The Great Wade Davis

Oct 11, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis (17) pitches in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles in game two of the 2014 ALCS game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Wade Davis of the Kansas City Royals had mostly been seen as a fifth starter for teams in his career, but his 2012 and 2014 stints as a full time reliever were the best stints of his career.

If you play in a league with holds, then Wade Davis is nearly as valuable as Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman, or his ninth-inning teammate, Greg Holland.  If not, then Wade Davis may be barely worth a roster spot.

If you watched the Royals at all during the regular season or this postseason, then you are very well aware of how great Wade Davis has been.

The most impressive facts about Davis in 2014:

• According to baseball-reference.com, his WAR was 3.7, while according to fangraphs.com, his WAR was 3.1 in only 72 innings pitched.
• Wade Davis struck out 109 batters in 2014, which is only five less than his strikeout total in 2013 where he made 24 starts and 7 relief appearances.
• His ERA+ was 399 where 100 is the league average.
• Wade Davis did not allow a single home run this season.

To expand on the last bullet point, the last time Wade Davis saw a ball sail over the fence when he was on the mound was in August of 2013.

In 2014, Davis pitched to the tune of a 1.00 ERA, .84 WHIP, 13.63 K/9, 3 saves, 33 holds, and a 9-2 record.  Even if you are in a league without holds, Wade Davis was able to help you protect ratios and seriously bring up the strikeout total for a player who only pitched 72 innings.

In fact, Wade Davis threw more strikeouts than Chris Young and Doug Fister who both qualified for the ERA title (minimum of one inning pitched for every game).

However, how much value can you really place on a guy who does not start every fifth day or pitch in the ninth inning?  I do not really know the answer to that question, but I tend to own a middle reliever every year to protect my ratios and add some extra strikeouts.

While it is unlikely that Wade Davis completely repeats his performance this season, he has cemented himself as a premier set-up man.  Plus, he acts as arguably the top handcuff in fantasy baseball because of his abilities, statistics, and the fact that the Royals should be a good team again in 2015.

To me, Wade Davis is one of the top middle relievers to own in 2015.  I would certainly spend a last round pick on him or $1 in an auction league because I personally like to aid my pitching ratios if at all possible.

For now, I would just sit back and watch him pitch in the ALCS against the Baltimore Orioles.