2021 Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings For Week 16
Welcome to The Game Day’s Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings, Depth Charts, Bullpen Report, & Sleepers For Saves. When you’re working the fantasy baseball waiver wire and trying to find the best sleepers for saves, you have to know each Major League Baseball team’s relief pitchers. Who has a path to 2021 fantasy baseball saves? Who’s going to focus on holds and setup appearances?
Kev Mahserejian ranks each fantasy baseball bullpen from strongest (1) to weakest (30) while giving security ratings for each club’s relief corps.
See which fantasy baseball closers are secure, questionable, or on shaky ground in their job security so you can plan ahead and remain in the race for your fantasy baseball league title. Identify the fantasy baseball league pickups you should make soon so you can have control over erratic 2021 fantasy baseball saves pictures.
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Week 16 Fantasy Baseball Closers: Depth Chart News, Saves Tips & Bullpen Report
Philadelphia Phillies
- Closer: Ranger Suarez (?)
- Backups: Jose Alvarado, Hector Neris, Archie Bradley
Ranger Suarez is looking like the best reliever in Philadelphia. While this may be by default thanks to the egregious performances of the others, Suarez’s 0.77 ERA is pretty nifty. Will it stay below 1.00 all season? Probably not but his peripherals are positive enough to consider him good for the job of closer. With a 3.07 SIERA carried by Suarez’s career-high 18% K-BB% and 2.84 GB/FB rate, we are looking at a high-end reliever in the making.
Suarez only has 2 saves thus far but they have come in back-to-back opportunities and that is enough momentum to carry over into the 2nd-half. The Phillies are contending in the NL East given that they are in 2nd place and 3.5 games behind the Mets. Their GM Dave Dombrowski is well known for trading prospects away for MLB talent to “win-now” but there’s no guarantee a move is made for a closer, especially if Suarez shows enough in the next few weeks before the deadline.
Hector Neris and Jose Alvarado are looking miserable even outside of the 9th-inning and Archie Bradley has been mediocre despite a sub-4.00 ERA. Trading for someone else is the only way Suarez won’t stick.
Cincinnati Reds
- Closer: Heath Hembree (?)
- Backups: Amir Garrett, Brad Brach, Tejay Antone (IL), Lucas Sims (IL)
Heath Hembree is having a breakout season at age 32. The Cincinnati Reds have worked wonders for the career middle-reliever and dug into his strikeout ability. Hembree’s 42.1% K-rate is a career-high and it is likely a result of increased velocity mixed with eliminating his curveball and solely throwing fastballs and sliders. He throws both at a near-even rate and essentially has doubled his career K-BB%.
While the fastball has lost some spin with the velo increase, it is still extremely effective while the slider is spinning at a higher rate than usual. There are no guarantees that Hembree keeps this role all season. If Tejay Antone and Lucas Sims return not only healthy, but also back to form, but I’m willing to bet against those given the nature of their respective injuries and overall performance of late.
With 6 saves on the season thus far, Hembree is the guy to own moving forward.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings, Depth Charts, Bullpen Report, & Sleepers For Saves
NEW CLOSER IN ALL CAPS.
Rk | Team | Closer | Next In Line/Committee Members | Job Security |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Milwaukee Brewers | Josh Hader | Devin Williams, Brad Boxberger | GREAT |
2 | Chicago White Sox | Liam Hendriks | Craig Kimbrel | GREAT |
3 | Los Angeles Angels | Raisel Iglesias | Mike Mayers | GREAT |
4 | New York Mets | Edwin Diaz | Trevor May, Joakim Soria | GREAT |
5 | San Francisco Giants | Jake McGee | Tyler Rogers | GREAT |
6 | St. Louis Cardinals | Giovanny Gallegos | Alex Reyes | SOLID |
7 | San Diego Padres | Mark Melancon | Emilio Pagan, Austin Adams | GREAT |
8 | Toronto Blue Jays | Jordan Romano | Adam Cimber, Julian Merryweather | GREAT |
9 | Houston Astros | Ryan Pressly | Kendall Graveman, Yimi Garcia | GREAT |
10 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Kenley Jansen | Blake Treinen, Joe Kelly | GREAT |
11 | Atlanta Braves | Will Smith | Richard Rodriguez | SOLID |
12 | New York Yankees | Aroldis Chapman | Chad Green, Jonathan Loaisiga | SOLID |
13 | Cleveland Indians | Emmanuel Clase | James Karinchak | SOLID |
14 | Philadelphia Phillies | Ian Kennedy | Jose Alvarado, Archie Bradley, Hector Neris | GREAT |
15 | Tampa Bay Rays | ANDREW KITTREDGE | Ryan Sheriff, Pete Fairbanks, Matt Wisler | SOLID |
16 | Minnesota Twins | Alex Colome | Tyler Duffey, Taylor Rogers (IL) | SOLID |
17 | Detroit Tigers | Gregory Soto | Jose Cisnero, Michael Fulmer | GREAT |
18 | Boston Red Sox | Hansel Robles | Adam Ottavino, Matt Barnes | SOLID |
19 | Cincinnati Reds | Mychal Givens | Michael Lorenzen | SOLID |
20 | Seattle Mariners | DREW STECKENRIDER | Paul Sewald, Yohan Ramirez, Diego Castillo | COMMITTEE |
21 | Kansas City Royals | Scott Barlow | Josh Staumont, Josh Brentz | LOW |
22 | Miami Marlins | Dylan Floro | Anthony Bender | SOLID |
23 | Washington Nationals | Kyle Finnegan | Tanner Rainey | SOLID |
24 | Chicago Cubs | Rowan Wick | Adam Morgan | SOLID |
25 | Pittsburgh Pirates | David Bednar | Chris Stratton | SOLID |
26 | Texas Rangers | Joe Barlow | Josh Sborz, DeMarcus Evans | LOW |
27 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Tyler Clippard | Sam Poppen, JB Bukauskas | SOLID |
28 | Baltimore Orioles | Cole Sulser | Paul Fry, Tanner Scott | LOW |
29 | Oakland Athletics | N/A | Jake Diekman, Andrew Chafin, Sergio Romo, Lou Trivino | COMMITTEE |
30 | Colorado Rockies | Daniel Bard | Carlos Estevez | SOLID |