Fantasy Baseball 2018: Raisel Iglesias is a sleeper closer
By Bill Pivetz
The Reds may not be projected to win a lot of games next season. That doesn’t mean you don’t draft some players, including closer Raisel Iglesias.
The Cincinnati Reds were a big disappointment in real baseball. In fantasy baseball, however, the team provided owners with some good hitters to own throughout the season. There was also a good pitcher on the team worth owning. That would be closer Raisel Iglesias.
With two seasons as a reliever under his belt, Iglesias enters the 2018 season as a sleeper pick among closers. There are also a lot of teams with question marks in their closer role, moving Iglesias up in the ranks. But how far does he move up?
Iglesias started his career just three seasons ago as a starting pitcher. In 16 starts, 18 total games, he had a 3-7 record. Iglesias posted a 4.15 ERA, 1.143 WHIP and a 104:28 K:BB ratio in 95.1 innings.
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Reds management didn’t see much in Iglesias as a starter, so they transitioned him to the bullpen. In his first season as a reliever, he had a 2.53 ERA, 1.136 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and six saves.
While the stats look good, fantasy owners were a little skeptical that he could repeat his performance. He had a 179.1 ADP, or 18th round, in ESPN leagues.
Those owners that drafted Iglesias were rewarded with another good season from the third-year pitcher. In 76 innings, he posted a 2.49 ERA, 1.105 WHIP, 10.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and 28 saves. For a team that won just 68 games, recording 28 saves is a good sign.
I wrote about Iglesias being a mid-season waiver add here. There were many closers that let their fantasy owners down whether it was by performance or injury, so finding one on the wire with top-15 potential was a nice treat.
In my preliminary 2018 rankings, Iglesias doesn’t reach my top 10 just yet. I will likely have him in my top 15 though. Other fantasy outlets have Iglesias inside their top 15. CBS Sports rankers put him in their top 12.
I wouldn’t go that high just yet, but that doesn’t mean he can finish there by this time next year. He lowered his ERA and WHIP from 2016 to 2017 while greatly increasing his strikeout rate.
Iglesias allowed more line drives this season but he lowered his fly ball and HR/FB rates. The 60.8 medium hit rate likely affected the line drive rate. The soft hit rate usually goes along with ground balls and the hard-hit rate goes with fly balls. If he can lower the line drives and induce more ground balls, Iglesias will be a dominant closer.
Pitching in the National League also helps Iglesias’ prospects. Six of the top-10 strikeout teams are NL teams, including two of the Reds divisional opponents, the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs.
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Just because Iglesias is ranked inside the top-15 doesn’t mean he isn’t a sleeper. I expect a lot of owners to pass on Iglesias as their No. 2 or 3 closer. This is where you strike. If he falls to the 13th or 14th round, that’s a great value pick.