Fantasy Baseball 2017 Tier Rankings: Relief Pitching
By Bill Pivetz
Other Positions: Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Outfield, Starting Pitching
Drafting relief pitching has evolved into more than just drafting a closer. Set-up men now have more value in fantasy. Here are my reliever rankings.
Back in the day, fantasy owners would draft only the closer of each team. They were the ones helping your ratio stats and most importantly getting saves. Now, drafting relief pitching has grown from that and now includes the guy behind the closer and maybe even the seventh-inning pitcher in deeper leagues.
Obviously, (most) closers have more value than standard relief pitchers. Unlike hitters, closers are the only ones that record saves. Yes, a relief pitcher can fill in for a day or two, but it’s not consistent. That, along with the low ratio stats, make for valuable pieces to your fantasy team.
I liken drafting the set-up man to drafting the No. 2 running back in fantasy football. Whether it’s injury or poor performance, a manager could make the switch at any moment. You want to be the first to have that next pitcher before the rest of your opponents.
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There are teams with clear-cut closers and there’s no competition. Next, there are teams with a closer but he may not be there by the end of the season.
Lastly, there are a few teams with a question mark at the position. You may have an idea but nothing is concrete, like the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros. I recommend staying away from those situations.
As you know, I did one post per position with this being the final one. Unlike last year, where I broke up each tier into its own post, this allows you to see all of my rankings for each position at once.
I have 43 relief pitchers broken up into seven tiers. The top tier features the obvious closers. Most of the tiers have seven relievers. Their fantasy value and skill levels are too similar that it’s tough to separate them.
In the spirit of not repeating myself or my fellow contributors, I will link to the articles of players if we already talked about them. I will expand on a couple of other outfielders per tier.
Honorable mention: Corey Knebel (MIL), Will Harris (HOU), Darren O’Day (BAL)
The pitchers in this tier are solid relievers. In order for them to move to the next level, they need a closer spot to open up.
Sean Doolittle (OAK)
Trevor Rosenthal (STL) – Rosenthal was a solid closer for years. Last year was a down year and he lost the job. There were reports that the Cardinals were looking to stretch him out and make him a starter. That hasn’t materialized and he looks to be the long reliever. He will get you two to three innings per outing with low ratio stats. I’d draft him in deeper leagues.
Tyler Thornburg (BOS) – While he is dealing with his own injuries, I think he could replace Boston’s star closer if he struggles again.
Hector Rondon (CHC) – Rondon pitched well last season but when you have the opportunity to acquire the best closer, you do it. As a result, Rondon was relegated to eighth-inning duties. He finished with a 3.53 ERA and 0.980 WHIP. With the injury history of the Cubs’ current closer, Rondon may record another 10 saves.
Arodys Vizcaino (ATL)
Jeremy Jeffress (TEX)
This tier features more backups, except for one. The difference between the previous tier and this one is that these pitchers will have more of an impact. They could easily be the closer if a team needed one or if their respective team’s closer goes down with an injury. Some of them may be the closer by the end of the year.
Kyle Barraclough (MIA) – If the Marlins front office wants to move on from their current closer, Barraclough will fill in nicely. He is a nice value pick late.
Hector Neris (PHI) – Despite not being the closer, Neris is the Phillies relief pitcher to own. He had a better ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. I’m honestly surprised he wasn’t named the team’s closer but I think it won’t last long.
Neftali Feliz (MIL) – After the Brewers traded most of their bullpen in the second half of last season, they needed someone to pitch in the ninth inning. Enter Feliz. He pitched well but not well enough to draft as a top-30 closer.
Nate Jones (CWS) – With the rumors surrounds the White Sox trading their closer, Jones has gotten a boost in value. He is the set-up man now but could be the closer by the end of the season. He had a 2.29 ERA, 0.890 WHIP and 80:15 K:BB ratio.
Jim Johnson (ATL) – At 34 years old, Johnson is still fantasy relevant. He recorded 23 saves with a 3.06 ERA and 1.190 WHIP. In my 10-team league, Johnson was drafted in the 20th round. Saves can be found late. He will start the season as the closer. I don’t think Vizcaino will play a factor into the closer role, meaning this is Johnson’s role for the year. He should be able to post 30 saves.
Koda Glover (WAS) – Yes, I’m hopping on the bandwagon. Here is Brad Kelly’s piece on him.
Addison Reed (NYM) – With a suspension looming for the Mets closer, Reed is the likely candidate to fill in for him. Reports say that the suspension will be less than the 30 days another closer received so Reed won’t spend much time in the role. However, he is a good reliever to have on your roster. He posted a 1.97 ERA and 0.940 WHIP in 77.2 innings.
These relief pitchers have shaky pasts which could cost them their jobs at some point this season. Be careful when drafting them. You may want to get their backups in case a switch is made.
Jeanmar Gomez (PHI) – Despite the 4.85 ERA, Gomez is going to start the season as the Phillies closer. With the poor numbers, he will fall in drafts, making him a great late draft value.
Shawn Kelley (WAS)
Adam Ottavino (COL)
Cam Bedrosian (LAA)
Greg Holland (COL) – There is a lot of debate surrounding who will be the Rockies closer. Ottavino pitched well at the end of the season to earn his spot. Holland was one of the most dominant closers for Kansas City before undergoing Tommy John surgery. If his arm holds up, he could be elite once again. I just can’t trust a pitcher in Colorado, regardless of skill.
Brandon Maurer (SD) – Maurer will start the season as the Padres closer. He took over after the Padres traded Fernando Rodney at the deadline. He did alright, 4.52 ERA, 1.260 WHIP and 13 saves. The team also signed Carter Capps, the almost-closer for the Marlins last season. Don’t be surprised is Capps takes the job at some point.
Ryan Madson (OAK)
The closers listed here have been around for a few years and continue to put up good enough numbers. They aren’t going to blow you away, but will
Fernando Rodney (ARI) – I don’t know how, but Rodney continues to find work. He is now playing for his eighth team in the Diamondbacks. The offense is decent with their star hitters, but I don’t think the pitching staff will be good enough to pass leads over to the bullpen. I don’t expect more than 25 saves for him.
Sam Dyson (TEX)
Tony Watson (PIT) – Watson is someone I think would perform better in the eighth inning. However, that doesn’t mean he will fail as the closer. He had a 3.47 ERA and 1.029 WHIP in 23.1 innings in the ninth and a 3.03 ERA and 1.206 innings in the eighth. I think he will get 30 saves.
Raisel Iglesias (CIN) – Iglesias could record 30 saves or there could be three relievers with 10 saves. This is a situation to avoid.
Alex Colome (TB) – The Rays have a solid bullpen but Colome is the one that took over the closer role. He is getting passed by in drafts despite having no competition. Colome is worth drafting as your No. 2 closer.
Francisco Rodriguez (DET)
A.J. Ramos (MIA) – Barraclough is waiting in the wings. If you draft him, you are hoping he stays in the role.
This tier is home to a few young relievers ready to make a name for themselves. Another good season this year will put them into that top-10 class.
Jeurys Familia (NYM) – Keep tabs on any suspension news. Any missed time will hurt his value.
Dellin Betances (NYY) – I look at Betances as the poor man’s version of Andrew Miller. He is a dominant relief pitcher with a lack of saves. He has the ability to throw over 100 strikeouts with low ratio stats. Let’s just hope the breakdown in arbitration between him and the Yankees doesn’t affect his performance this year.
Ken Giles (HOU)
Kelvin Herrera (KC)
Cody Allen (CLE) – Even though he is the Indians closer, Allen is going to be the second Cleveland reliever drafted. He had a 2.51 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 87 strikeouts. Allen also recorded 32 saves in 35 opportunities. While other owners are targeting the other guy, wait a couple of rounds and draft Allen.
David Robertson (CWS) – Robertson underwent knee surgery back in November. The White Sox traded two star players and don’t seem to be done yet (cough Quintana cough). If Robertson does get traded, his value will depend on where he lands. If he lands where the rumors say, I think his value rises.
Seung-Hwan Oh (STL) – Oh is gaining a lot of hype heading into Opening Day. He will be one of the first to go from this second tier.
Andrew Miller (CLE) – While he isn’t the closer, Miller will be a top pick among relief pitchers.
Edwin Diaz (SEA) – Diaz looked good in a shortened season. He had 88 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. I think with 70 innings, he can reach 100 strikeouts. That paired with a low ERA and WHIP could make him a top-five closer.
Craig Kimbrel (BOS)
Wade Davis (CHC) – After losing their short-term closer at the end of the season, the Cubs traded for another top closer in Davis. I think the move to the National League will help him a bit. I do recommend handcuffing him with Rondon. He only pitched in 43.1 innings last year.
Mark Melancon (SF) – The front office let their two previous closers go, but were confident they were going to land one of the top free agents. After a great season with the Pirates and Nationals, Melancon will be the full-time closer for the Giants. He is still in the NL, so he doesn’t lose much value.
Roberto Osuna (TOR) – The Blue Jays added Jason Grilli early last season. Management then added two more veteran relievers this offseason. Yet, Osuna is still expected to be the closer. If you do draft him, you’re hoping for an ERA lower than 2.68.
There’s nothing more I can say about these three. They blow the other relievers out of the water.
Kenley Jansen (LAD) – The Dodgers added support for Jansen this offseason. Here is the fallout for the recently re-signed closer.
Zach Britton (BAL) – Britton posted ridiculous numbers in 2016. Can he get close to repeating them in 2017?
Aroldis Chapman (NYY) – Chapman had great success with the Yankees and Cubs last season. He looked to be suffering from fatigue by the time Game 7 came around. Now, he’s back in New York with a good bullpen behind him. With a 105 MPH fastball and a developing off-speed game, he is the best closer in 2017.
Relief pitching has become more important in real baseball. Teams are building up their bullpens, trying to shorten the game. This gives more value to relievers outside of the ninth inning. It also deepens the pool which means you can wait a while before drafting for this position.