Closer In Waiting Power Rankings: April 27, 2017: Drew Storen Belongs On Radars & 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. | Joaquin Benoit (1) | Philadelphia Phillies | Hector Neris | While the Phillies were quick to demote Benoit from the closers role, Neris’ recent struggles could force them to turn back to him before long. The current closer has allowed runs in three straight appearances, allowing 3 ER on 7 H and 2 BB. While they haven’t led to blown saves, they should be leading to some skepticism about his readiness to handle the role. |
| 2. | Drew Storen (NR) | Cincinnati Reds | Raisel Iglesias | You can argue this is a committee, though Storen hasn’t had a save opportunity since April 11 so that’s a tough sell. Storen has been lights out of late, though, and should soon be knocking on the door for an opportunity. Over his past 6 appearances (7.0 IP) he’s allowed 3 H and 1 BB, striking out 11. He’s simply not a name that can be ignored. |
| 3. | Sean Doolittle (3) | 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 in ’16, 15 over past two years) it’s easy to imagine him struggling and relinquishing the role. As it is Casilla has struggled of late, allowing runs in three of his past five appearances (including his first blown save of ’17). |
| 4. | 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 continues to struggle, allowing runs in five of his past seven outings, leading to a 5.87 ERA and 1.83 WHIP. If he doesn’t turn it around Wilson is going to get his opportunity, as he’s clearly outpitched him this season. |
| 5. | J.J. Hoover (NR) | Arizona Diamondbacks | Fernando Rodney | The question was never if Rodney would lose his job, it was when it would happen and who would take the reigns. With the team continuing to use Archie Bradley for multiple innings he doesn’t appear to be an option, so that leaves Hoover to potentially claim the role (at least until Jake Barrett comes off the DL). He’s been pitching well, with 6.2 consecutive scoreless innings and 9 K over his past 4.0 innings of work. |
Graduated:
- None
Dropped Off Rankings:
- Corey Knebel – Milwaukee Brewers (4) – He could be in line for saves, but so could Jacob Barnes and the change isn’t imminent at the moment
- Daniel Hudson – Pittsburgh Pirates (5) – Tony Watson may be a ticking time bomb, but for now he’s safe and Felipe Rivero is pushing to become the new next up
Others We’re Monitoring:
- Kyle Barraclough – Miami Marlins
- Luke Gregerson – Houston Astros
- Brad Hand – San Diego Padres
- Felipe Rivero – Pittsburgh Pirates
- Trevor Rosenthal – St. Louis Cardinals
- Joakim Soria – Kansas City Royals
- Arodys Vizcaino – Atlanta Braves
Injured Setup Men To Monitor:
- Jake Barrett – Arizona Diamondbacks
- Carter Capps – San Diego Padres
- Koda Glover – Washington Nationals
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=32793
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