Fantasy Baseball Week 11: Top 5 Relief Pitchers to Add
By Bill Pivetz
With all of the injuries and struggles to relief pitchers, there are very few replacement options available. Here are the top five to pick up next week.
When someone is looking to add or trade for a relief pitcher, they are most likely looking for someone with save opportunities. There are some of those pitchers out there, but all of the good ones are obviously taken. At this point, you are looking for a relief pitcher that can get you a save once or twice a week. Though, there isn’t anything wrong with that.
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While those pitchers won’t get you saves consistently like Jeurys Familia, but will help your ratio stats (ERA, WHIP and K/9). With the string of injuries that have taken place, those set-up men can become the full-time closer for their respective teams. And that’s what happened to some of the relief pitchers on this list.
The relief pitchers on this list are owned in a wide range of leagues. Some are owned in 60 percent while others are owned in just 10 percent. There is value to be had in picking up at least one of these pitchers. The five pitchers are ordered from lowest to highest in terms of their fantasy value in a range of categories.
The categories are save opportunities, ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. At the end of the day, fantasy owners are looking for any save they can get. If a relief pitcher is doing well, but isn’t getting a save (like the first name on the list), then you may have to look elsewhere. On the other hand, are the saves worth the inflated ratio stats?
So, now that that’s out of the way, here are my top five relief pitchers to add in Week 11.
Next: No. 5: Tony Cingrani
The Cincinnati Reds have had a revolving door at the closer position. The team started with J.J. Hoover as the closer. He pitched well last season, but struggled mightily this year. As a result, the team has used multiple names in that role, trying to find the one that sticks.
Former starting pitcher Tony Cingrani is the leading man in that role. He has six saves with a 4.08 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. The Reds offense is not that good, so the save opportunities are few and far between.
After blowing the save last Tuesday, two earned runs on three hits, he has pitched three straight scoreless outings with a save and a hold. While he isn’t as consistent as one would like, he is the only relief pitcher with more than two saves on the team.
Cingrani is owned in just 10.2 percent of ESPN leagues. I understand the hesitation to adding someone with a high ERA and few saves, but your options are limited. Once the going gets tough, I would cut bait as soon as you can.
Next: No. 4: Jeremy Jeffress
Jeremy Jeffress had a not-so-conventional way to getting the closer role. The team began with Will Smith as the closer, but he twisted his knee in the shower. He made his return on June 2, but Jeffress has dominated as the closer.
In 30 games, he has a 2.76 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 6.4 K/9 and 17 saves. He has slipped a bit over the last week. He’s allowed four runs in his last seven outings, but has recorded five saves at the same time.
If Jeffress can limit the hits, nine in his last seven games, then the closer role will be his for the rest of the season. However, if he continues to dip, then Smith has a chance to take back his job.
Smith is pitching well so far this season. In five games, he has allowed two hits, two strikeouts and zero earned runs. He’s owned in 10.7 percent of leagues, so owners are noticing him too.
While Jeffress is owned in 68 percent of leagues, he is still out there in 32 percent. As I mentioned in the introduction, he is one of those pitchers that will get you saves, but may tank your WHIP in the process.
Next: No. 3: Seung-hwan Oh
Seung-hwan Oh is the only pitcher on this list that does not have a save. However, he is excelling at everything else. In his first season, Oh is the 17th-best relief pitcher on the Player Rater over the last 15 days. In 32 games this season, he has a 1.60 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 12.3 K/9.
Oh has not allowed an earned run this month. In his last six games, he has allowed just three hits and struck out nine. The last runs he allowed was on May 25 when he gave up three runs on three hits (one home runs) to the Chicago Cubs.
The St. Louis Cardinals are clearly set at the closer role with Trevor Rosenthal, 3.32 ERA and 12 saves. Jonathan Broxton is listed that the “next man up” in the Cardinals bullpen, as he has closer experience, but Oh is the best pitcher in the bullpen.
Oh is currently owned in 11.9 percent of leagues. He is a must-add in deeper leagues or leagues where holds is a category.
Next: No. 2: Sam Dyson
Sam Dyson, like Jeffress, didn’t begin the season as his team’s closer.
The Texas Rangers went with Shawn Tolleson in the ninth inning after the success he had last season. That didn’t last long, though. He had a 6.00 ERA and eight saves (one blown) in April. He blew three more saves in May and management had seen enough.
Dyson has pitched well all season. He has a 2.05 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and nine saves. He already has one win and three saves with only one earned run this month. Surprisingly, he is still available in 43 percent of leagues.
Dyson is able to overpower opposing batters with his 96 MPH fastball, which is a big contributor to his 27 strikeouts this season. There is a little control issue, seven walks, but nothing that will remove him from the role.
Tolleson is no longer even in the closer conversation, so you can pick Dyson up with ease. Of the five pitchers on this list, his role is the most secure. Trying to find a locked-in closer at this point in the season is near impossible.
Next: No. 1: Will Harris
Will Harris is the newly-named closer for the Houston Astros. He is also the most-added closer in fantasy over the last seven days. He’s been added in 22.3 percent of leagues. He is exactly the pitcher I’m talking about. As soon as someone is named the closer, go out at grab him. The manager believes in his skill and there is greater value as the closer compared to being a middle reliefer or set-up man.
The Astros began the season with Luke Gregerson as the closer, not even considering Ken Giles, who they traded for with the Philadelphia Phillies. Gregerson started the season great, 1.64 ERA and six saves in his first 10 games.
Then, things went downhill. In his next 19 games, he had a 5.71 ERA and seven saves in 12 chances. Those blown saves are what cost Gregerson is job. And instead of going to someone else with closer experience in Giles, the team decided to go with the better pitcher in Harris.
Harris has shined this season. He has a 0.63 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 9.4 K/9. He has recorded three saves already. While he did allow a run in his last save chance against the Tampa Bay Rays, it was the first one he allowed since April 7.
Harris hasn’t been named the closer for the rest of the season, and it looks like Houston may take the committee approach, but I think Harris will get the call more than the other relief pitchers.
Next: Wrap Up
All five of these relief pitchers need to be owned in more leagues. It may be recency bias for some, but they are all pitching well over the last couple of weeks.
Harris is new to his role, but he’s been successful so far. Cingarni is just the hot hand right now, but could lose his job next week. Dyson doesn’t have anything to worry about with the Rangers. Oh is a good hand to have in the middle of the bullpen as someone to regulate your ratio stats and Jeffress could also lose his job in the future.
However, until anything negative happens to these relief pitchers, they are the best relief pitchers to add off the waiver wire.
Saves are hard to find on the waiver wire. You can pick up a relief pitcher that will get the occasional save opportunity when the closer is unavailable, but the consistency isn’t there. These five relief pitcher are pitching on an almost-daily basis and must be owned.