Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
By Bill Pivetz
With teams changing how they use their relievers, what impact does this have on fantasy baseball drafts?
Just a few years ago, having a top closer was key to success. The number of saves and low ratio stats could have played a big impact on your team. Now, there are just a handful of teams with a clear-cut closer. This makes it hard for fantasy baseball owners to build a solid bullpen.
On the other hand, the lack of standout closers does open up the player pool. There may not be as many relievers getting 35-plus saves but there are more relievers earned close to 10 saves, 43 exact. There were 59 relievers with at least five saves last season.
Relief pitchers can help in four of the five standard pitching categories, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts and saves. Some of the relievers can also earn wins if they are the last pitcher on the mound when their team wins. This is why wins is a tainted fantasy stat.
Just like catcher, fantasy owners should not draft a closer within the first 50 picks, if not later. Look at the stat I just mentioned.m There are 43 relievers with 10 saves. You can find saves throughout the draft and more so on the waiver wire.
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Managers like to cycle through closers without hesitation. The leashes are getting shorter and shorter for closers. FantasyPros has an in-depth closer chart that details each team’s closer and how safe their job is.
According to this chart, there are 10 teams without a clear-cut closer. That does not give fantasy owners a strong indication on who will get the majority of saves for teams like the Braves, Brewers and even the Red Sox.
Because of that, fantasy owners need to dig deep when drafting relief pitchers. So, here are my top-50 relief pitchers for the 2019 season.
50. Ryan Pressly – Pressly had a good five-plus years in Minnesota. The half-season he spent in Houston was an eye-opener to the type of pitcher he could be. He posted a 0.77 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 23.1 innings. He may not get a lot of saves, but the low ratios and high strikeout rate make him a valuable reliever, especially in AL-only leagues.
49. Ryan Brasier – Brasier is one of three relievers competing for the Red Sox closer job. After not pitching in the majors for four seasons, he pitched a 1.60 ERA, 0.772 WHIP and a 29:7 K:BB ratio in 33.2 innings. With is batted ball profile, I think he’s going to be the breakout candidate from the Boston bullpen. Brasier will have a 3.30 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 25 saves. As a late-round pick, he’s a nice sleeper pick.
48. Greg Holland – After recording 41 saves in 2017, Holland did not look good last season. I think the move to Arizona will help him bounce back. The humidor stifled home runs last year and that shouldn’t change this season. He may not be the Diamondbacks closer but I think Holland can see some ownership. He’ll have an ERA in the low 4.00’s with 10 saves and 60 strikeouts.
47. Hector Neris – Neris recorded 26 saves with a 3.01 ERA in 2017. Things went south last year with a 5.10 ERA, 1.301 WHIP and just 11 saves. With David Robertson in the mix, Neris’ value takes a hit. Three of the four projections have Neris pitching in 40.0 innings. With that, though, he should have a 3.65 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 62 strikeouts and six saves.
46. Brad Peacock – Peacock won’t record many saves for the Astros but he’ll be used in a lot of games. With his experience as a starter, don’t be surprised if he’s used as a long reliever if a starter is rocked early or gets hurt. He’ll pitch close to 80 innings and post a 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 88 strikeouts. Peacock is one of those relievers you want for the strikeouts and a few extra wins.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
45. Hunter Strickland – The Mariners added a few pieces to their bullpen this offseason to make up for the loss of Edwin Diaz. Strickland currently sits atop the depth chart as the projected closer but there is another name (look below) that will be competing with him. Strickland recorded 14 saves with a 3.97 ERA, 1.412 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 45.1 innings last year. He isn’t a big strikeout pitcher and relies on his defense to get him out of trouble. There’s some risk in drafting Strickland
44. Mark Melancon – Melancon was dominant for the Pirates over a two-and-a-half year span, recording 114 saves. His last two seasons with the Giants haven’t been anything close to those years. He has just 14 saves with a 3.78 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 69.0 innings. He isn’t the Giants closer but he could pitch in the ninth if they need him to. A 3.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 55 strikeouts over 65.0 innings are what you should expect.
43. Keone Kela – Kela was great last year as the Rangers full-time closer. Now in Pittsburgh, he’ll have to settle for a back-up spot. Though, if you play in a league that keeps track of holds, Kela is one of the best. He posted a 2.93 ERA, 0.978 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 15.1 innings with the Pirates. Felipe Vazquez is the closer but Kela has the experience to take over should Vazquez struggle or get hurt.
42. Matt Barnes – Barnes is the other Red Sox reliever battling for the closer job. The offense and starting rotation are good enough to keep the team in games in the late innings. So there will be saves to go around, it just depends on who will earn them. Barnes saw an increase to his walk rate last season but was able to limit the number of balls hit in the air and out of the park. His high strikeout rate makes him a nice sleeper candidate late in drafts.
41. Anthony Swarzak – The second Mariners reliever competing for the closer job. Swarzak had a good 2017 but fell apart in 2018. If he can pitch a full season, he should have a 3.90 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 65 strikeouts and 15 saves. I think his value will come from being the Mariners set-up man. He’ll have another 15 to 20 holds. His batted ball profile doesn’t fit the makings of a productive closer.
40. Brad Boxberger – Boxberger recorded 41 saves with the Rays in 2015 but posted a 3.71 ERA. Pitching in the AL East will do that to a reliever. In his first and only season with the Diamondbacks, he had a 4.39 ERA and 1.425 WHIP.
Moving to the AL Central should help him rebound. The division is weak and the ballparks favor pitchers. He’s competing with Wily Peralta for the Royals closer job. Even with a 4.30 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, Boxberger should record 25 saves over a full season.
39. Zack Britton – Britton is one of five Yankees relief pitchers on the list. There may be a team or two that doesn’t even have one. In 25.0 innings with New York last year, he had a 2.88 ERA, 1.160 WHIP, 21 strikeouts and three saves. While he shouldn’t expect 2016 Britton, the use of his sinker and curveball will limit opposing damage. He will just be without the saves.
38. Chad Green – Green is even further away from getting saves in New York than Britton. He’s going to be used in middle relief, eating up innings and bridging the gap between the starter and back-end relievers. That doesn’t mean he won’t have fantasy value. A 3.15 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 85 strikeouts can still help owners.
37. Jeurys Familia – Familia had back-to-back great seasons with the Mets in 2015 and 2016. He recorded 94 total saves in those two years. He split time between the Mets and A’s last year, posting a 3.13 ERA and 1.222 WHIP. He took a backseat role in Oakland and will do so this year with the Mets as Diaz is the new closer. Familia is still worth an add for security purposes though his ratios may be affected facing the Braves, Nationals and Phillies.
36. Blake Parker – The Twins have a job battle between Parker, Trevor May and Trevor Hildenberger. Parker split time closing with the Angels last year, recording 14 saves with a 3.26 ERA and 1.236 WHIP in 66.1 innings. Parker saw regression in his groundball, fly ball, HR/FB and strikeout rates between 2017 and 2018. He likely won’t close on a consistent basis anymore but his numbers are good enough to roster in AL-only or deep leagues.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
35. Jeremy Jeffress – Jeffress is one of three Brewers relievers in my rankings. It’s hard to know which one will get the save opportunities. Jeffress took over the job from Corey Knebel in the second half, recording 12 saves with a 1.21 ERA. Jeffress had a career-high LOB rate and strikeout rate at 92.9 and 29.8 percent, respectively. Jeffress may split time but he’ll be valuable.
34. Kelvin Herrera – Herrera is back in the AL Central after finishing 2018 with the Nationals. He saw a 22 percent increase in his strand rate, but the regression in his ground ball and fly ball rates his ratios may not be the same as his 2015 season. Herrera is the likely closer but his job is not safe with Alex Colome, Nate Jones and Jace Fry in the mix. Draft with caution.
33. Adam Ottavino – Ottavino is the third Yankees reliever fantasy owners can draft. He’s coming over from the Rockies where he had a 3.36 ERA, 1.184 WHIP and 222 strikeouts in 206.0 innings at Coors Field.
Ottavino was never used as the team’s closer, having just 17 career saves. The same will be for him in New York. He managed the hitter-friendly confines of Coors just fine. A 3.66 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 65 innings is a good line for the 33-year-old.
32. Drew Steckenrider – Even with the Marlins signing veteran Sergio Romo, Steckenrider is still the favorite to close in Miami. However, his skills don’t lend themselves to be favorable to your fantasy team. He relies on too many fly balls and doesn’t induce a lot of swing-and-miss stuff. With the Marlins not a competitive team, there will be a limited amount of saves. I project his ceiling will be 25.
31. Alex Colome – Colome struggled in the first half with the Rays. After being traded to Seattle, he posted a 2.53 ERA, 1.036 WHIP, 49 strikeouts and 30 holds. There were 10 different relievers with at least one save for the White Sox last season. With an increase to his swinging strike rate and reduced fly ball rate, he could bounce back nicely in Chicago.
30. Shane Greene – Greene doesn’t have the ratios to be a great closer. But, when you’re the only one on your team who can do the job, it’ll have to suffice. Greene has just one season with an ERA under 3.00. He lost seven percent on his ground ball rate and gained two percent on his contact rate. Greene isn’t a big strikeout pitcher, so his WHIP will be higher than most. Though, I’ll take the 28 saves.
29. Pedro Strop – The Cubs have a couple of relievers that have closer experience, like Brandon Kintzler and Brandon Morrow. However, it’s Strop that will start the season and the team’s closer. He recorded 13 saves with a 2.26 ERA and 0.989 WHIP. His 83.9 percent LOB rate helped but the lack of strikeouts hurts his value. With Morrow dealing with a setback, Strop is someone you need to draft.
28. Mychal Givens – I said Steckenrider may not get many saves in Miami so Givens should get even less than that with the Orioles. After the trade deadline saw Zack Britton and Brad Brach leave the team, Givens posted a 2.25 ERA, 0.625 WHIP, 21 strikeouts and eight saves over 24.0 innings. The consistent decline in his strikeout rate will hurt his value. He’ll have 23 saves with a 3.70 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 68 strikeouts.
27. Jordan Hicks – Hicks would have been a little higher if the Cardinals didn’t sign Andrew Miller. While Miller won’t pitch in the ninth inning as much, he takes away some save chances from Hicks. In his rookie season, Hicks posted a 3.59 ERA, 1.339 WHIP, 70 strikeouts and six saves. Never playing higher than High-A ball, Hicks transitioned nicely and should see more success in his sophomore season.
26. Arodys Vizcaino – Vizcaino has been in and out of the Braves closer role over the past three seasons. He had 10, 14 and 16 saves in each of those seasons, respectively. His ERA dropped as the years kept coming. While he has the most experience of all the Braves relievers, there is a three-headed monster forming. A.J. Minter and Daniel Winkler will also be involved. Vizcaino will finish with a 3.50 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 24 saves.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
25. Dellin Betances – The fourth of five Yankees relievers. They have a trio as the setup man for closer Aroldis Chapman. We’ve seen Betances pitch in the ninth inning before and it wasn’t pretty. He has a 3.69 ERA in the ninth. Betances doesn’t have an ERA higher than 2.20 in any other inning. If he can stay as a seventh or eighth-inning option, he’ll be an effective reliever. He’ll have a 2.75 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and over 100 strikeouts. If needed, he’ll have a few saves too.
24. AJ Minter – If you want a bit more reliability from a Braves reliever, Minter is the guy to target. While he doesn’t strike out as many batters as other relievers, 26.5 percent strikeout rate, he is able to get out of bad situations. His batted ball profile leads to a lot of hits so his ratios may not be the best. Minter may not get as many saves but if Vizcaino gets hurt or struggles, Minter could make some appearances in the ninth inning.
23. Jose Alvarado – The Rays have a job battle for the closer position but I think Alvarado wins the job by Opening Day. In 64.0 innings, he had a 2.39 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, 80 strikeouts and eight saves. Alvarado had a 55.0 ground ball rate due to the heavy use of his sinker. With a full season as the Rays closer, he could easily move into the top 15. Alvarado could finish with a 2.95 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 35 saves and 80 strikeouts.
22. Brandon Morrow – Morrow finished with 22 saves in just 30.2 innings last year but a biceps injury cut his season short. He underwent elbow surgery on November 6 and is unlikely to be with the team on Opening Day. Even with his O-Swing% dropping from 40.2 percent to 28.9 percent, his strikeout rate dropped just four percent. Morrow is one of the few players I’d stash on my DL or bench and wait until he’s healthy.
21. Archie Bradley – The former starter-turned-reliever has been effective since joining the Diamondbacks bullpen. Despite the signing of Greg Holland, Bradley is the likely candidate to earn saves in Arizona. Bradley did see an increase in his fly ball, HR/FB and hard-hit rates, which led to the increase in his ratios. Bradley should pitch to a 3.55 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 65 strikeouts and 28 saves.
20. Will Smith – Smith leads a bullpen full of former closers, Sam Dyson and Mark Melancon. But, after the season Smith had in 2018, he’ll be leading the bullpen again in 2019. He had a 2.55 ERA, 0.981 WHIP, 71 strikeouts and 14 saves in 53.0 innings.
While the Diamondbacks slipped, the Padres greatly improved. He’s been rumored to be on the trade block. Until then, Smith is good for 27 saves with a 2.85 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 75 strikeouts.
19. Cody Allen – The Angels had nine relievers record at least one save last season and four with at least four. Allen saw his ERA balloon to over 4.00 last season. The AL West is weak outside of the Astros, so he should see his ratio stats come down a bit. However, with the regression to his ground ball, fly ball and HR/FB rates, he may not be long for the closer role. He could get 30 saves but that is far from a guarantee.
18. Andrew Miller – Miller joins the Cardinals as the backup to Jordan Hicks. He dealt with injuries last season as he pitched in just 34.0 innings. Moving to the revamped NL Central may not be the best thing for the soon-to-be 34-year-old reliever. The FantasyPros closer depth chart projects Miller for 20 saves. I think he’s better off in the set-up role. He may not reach 100 strikeouts again but 80 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.12 WHIP is still not a bad season.
17. David Robertson – Robertson joins the loaded Phillies as the likely closer. Between 2014 and 106, Robertson recorded at least 34 saves with a 3.32 ERA and 1.116 WHIP in those three seasons. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler may not use a traditional closer this season as more teams go with a committee approach. The Phillies have Hector Neris and Seranthony Dominguez in the bullpen. He’ll have to maintain a 45 percent ground ball rate for a successful season.
16. Wade Davis – Davis recorded 43 saves last season with a 4.13 ERA and 1.056 WHIP. Between June 3 and Aug. 9, Davis allowed 24 runs in 24.1 innings. Though, in his final 18.0 innings, he had a 0.50 ERA and .117 batting average against. Pitching in Colorado may not help his ratios but the offense is good enough to post a lead late into games.
Davis has little competition for his job, so he’ll have to do a horrible job in order to be removed. A 3.75 ERA, 1.30 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 32 saves are expected for Davis. You may want to take him at a discount due to his home field.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
15. Jose Leclerc – The Rangers are the worst team in the AL West and are one of the worst teams in the league. They continue to add aging players on low salaries while stockpiling prospects and preparing for the future. As a result, Leclerc may not get a lot of saves but he is the only option the Rangers have. Leclerc saw regression in his batted ball profile but had a great ERA and WHIP over 57.2 innings. He’ll be good for a 2.65 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 88 strikeouts and 27 saves.
14. Ken Giles – Giles improved in the second half after being traded to Toronto. He had a good 2017 season but declined at the start of 2018. He induced more ground balls but more home runs per fly balls. Giles’ contact rate went up about three percent last season. Entering this season, he is slated as the Blue Jays closer and will provide owners with strikeouts and saves. Though, Ryan Tepera is looming in the background.
13. Corey Knebel – Knebel is the second of the three Brewers possible closers. He had a great 2017 season but was a bit inconsistent last year. He posted a 3.58 ERA, 1.084 WHIP and 16 saves. In his final 16.1 innings, Knebel had a 0.00 ERA, 0.490 WHIP and 33 strikeouts.
Knebel doesn’t get a lot of batters to swing outside of the strikeout, career 26.5 O-Swing rate, so he’ll have to manage the strikeout. With the other options the Brewers have, Knebel may not reach 30 saves. I think 20 is his ceiling.
12. Kirby Yates – After trading Brad Hand and Adam Cimber, Yates took over as the Padres closer. In the second half, he posted a 3.20 ERA, 0.987 WHIP, 42 strikeouts and 10 saves. Yates had some struggles, allowing three game-winning home runs in August. Looking at the rest of the bullpen, Yates doesn’t have much competition. With the improvements the Padres made to the offense, he should have more than his fair share of save opportunities. With a 3.30 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, Yates could reach 30 saves.
11. Josh Hader – Hader had a ridiculously good season last year. He was sixth in innings and first in strikeouts among relievers. Hader posted a 2.43 ERA, 0.811 WHIP, 143 strikeouts and 12 saves over 81.1 innings. The fact that he can pitch multiple innings per outing makes me believe that he won’t be seen in the ninth inning as much.
He will rack up the strikeouts across those innings. The NL Central got a bit tougher but he should post a 2.60 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 125 strikeouts and close to 15 saves mixed in.
10. Raisel Iglesias – Iglesias is one of the few closers with his role locked up. He recorded 30 saves with a 2.38 ERA, 1.069 WHIP and 80 strikeouts. Pitching in Great American Ballpark can be tough but Iglesias was able to maintain respectable ratios, 2.63 ERA and 0.902 WHIP. Though the ratios look fine, Iglesias allowed more fly balls, home runs and hard-hit balls. I think he’ll see an increase to his ERA and WHIP while recording 32 saves and 80 strikeouts.
9. Sean Doolittle – Unless Craig Kimbrel signs with the Nationals, Doolittle is lined to be Washington’s closer. He joined the team at the trade deadline in 2017. Since then, he has a 1.92 ERA, 0.760 WHIP, 91:14 K:BB ratio and 46 saves. The NL East saw improvements to three of the four teams so he may see an increase to his ratios. Doolittle also has a health issue, pitching in fewer than 60 innings in each of the last four seasons.
8. Brad Hand – Hand pitched well in his short time with the Indians in the second half of 2018. Over the last three seasons, Hand has been one of the best relievers in the game, sometimes going under the radar in fantasy leagues. He is one of two relievers to record at least 100 strikeouts in each of the last three years. Hand should have no problem doing it for a fourth season in the AL Central. He should post a 2.95 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and close to 40 saves.
7. Felipe Vazquez – The beginning of 2018 was a struggle for Vazquez. Through June 13, he blew four saves with a 4.73 ERA and 1.575 WHIP. From that point on, though, he had a 1.45 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 25 saves in 26 chances. Vazquez had a 10-percent decline in his ground ball rate but allowed fewer home runs. He had a fastball close to 99 MPH with a nice mix of a change-up and slider. He is a low-end RP1 in standard leagues.
6. Roberto Osuna – Osuna was great in 2016 and 2017, recording 75 saves with a 3.00 ERA and 0.899 WHIP. He only pitched in 38.0 innings last year as he was serving a suspension. With that in the rearview mirror, Osuna and the Astros are looking towards 2019. He is still only 24 years old, which is still hard to believe.
Though, with the increase in usage, his ratios will go up. You can’t use his 2018 numbers as a benchmark. I think he’ll get to 40 saves with the Astros rotation and offense supporting him.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
Aroldis Chapman is one of the hardest throwers in the league. Though, his knee injury kept him from averaging 100 MPH on his fastball. Since joining the Yankees, he hasn’t saved 40 games, surpassed 100 strikeouts or 60 innings. Yet, he’s still regarded as one of the best closers in the game.
Looking at his batted ball profile, Chapman likes to keep the ball on the ground. His line drive rate is under 20 percent and his HR/FB rate hasn’t reached eight percent since 2013. Chapman did have a career-high 14.2 percent walk rate, but his high strikeout rate allowed him to have a 29.7 percent K-BB rate.
His ERA is going to sit around 2.50 with a 1.07 WHIP. His ability to generate swings and misses will limit the number of batters that get on base but he is prone to an earned run or two. He’s one of the relievers you target to help with strikeouts.
With his injury history, there is some risk in drafting Chapman. Will he reach 60 innings? I don’t think so. The Yankees have a deep bullpen so if Chapman is struggling or showing signs of fatigue, I don’t think Aaron Boone will hesitate in resting him in favor for one of their other relievers.
If you draft Chapman, it shouldn’t be before pick 80. The Yankees offense is good enough to get a lead so the save opportunities will be there. The only question is if Chapman will be on the mound to get them.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
Spring Training is underway and Craig Kimbrel still doesn’t have a team. The Red Sox say they are moving on from Kimbrel. The Phillies, even with signing David Robertson, still need bullpen help. A reunion with the Braves and Padres have been rumored as well.
The Nationals are also in the mix and seem to be the furthest along in bringing the 30-year-old reliever into the bullpen. They have Sean Doolittle, Trevor Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough in the mix but already having closers in the mix hasn’t stopped them before.
Kimbrel saw his ERA jump over a run and a slight increase to his WHIP between 2017 and 2018. He struck out 30 fewer batters as well. There was a lot of regression to his batted ball profile, especially to his ground ball rate. However, Kimbrel allowed more soft hits than hard hits last season.
Kimbrel is still a reliable reliever with good ratios and the ability to get close to 100 strikeouts. His fantasy value will ultimately be decided on where he signs. The home ballpark, opposing teams and possible competition all determine on how valuable he will be for both his team and your fantasy team.
Unless he signs somewhere void of talent, Kimbrel will still be a top-five closer. If he is in a situation where saves will be few and far between, then he falls to the bottom of my top 10.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
Blake Treinen was a solid middle reliever for the Nationals. But he got his opportunity as a closer in the second half of the 2017 season with Oakland. He posted a 1.22 ERA, 0.938 WHIP, 142 strikeouts and 51 saves in 118.1 innings with the A’s so far.
Treinen was one of the relievers fantasy owners found on the waiver wire and helped carry them to a fantasy championship. He finished second only to Edwin Diaz in closer rankings at the end of the season. Treinen finished sixth in the AL Cy Young voting.
Treinen did lose about eight percent in his ground ball rate while his line drive rate went up about six percent. Batters made almost the exact same contact off him between 2017 and 2018. Though, batters were swinging at more pitches out of the strike zone, almost 43 percent.
Treinen has little competition behind him. Joakim Soria, Fernando Rodney (he’ll never be without of a job) and Lou Truvino are next in line. Truvino was solid last year so he would be my backup if I had Treinen.
Even with how good he was, Treinen will not repeat his 2018 season. It will be very hard to put up those numbers again. He is some people’s No. 2 closer but that’s personal preference. Regardless, he should be drafted before pick 50 in mixed leagues.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
Kenley Jansen has been good for so long that we never thought we’d see a season like 2018 from him. He posted a 3.01 ERA, 0.991 WHIP, 82 strikeouts and 38 saves. As he recovers from heart surgery, Jansen should have no problem getting back to normal.
He allowed fewer ground balls and left fewer men on base with a 35.3 ground ball rate and 82.1 strand rate. Jansen’s strikeout rate fell almost 20 percent from 42.3 to 28.4 percent.
Hitters were making harder contact against Jansen as he lost 1 MPH off his fastball and used his slider two percent less. That was the cause of his 15.9 percent HR/FB rate.
Jansen pitches for the best team in the NL West but there is some stiff competition. Dodger Stadium was ranked 11th in home runs, according to ESPN Park Factors. That could factor into a higher ERA this season.
The lack of competition behind him makes Jansen one of the true workhorse closers. Though, his health concerns push him outside of the “elite” status. Jansen should have a 3.12 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 36 saves. He shouldn’t be drafted before Round 6.
Fantasy Baseball 2019: Top 50 Relief Pitcher Rankings
Edwin Diaz also had a breakout season last season. After posting a 3.27 ERA in 2017, Diaz had a 1.98 ERA last year. He paired that with a 0.791 WHIP, 124 strikeouts and 57 saves in 73.1 innings. While he is my top closer, do not expect anything close to that again this season.
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The move to the NL East is the main reason why he’ll face regression. The Mets new closer will have to pitch against the loaded Phillies and the solid offenses of the Nationals and Braves. Plus, expect some games against the tough NL Central teams, too.
Both Citizens Bank Park and Nationals Park ranked in the top five in home runs while Citi Field was 22nd. With his improved ground ball rate and effective use of his slider, Diaz should have a sub-2.50 ERA this season.
Diaz saw improvements to his O-Swing, contact, swinging strike and first-pitch strike rates. All of this led to Diaz finishing second among relievers in strikeouts. It also helped that the Mariners led the league with 81 save chances.
While the Mets did improve their offense, there’s no way Diaz will reach close to 57 saves again. He’ll be lucky to see 40. He will have a 1.03 WHIP and 105 strikeouts but 38 saves is my ceiling for him. Even though he is the top closer, he’s not worth drafting before Round 5.
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That’s it for my position rankings for the 2019 fantasy baseball season. Keep notes on players’ production, injuries and playing time throughout Spring Training. Use my rankings as a guide to building your own based on your league’s settings.