Closer In Waiting Power Rankings: April 22, 2017: Major Changes In Top 3 & More
by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)
Are you someone constantly on the lookout for the next potential closer? That’s what we are trying to pinpoint here, with our Top 5 Closer In Waiting Power Rankings. These rankings look at the pitchers who appear capable of taking over their team’s respective closing duties (though in some cases, will need some help to get there). Keep in mind, if a pitcher is currently part of a committee they will not be included in these rankings (i.e. the Oakland A’s and Cincinnati Reds situations) despite not currently “holding” the job outright.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at how things stand:
|
Rank
|
Player
|
Team
|
Current Closer
|
Note
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sean Doolittle (NR) | Oakland A’s | Santiago Casilla | With Doolittle not getting on opportunity since April 15 (when he blew a save), this doesn’t appear to be a committee. That said given Casilla’s track record from ’16 (9 BSV, 15 over past two years) it’s easy to imagine him struggling and relinquishing the role. |
| 2. | Koda Glover (NR) | Washington Nationals | Shawn Kelley | Glover may see an opportunity or too, thanks to the team being cautious with their closers’ usage. That said we also can’t ignore the early season struggles Kelley had or the upside of Glover. With Blake Treinen already failing, if there’s another stumble it’ll be Glover who gets the shot at the role. |
| 3. | Joaquin Benoit (NR) | Philadelphia Phillies | Hector Neris | It appears that a HR to Bryce Harper indeed cost him his job. Neris struggled on Friday (leadoff HR) & while he’s been the best reliever for Philadelphia isn’t a lock to hold down the role. If you are Benoit owner, don’t drop him quite yet. |
| 4. | Trevor Rosenthal (1) | St. Louis Cardinals | Seung-Hwan Oh | There are a lot of problems with the Cardinals right now, but we can’t ignore the ones Oh is having. He’s yet to have an IP without a H (13 H in 7.2 IP) and has allowed R in four of seven appearances. Rosenthal stumbled on Friday, while Oh grabbed the save, but that doesn’t ease the concerns. It may not take many more struggles from Oh to lead to a change. |
| 5. | Justin Wilson (2) | Detroit Tigers | Francisco Rodriguez | The thought had always been that Rodriguez wouldn’t lose his job unless he’s traded, though that could be quickly changing. He blew a save on Wednesday (his 2nd of the season) and has allowed runs in four of his seven appearances. With Wilson pitching well, a change could be coming. |
Graduated:
- None
Dropped Off Rankings:
- Corey Knebel (3) – Milwaukee Brewers – He drops off because of a numbers game and nothing more. Keep a close eye on him,
as another stumble from Neftali Feliz will send him flying back up the rankings - Luke Gregerson (4) – Houston Astros – After some questionable usage Ken Giles returned to closing on Friday night & Gregerson could have to battle Chris Devinski for opportunities
- J.J. Hoover – Arizona Diamondbacks (5) – While no one is going to trust Fernando Rodney, there’s unfortunately no guarantee that it’s Hoover who emerges (Archie Bradley anyone?)
Others We’re Monitoring:
- Kyle Barraclough – Miami Marlins
- Brad Hand – San Diego Padres
- Joakim Soria – Kansas City Royals
- Arodys Vizcaino – Atlanta Braves
Injured Setup Men To Monitor:
- Jake Barrett – Arizona Diamondbacks
- Carter Capps – San Diego Padres
Make sure to check out our Preseason 2017 Prospect Rankings:
| Top 50 Prospects | 1-50 | |
| Catcher | 1-10 | |
| First Base | 1-10 | |
| Second Base | 1-10 | |
| Shortstop | 1-10 | |
| Third Base | 1-10 | |
| Outfielders: | 1-10 | 11-20 |
| Right Handed Pitchers: | 1-10 | 11-20 |
| Left Handed Pitchers: | 1-10 |
Source: http://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=32736
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