 Ks. Craig Stammen blew up in his last game on June 25th when he allowed three runs and three hits over two-thirds of an inning.

San Francisco Giants

Over his last nine games, Sam Dyson has a 6.14 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in his 7.1 innings of work, but he did earn three saves in four tries. Dyson remains an option for saves in San Fran with Hunter Strickland out for six weeks. Mark Melancon gave up one run over his last 4.1 innings with two Ks, one save, and one blown saves in his last five games. Tony Watson has closing experience, and he’s pitching the best in the Giants’ bullpen. Watson improved his shutout streak to 12.1 innings with three hits, two walks, and 15 Ks.

Seattle Mariners

Edwin Diaz leads the majors with 29 saves in 32 chances. Over his last 11.1 innings, Diaz allowed two runs, ten baserunners, and 16 Ks while converting all ten saves. Alex Colome showed risk over his last 6.2 innings (five runs, eight baserunners, and two home runs). Juan Nicasio buried Fantasy owners over his last three games (eight runs, nine baserunners, and two Ks over 1.1 innings).

St. Louis Cardinals

The success of Bud Norris in the 9th inning for the Cardinals added another week to his resume. Over his last 5.1 innings, Norris allowed one run, two hits, four Ks, and three saves. Bud blew two saves in his 15 chances in 2018 with 44 Ks and five walks over 33.2 innings. Jordan Hicks remains on a path to pitch in the 9th inning. Over his last 11.1 innings, Hicks has a 0.79 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 17 Ks. Greg Holland has been a new man since returning from the minors. He threw four shutout innings with no walks and five Ks, which is a closer-worthy skill set.

Tampa Bay Rays

In June, Sergio Romo allowed two runs and nine baserunners over 11.1 innings with ten Ks and five saves. He continues to be the top option for saves in Tampa. Diego Castillo remains on a path for saves. Over 12.1 innings in the majors, Castillo has 1.46 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 13 Ks. Chaz Roe gave up one run over his last 14.2 innings with six walks and 16 Ks. Ryne Stanek is a dark horse as well for saves after looking sharp over his last 13 innings (no runs, four hits, five walks, and 14 Ks).

Texas Rangers

Keone Kela still hasn’t blown a save in his 19 chances. He has a save in five straight appearances with no runs, three hits, two walks, and five Ks over 4.2 innings. Jake Diekman struggled in his last two games (four runs, six baserunners, and one home run over 1.2 innings). Tony Barnette gave up one run over his last 11.1 innings with 11 baserunners and 11 Ks.

Toronto Blue Jays

Ryan Tepera has 1.80 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 15 innings with 17 Ks and six saves in seven chances since taking over the closing role. Tepera has a win or save in each of his last five appearances. Seung Hwan Oh pitched well over his last 13.1 innings (0.96 ERA and 0.75 WHIP) leading to two wins and one save. Tyler Clippard is trending back in the right direction after allowing one run over his last 6.2 innings with five Ks.

Washington Nationals

After 32 games, Sean Doolittle has one failed save in 22 opportunities with a 1.60 ERA and 44 Ks over 33.2 innings. He gave up one run over his last 13 innings with no walks, 12 Ks, and 11 saves. Kelvin Herrera struggled in two of his last five games (three runs, eight baserunners, and two home runs over five innings). Ryan Madsen allowed three runs, nine baserunners, and two home runs over his last five innings with six Ks.


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About Shawn Childs 970 Articles
Shawn Childs has been a high stakes Fantasy baseball and football player since 2004 where he had success in his first season (three titles and $25,000 in winnings). In early years of the high stakes market in Fantasy baseball, he was ahead of the curve in player evaluation, draft value, and free agent bidding setting up four top-five finishes in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship. He has four AL-only Auction titles, one NL-only title, and five Main Event titles plus an overall title in 2012 at RTFBC (netted $10,000). This success led to an induction into the NFBC Baseball Hall of Fame. His success in the high stakes market led to a career in providing Fantasy Baseball and Fantasy Football content. On the football side, he’s competed and won in all different formats – auctions, draft championship, main events, and high-dollar leagues. He won 2nd place overall in the 2014 Most Accurate Salary Cap Expert contest at FantasyPros. As a dual-sport player, it was natural to transition to the daily games where he is a “swing for the fences type of guy.” Childs has appeared in one FanDuel NFL Live Final and one DraftKings NFL Live Final, a season-ending tournament which led to a couple of chances to win over $1,000,000.