Orioles Zach Britton: Dominant in 2016, Top RP in 2017?

By Brad Kelly | Oct 5, 2016

Oct 4, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Zach Britton (53) pitches during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles won 9-4. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Zach Britton has been nearly unhittable for the Orioles this season, easily turning in an elite fantasy RP season. Should he be the first RP taken next season?

After the Orioles crushing defeat at the hands of the Jays last night, the biggest question asked after the game was, where was Zach Britton at? Britton never made it into the wild-card match up, even though he was healthy and ready to go, leaving many to criticize Buck Showalter after the game.

That criticism certainly has its merit as Britton finished the 2016 regular season with a silly, 47 SV/0.54 ERA/0.84 WHIP/74 K line, over 67 innings. He was easily the best pitcher in that game for both sides, and the one guy that had to take the mound in a must-win situation. Now that the O’s are eliminated, fantasy owners can now ponder if Britton should the No.1 RP taken in next years draft.

The simple answer is, yes.

Britton’s journey to becoming one of the premier relievers is well documented. He has gone from failed starter, to now garnering AL Cy Young Award consideration after such an overpowering campaign out of the bullpen. It is hard to put into words just how good he was in 2016, but the stats can speak for themselves.

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Looking past his microscopic ERA, Britton’s batted ball data serves as an offensive nightmare. Armed with a 95+ mph “turbo-sinker”, it easy to see why he generates so many groundballs and stays away from the long ball. But, he took his GB prowess to whole other level this season, posting a 80% GB rate. Combine that with his 11% LD, 9% FB, and 15% Hard contact rates, and fantasy owners can see that batters had no chance to do any damage against him this season.

Over the last three seasons, Britton has amassed 120 SV and has posted no higher than a 1.92 ERA. He has gone from one year wonder, to now bona-fide relief ace. In terms of his fantasy value heading into 2017, Britton is entrenched as a top three RP.

The only question will be whether or not owners make him the first RP taken. The only real knock on Britton’s value, is that he lacks the high-end K upside that most of the upper echelon closers posses. His 74 K this season still yielded a respectable 9.9 SO/9, but there does not seem to much more of a ceiling there based on his arsenal and the fact that he can force such weak contact.

The Orioles should retain their core lineup pieces this off-season, even though they may be outbid for Mark Trumbo’s services, but they should still have enough firepower to compete. Hopefully, a full year from Dylan Bundy and the continued development of Kevin Gausmaan will help headline the rotation, offering Britton plenty of Save opportunities moving forward

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Camden Yards is still a hitters paradise, yet Britton only allowed one homer this season, so the concern there is minimal. Britton could be the first RP taken, simply because he is the safest top option that exists as well. The RP position is constantly in flux, but Britton now has the track record and elite pitch mix that allows him to continually hover at the top of the ranks.

Do not overthink things here. (I am looking at you Buck)

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