With a month in the books, it’s time to start assimilating small sample success into the tiers. Quite a few relievers have marched up the rankings. On a sour note, three guys lost their job either via poor performance or injury. A couple more are on the cusp of disaster.
Brad Boxberger checked in with four saves over the last seven days. Five others nabbed three saves apiece including an unbalanced week from Keone Kela. The seasonal leaderboard is headlined by Edwin Diaz. His 12 saves narrowly outpace Wade Davis (11) and Boxberger (10).
Now, shall we go to the tiers?
Tier 1: The Elite (4)
Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees
Craig Kimbrel, Boston Red Sox
Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners Cody Allen, Cleveland Indians
Chapman was one of the guys who recorded three saves along with six strikeouts. The king is back. Kimbrel velocity watch continues. He was working at a season-high 97.1 mph yesterday. That’s still below his 2017 norm. He also allowed a solo home run in the outing. Allen continues to work with reduced velocity. He had a rough week. Both Kimbrel and Allen have maintained elite swinging strike rates. Even if they don’t recover their best heaters, I think they’ll remain elite performers.
It’s time to formally recognize Diaz’s emergence as an elite arm. There’s only one red flag in the profile, a recent bout of walks. Since mid-April, he’s allowed one run, one hit, and eight walks in 8.1 innings. He also has 15 strikeouts over the span. Nobody has made hitters look feebler than Diaz.
Tier 2: Nearly Elite (6)
Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers
Felipe Vazquez, Pittsburgh Pirates
Sean Doolittle, Washington Nationals
Roberto Osuna, Toronto Blue Jays
Brad Hand, San Diego Padres
Wade Davis, Colorado Rockies
Jansen remains at a diminished capacity. He allowed a couple more runs last Wednesday. This time they were unearned. It’s increasingly possible he belong in Tier 4. For now, I’ll continue counseling patience.
Vazquez’s numbers are finally recovering from his Opening Day meltdown. Osuna seems to be missing some strikeouts. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – he could really benefit from throwing fewer strikes. Hand had his third rough outing of the season. Don’t worry, his job is very safe.
Doolittle passed a major test last week. He pitched in three consecutive games without ill effect. He’s recorded at least one strikeout in all 13 appearances. Overall, he has 15.23 K/9 backed up by a stout 19.2 percent swinging strike rate. His up-in-the-zone approach is the perfect counter to the air ball revolution.
I keep saying I want to see more of Davis at Coors Field. Thus far, only four of 13 appearances have come at his home park. Two of those outings were shaky. Let’s remain wary.
Tier 3: The Core Performers (6)
Josh Hader, Jacob Barnes, Milwaukee Brewers
Jeurys Familia, New York Mets
Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds
Brandon Morrow, Chicago Cubs
Kelvin Herrera, Kansas City Royals
Brad Boxberger, Arizona Diamondbacks
The old Tier 4 (named Better Than The Rest) has completely vanished. Two relievers moved up. One moved down. Hader was actually in the old Tier 5 (now Tier 4) due to his multi-inning role and the impending return of Corey Knebel. It’s time to give him a hat tip for absolutely dominating. His latest ludicrous display was an eight-out save against the Reds – all by strikeout. I’ve been known to call Hader a poor man’s Doolittle. Let’s retire that phrase. He’s a stud in his own right. That said, Knebel will definitely recover the ninth inning role when he’s activated.
The Mets have stumbled through the last couple weeks. Familia has been part of the problem, blowing two games. His job looks safe for the moment. Morrow was one of the relievers with three saves in the last week.
Herrera allowed his first run of the season last night – a solo home run in extra innings. The Royals fought back to supply him with the victory. He has a career best swinging strike rate and no walks.
Last season, Alex Colome led all closers in saves despite otherwise tepid numbers. Boxberger could be the 2018 version of Colome. Shaky command will lead to some clunkers. This is a team that survived a full season of Fernando Rodney as their closer. They’ll be patient with the bumps. Unlike Colome, Boxberger will supply over a strikeout per inning.
Tier 4: Maybe Good? (6)
Ken Giles, Chris Devenski, Houston Astros
Blake Treinen, Oakland Athletics
Arodys Vizcaino, Atlanta Braves
Hunter Strickland, San Francisco Giants
Hector Neris, Philadelphia Phillies
Joakim Soria, Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox
After a mini-streak of two successful saves, Giles was tagged for four runs last night. Gary Sanchez did the bulk of the damage via a three-run homer. It’s a bad look, but there’s no shame in failing against the Yankees lineup. Devenski is probably on tap tonight.
Treinen hasn’t pitched for a week after taking a comebacker off his leg. He’ll be fine. We’ve received information about the pecking order in Oakland. Lou Trivino may be Treinen’s backup. He has 12.86 K/9, 2.57 BB/9, and a 1.29 ERA in seven innings. He’s shown a four pitch repertoire headlined by a 97 mph fastball.
Tally three saves for Vizcaino. His owners can breathe a sigh of relief. He’s finally producing some fantasy numbers. Command remains an issue.
Strickland was saddled with the loss yesterday after allowing a solo home run. I continue to extol the virtues of Tony Watson. It’s worth noting Strickland is at least two more bad outings from losing his job. Soria issued a blown save loss via solo homer and a walkoff Yadier Molina single. Jones got a hold earlier in the game.
Tier 5: Unsettled (8)
Keone Kela, Texas Rangers
Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Baltimore Orioles
Bud Norris, St. Louis Cardinals
Alex Colome, Tampa Bay Rays
Fernando Rodney, Minnesota Twins
Cam Bedrosian, Los Angeles Angels
Shane Greene, Detroit Tigers
Brad Ziegler, Miami Marlins
Kela almost escaped this tier until a disaster appearance yesterday. He allowed four runs on five hits including a home run. It ruined an otherwise flawless three save week. I remain concerned about Kela’s high fly ball rate and diminished velocity.
Technically speaking, O’Day is probably the closer in Baltimore after Brach botched another outing yesterday. O’Day also has the two most recent saves even though Brach was the most recent Baltimore reliever to pitch a high leverage ninth inning. This is a shaky bullpen on a team that doesn’t win many games.
A quote from last week: “the writing is on the wall – Norris is out, Holland is in.” Well, somebody cleaned up the wall graffiti after Holland allowed four more runs. Norris is back for now. He pitched a clean ninth inning yesterday to earn a victory. Long term, this role still goes to somebody other than Norris.
Colome’s latest appearance was a loss. Rodney is walking people despite avoiding damage. I always say, avoid Rodney when he’s issuing walks. Ziegler’s job is imperiled. Kyle Barraclough earned a save on Saturday. Ziegler has since pitched two scoreless ninth innings including a save against the Rockies.
An injury to Middleton has opened the door for Bedrosian’s 38th chance at the Angels closer gig. Don’t hold your breath. He vultured a win yesterday by allowing two runs. Mike Trout and friends bailed him out. Who’s next on the depth chart? Justin Anderson throws 98 mph and has been connected to the ninth inning role via media reports.
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Injured
Mark Melancon, San Francisco Giants (arm)
Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles (Achilles, forearm)
Corey Knebel, Milwaukee Brewers (hamstring)
Keynan Middleton, Los Angeles Angels (elbow)
Middleton claims he’ll be back after a minimum stint on the disabled list. We’ll see about that. Knebel is headed out for a rehab assignment. He should return by the end of the week. Sorry Hader owners. Melancon is nearing a critical throwing session. Britton may be cleared for a rehab stint soon. Unlike Knebel, he’ll need an extended period in the minors.
The Deposed
Blake Parker, Los Angeles Angels
Dominic Leone, St. Louis Cardinals
Greg Holland, St. Louis Cardinals
Brad Brach, Baltimore Orioles
The deposition of Norris was brief. We’ll see how long he can stay off this list. Brach was also (potentially temporarily) ousted.
The Steals Department
Ender Inciarte had himself a week. He stole six bases, doubling the next best performers. Inciarte was one of the players I recommended last week due to juicy matchups. Six others stole three bags apiece. It’s nice to see Mallex Smith put in an appearance. Inciarte is now the seasonal leader with 13 swipes. Trea Turner and Dee Gordon are tied second with 12 steals.
The catchers you want to pick upon include Robinson Chirinos, Kurt Suzuki, Tyler Flowers, Jorge Alfaro, and Brian McCann.
The Red Sox and Tigers are the latest teams to benefit from facing Chirinos. You might be able to find Jackie Bradley on the waiver wire. Most Bostonian speedsters are heavily owned. Leonys Martin and JaCoby Jones are the guys you want to own from Detroit.
The Braves will host the Giants for a three game set before visiting the Rays. Austin Jackson is your best bet for free steals from the Giants. Andrew McCutchen may run too. The Rays have a slew of options including Smith, Denard Span, Matt Duffy, Joey Wendle, Daniel Robertson, and Carlos Gomez.
The Phillies will need to contain the Nationals and Giants over the next week. We already talked about the paucity of San Franciscan options. The Washington ground assault is heavily dependent on Turner and Michael Taylor. Wilmer Difo and Howie Kendrick could get involved too.
Try Diamondbacks and Athletics against McCann. Jarrod Dyson jumps off the page. Nick Ahmed and Chris Owings have some modest speed too. Obviously A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt may take off as well. Marcus Semien is the only guy with speed on the A’s.
Ken Giles, Chris Devenski, Houston Astros
Blake Treinen, Oakland Athletics
Arodys Vizcaino, Atlanta Braves
Hunter Strickland, San Francisco Giants
Hector Neris, Philadelphia Phillies
Joakim Soria, Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox
After a mini-streak of two successful saves, Giles was tagged for four runs last night. Gary Sanchez did the bulk of the damage via a three-run homer. It’s a bad look, but there’s no shame in failing against the Yankees lineup. Devenski is probably on tap tonight.
Treinen hasn’t pitched for a week after taking a comebacker off his leg. He’ll be fine. We’ve received information about the pecking order in Oakland. Lou Trivino may be Treinen’s backup. He has 12.86 K/9, 2.57 BB/9, and a 1.29 ERA in seven innings. He’s shown a four pitch repertoire headlined by a 97 mph fastball.
Tally three saves for Vizcaino. His owners can breathe a sigh of relief. He’s finally producing some fantasy numbers. Command remains an issue.
Strickland was saddled with the loss yesterday after allowing a solo home run. I continue to extol the virtues of Tony Watson. It’s worth noting Strickland is at least two more bad outings from losing his job. Soria issued a blown save loss via solo homer and a walkoff Yadier Molina single. Jones got a hold earlier in the game.
Tier 5: Unsettled (8)
Keone Kela, Texas Rangers
Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Baltimore Orioles
Bud Norris, St. Louis Cardinals
Alex Colome, Tampa Bay Rays
Fernando Rodney, Minnesota Twins
Cam Bedrosian, Los Angeles Angels
Shane Greene, Detroit Tigers
Brad Ziegler, Miami Marlins
Kela almost escaped this tier until a disaster appearance yesterday. He allowed four runs on five hits including a home run. It ruined an otherwise flawless three save week. I remain concerned about Kela’s high fly ball rate and diminished velocity.
Technically speaking, O’Day is probably the closer in Baltimore after Brach botched another outing yesterday. O’Day also has the two most recent saves even though Brach was the most recent Baltimore reliever to pitch a high leverage ninth inning. This is a shaky bullpen on a team that doesn’t win many games.
A quote from last week: “the writing is on the wall – Norris is out, Holland is in.” Well, somebody cleaned up the wall graffiti after Holland allowed four more runs. Norris is back for now. He pitched a clean ninth inning yesterday to earn a victory. Long term, this role still goes to somebody other than Norris.
Colome’s latest appearance was a loss. Rodney is walking people despite avoiding damage. I always say, avoid Rodney when he’s issuing walks. Ziegler’s job is imperiled. Kyle Barraclough earned a save on Saturday. Ziegler has since pitched two scoreless ninth innings including a save against the Rockies.
An injury to Middleton has opened the door for Bedrosian’s 38th chance at the Angels closer gig. Don’t hold your breath. He vultured a win yesterday by allowing two runs. Mike Trout and friends bailed him out. Who’s next on the depth chart? Justin Anderson throws 98 mph and has been connected to the ninth inning role via media reports.
*********************************************
Injured
Mark Melancon, San Francisco Giants (arm)
Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles (Achilles, forearm)
Corey Knebel, Milwaukee Brewers (hamstring)
Keynan Middleton, Los Angeles Angels (elbow)
Middleton claims he’ll be back after a minimum stint on the disabled list. We’ll see about that. Knebel is headed out for a rehab assignment. He should return by the end of the week. Sorry Hader owners. Melancon is nearing a critical throwing session. Britton may be cleared for a rehab stint soon. Unlike Knebel, he’ll need an extended period in the minors.
The Deposed
Blake Parker, Los Angeles Angels
Dominic Leone, St. Louis Cardinals
Greg Holland, St. Louis Cardinals
Brad Brach, Baltimore Orioles
The deposition of Norris was brief. We’ll see how long he can stay off this list. Brach was also (potentially temporarily) ousted.
The Steals Department
Ender Inciarte had himself a week. He stole six bases, doubling the next best performers. Inciarte was one of the players I recommended last week due to juicy matchups. Six others stole three bags apiece. It’s nice to see Mallex Smith put in an appearance. Inciarte is now the seasonal leader with 13 swipes. Trea Turner and Dee Gordon are tied second with 12 steals.
The catchers you want to pick upon include Robinson Chirinos, Kurt Suzuki, Tyler Flowers, Jorge Alfaro, and Brian McCann.
The Red Sox and Tigers are the latest teams to benefit from facing Chirinos. You might be able to find Jackie Bradley on the waiver wire. Most Bostonian speedsters are heavily owned. Leonys Martin and JaCoby Jones are the guys you want to own from Detroit.
The Braves will host the Giants for a three game set before visiting the Rays. Austin Jackson is your best bet for free steals from the Giants. Andrew McCutchen may run too. The Rays have a slew of options including Smith, Denard Span, Matt Duffy, Joey Wendle, Daniel Robertson, and Carlos Gomez.
The Phillies will need to contain the Nationals and Giants over the next week. We already talked about the paucity of San Franciscan options. The Washington ground assault is heavily dependent on Turner and Michael Taylor. Wilmer Difo and Howie Kendrick could get involved too.
Try Diamondbacks and Athletics against McCann. Jarrod Dyson jumps off the page. Nick Ahmed and Chris Owings have some modest speed too. Obviously A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt may take off as well. Marcus Semien is the only guy with speed on the A’s.
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