Be sure to check out my other rankings: C-1B-2B-SS-3B-OF-SP-RP
Drafting closers can be a crapshoot. Raise your hand if you knew Fernando Rodney, Rafael Soriano, and Jim Johnson would have been top ten closers in fantasy baseball in 2012. Now put your hands down because you're LYING!
Craig Kimbrel is the only sure thing this year and the only closer worthy of drafting in the first five rounds. Even still, do you really want to spend an early draft pick on a pitcher which will only contribute 60-70 innings to your team? You'd be better off getting a starting pitcher who can positively impact your team with 200-plus innings. It would be the equivalent of having three mediocre closers.
If you're astute, you can pick up saves late in a draft or even during the season on the waiver wire. Don't overspend for pitchers who can only win you one category.
Here are my rankings and my 2013 projections:
TOP TIER
1. Craig Kimbrel (3 W, 46 SV, 1.27 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 67 IP, 120 K)
116 strikeouts, 27 hits allowed, and only 14 walks in 62.2 innings last year? Those numbers are absurd! I can understand if you'd be tempted to take him in the early rounds. I think it might be a mistake, but I'd understand.
SECOND TIER
2. Jonathan Papelbon (5 W, 39 SV, 2.56 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 70 IP, 88 K)
3. Jason Motte (5 W, 41 SV, 2.78 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 72 IP, 83 K)
4. Mariano Rivera (2 W, 31 SV, 2.74 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 49 IP, 44 K)
5. J.J. Putz (3 W, 34 SV, 2.71 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 55 IP, 59 K)
6. Sergio Romo (5 W, 32 SV, 2.23 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 53 IP, 72 K)
J.J. Putz and Sergio Romo are two excellent examples of closers you will be able to draft much later in drafts who will give you top tier numbers (if Craig Kimbrel didn't exist). According to Yahoo!, both players are going around the 12th round, about four rounds after the other three closers in this group. Wouldn't you rather solidify another positional spot or start rounding out your starting rotation? Red Sox fans remember that Papelbon can be a cardiac closer. Motte only has one full season as a closer on his resume. Can Rivera keep defying Father Time while coming back from a devastating knee injury?
THIRD TIER
7. Rafael Soriano (4 W, 2.99 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 37 SV, 67 IP, 62 K)
8. Fernando Rodney (5 W, 3.22 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 35 SV, 64 IP, 61 K)
9. Joe Nathan (4 W, 3.22 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 34 SV, 52 IP, 55 K)
10. Kenley Jansen (5 W, 2.64 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 22 SV, 56 IP, 87 K)
11. Huston Street (2 W, 2.61 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 27 SV, 44 IP, 48 K)
12. Rafael Betancourt (4 W, 3.09 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 28 SV, 61 IP, 59 K)
13. John Axford (6 W, 3.54 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 35 SV, 73 IP, 94 K)
Soriano will get plenty of opportunities with the Nationals awesome starting rotation. If he falters, he has Drew Storen more than capable to take his job. Are you a believer in Rodney? If you're a Tigers or Angels fan, probably not. Jansen has the abillity to join Kimbrel in the top tier, but heart problems are a concern. Brandon League starting out the year as the Dodgers closer does not worry me. Axford blew nine saves last year, but he has no competition for the closer's gig. He had two really good seasons before last year's debacle. Looks like many may have forgotten that. Their loss will be your gain.
FOURTH TIER
14. Casey Janssen (4 W, 3.02 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 31 SV, 68 IP, 62 K)
15. Greg Holland (6 W, 3.34 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 32 SV, 71 IP, 86 K)
16. Chris Perez (3 W, 3.56 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 30 SV, 55 IP, 56 K)
17. Jim Johnson (4 W, 3.22 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 29 SV, 72 IP, 54 K)
18. Addison Reed (5 W, 3.41 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 31 SV, 73 IP, 80 K)
19. Jonathan Broxton (3 W, 3.29 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 26 SV, 64 IP, 53 K)
20. Jason Grilli (4 W, 2.99 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 25 SV, 72 IP, 65 K)
21. Tom Wilhelmsen (5 W, 3.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 26 SV, 66 IP, 71 K)
22. Grant Balfour (2 W, 3.02 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 19 SV, 44 IP, 51 K)
23. Brandon League (3 W, 3.47 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 12 SV, 72 IP, 51 K)
24. Glen Perkins (3 W, 3.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 24 SV, 70 IP, 67 K)
I wouldn't feel too comfortable with many of these options, which is why I say drafting closers is a crapshoot. They all have question marks. Broxton is only the closer if Aroldis Chapman sticks in the starting rotation. Grilli, Wilhelmsen, League, Balfour are all journeymen. I'd roll the dice with Janssen, Holland, and Reed out of this group.
FIFTH TIER
25. Kyuji Fujikawa (5 W, 2.90 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 16 SV, 74 IP, 76 K)
26. Carlos Marmol (2 W, 3.44 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 12 SV, 66 IP, 91 K)
27. Andrew Bailey (5 W, 3.22 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 16 SV, 51 IP, 57 K)
28. Joel Hanrahan (2 W, 4.11 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 15 SV, 61 IP, 76 K)
29. Joaquin Benoit (6 W, 2.98 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 11 SV, 73 IP, 78 K)
30. Ernesto Frieri (7 W, 3.02 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 14 SV, 70 IP, 87 K)
The top four relievers in this tier I know are causing you to scratch your head (and, probably, to disregard all my other rankings). Mark my words, Marmol and Hanrahan will not be the closers for their respective teams come September. Frieri should be the Angels closer until Ryan Madson is ready... and that's no guarantee. Scioscia has very little patience with his closers so who knows who will be closing for the Angels come August. I can't believe a championship contending team like the Tigers have no closer. I'm not a believer in Bruce Rondon.
BEST OF THE REST
Vinnie Pestano, Steve Cishek, Drew Storen, Ryan Madson, Tyler Clippard, Ryan Cook.
Comments