What’s poppin, Razzpimples?
Took last week off, as I was in Gulf Shores absolutely throwing down Yuenglings left and right. If you follow me on Twitter, you know all about it. If you don’t, make a burner or something just to follow me and beef my count up. Shameless self-promotion is why fantasy writers do what they do, am I wrong? Love of the game, schmove of the game.
I kid, I kid. You may recall that I’m a high school English teacher, so this is a fun way for me to keep my writing chops in amateur-ish shape.
Don’t forget, the Razzball Bullpen Chart is manned by yours truly and updated like every single second (not really, but I stay on top of thangs for the most part).
Here’s what stood out to me this week (note: Monday’s games do not factor in):
AL West
A dude who’s making a SVHD name for himself is Dennis Santana for the Rangers. Did get hit with an L this past week, but also had 3 HD, 0.00 ERA, and 0.64 WHIP. Going back two weeks, you can tack on 1 SV and 1 HD to that total. The Ks are not impressive, however, but as long as he keeps not walking many guys or giving up hits, he’s in great shape! Aside from K% and Whiff%, that Statcast is sizzling red.
Paul Sewald picked up 2 SV (and 1 BS) this week, with identical K% and BB% (20%). So, yeah; that’s not good. What’s better is the 13.6 SwStr%. What’s even betterer is he’s starting to pull ahead in this crazy committee the Mariners have been rocking all year. But! Alas! Ken Giles isn’t too far away (though his rehab could be going much better, I’m afraid. Currently has a WHIP north of 3.00 and an ERA north of 8.00 in four appearances).
Fellow Mariner Diego Castillo had a nice week if you happen to own him in a league that counts wins. He won twice, striking out six in 3 IP. Hard to justify owning this guy anywhere still.
Two more saves for Joe Barlow, who’s evolved into a bona fide badass fantasy option. That’s now 10 SV on the year and a WHIP under 1.00. Sure, he had a BS+L in an outing as well, but his job is not in jeopardy at all and he’s been mostly excellent.
Ryan Pressly bagged 2 SV despite underwhelming ratios (6.75 ERA and 1.50 WHIP). Ain’t too worried yet, but I’m a smidgen annoyed at his 1.32 WHIP on the year. Of all guys with 10+ SV, only Melancon’s WHIP is worse: *barf* 1.80.
Dany Jimenez picked up a random hold but also lost a game. His stock is slipping some, sadly. Over the last 14 days, he has a 13.50 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP, with 2 L and 1 BS in that span. Walks are starting to become a problem, but there’s still some positive signs: not giving up homers (yet to allow one all season), still generating solid whiffs, and a 32.7 CSW% in that 14-day span is encouraging.
AL Central
Eli Morgan had himself a week. Had five scoreless innings and struck out eight, earning 4 HD in the process. Safe to say he’s bumped Trevor Stephan down the depth chart. Walked just one batter, so that’s good for a 44.4 K% and 5.6 BB% this past week. Noice.
Emmanuel Clase fired off four scoreless, allowing a single hit and no walks while striking out six. Yeah, he’s good. On our Last 7 Days Player Rater, if you filter out RP whose values were inflated because of wins, Clases sits at #1.
That Liam Hendriks guy had two more saves, with 3 K in two perfect innings. Bit of a rough start, but La Russa is never not gonna use him as closer, and now Hendriks is up to 1 W and 9 SV over the last month of play. No one has more saves in that time. Oh yeah, and 19 K in 12.1 IP.
Nice stuff from Gregory Soto, who added 2 SV and 3 K to his season totals (10 and 16, respectively). Just a good, solid fantasy closer. Wish I’d taken more chances on him. On that Last 7 Days Player Rater with wins filtered out that I just mentioned? Soto’s #2.
Emilio Pagan got hit with a BS+L in his only outing of the week. I don’t really know why this guy continues to get chances in the 9th, cuz he really ain’t that good. His season ERA (3.00) does not jive with his season FIP (6.14). He’s been shelled for 5 HR already (among the most among all RP in baseball), too.
Another week gone by without a save from Scott Barlow or Josh Staumont. Sigh.
AL East
Clay Holmes tacked on 2 SV in two scoreless innings. Struck out two and walked one. Continue owning him in confidence. I’m not sure Chapman gets the 9th again with the way Holmes has dominated.
Jorge Lopez had a strong week despite only 1 SV and 1 L. He allowed an unearned run on just one hit across 3.1 IP, striking out three and walking none.
Jordan Romano picked up 1 SV, bringing him to 16 SV in 2022. No question about his job or his ROS outlook.
Welp, it was a mess in Tampa. Per the usual. Matt Wisler impressed with 1 SV and 1 HD, striking out six in 4 IP (though he did also walk three). Colin Poche had 1 W and 1 SV (and 1 BS). Brooks Raley had 2 HD and 4 K. Ryan Thompson had 1 SV. J.P. Feyereisen, who’s now on the IL, had 1 HD. Even Shawn Armstrong had 1 HD and looked pretty good while doing it (1 ER and 6 K in 4 IP). But! Alas! Andrew Kittredge is back in action, so ya gotta think he jumps back to the top of the pecking order for high-leverage work.
Not much from Red Sox relievers this week. Two holds for John Schreiber and one for Tanner Houck. Could feasibly see Houck rising to must-own status in SVHD leagues, but he’s obvs not there yet.
NL West
Daniel Hudson had 2 SVHD this week, striking out four in 2.1 IP. Didn’t allow a run nor a walk. More like Daniel Studson, amirite?
Craig Kimbrel had 1 SV but also had 2 L and 1 BS. Yikes. Except really that yikes is unfounded: 0.89 FIP. 1.67 SIERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 6 K make those losses look much better. Unlucky. You never know; maybe some knuckle-dragger in your league thinks he’s on the hot seat already or something.
I am so tired of writing about Mark Melancon but dammit the guy just keeps getting the fantasy stats we like. Picked up 1 W and 1 SV this week, but *SURPRISE!* it came with shitty ratios: 6.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. Bafflingly, he generated whiffs 18.4% of the time anyone swung, which is elite territory. Just an anomaly, of course, as his season total in that department is a lowly 10.6%.
Mixed bag from Camilo Doval this week: 1 SV and 1 BS. Gave up 3 R, but only one of those was earned. Don’t like to see 4 H in just 4.1 IP, but I do like to see zero walks. Healthy 16.1 SwStr%, as well.
Taylor Rogers also had 1 SV, 2 L, and 1 BS this week, and his underlying metrics are almost the exact opposite. While Kimbrel still had killer strikeout stuff, Rogers had zilch. Both FIP and SIERA were north of 6.50. Ah well, these kinds of weeks happen. Rogers is still one of the best in the business at the moment, both IRL and in fantasy.
Daniel Bard had 1 W this week and didn’t allow any earned runs, buuuuut he also walked five in 4 IP.
Just for the record, if you haven’t already, please drop Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee in your SVHD leagues. They’re toast. Two of the best in those formats last year, but 2022 is a whole different ballgame.
NL Central
Me oh my, Chris Stratton, take a bow! I’ve been talking about how meh this dude is, and here he is going beast mode: 1 W, 3 HD, 0.00 ERA, 0.21 WHIP, and 5 K. A surprising 17.3 SwStr%, to boot! Still, despite a much-better-looking Statcast nowadays and being my pun headline of the week, I can’t get too excited about a Bucs reliever with Bednar and Crowe in the mix. Speaking of…David Bednar and Wil Crowe also did some thangs. Bednar had 1 SV and 1 W, with 6 K in 3 IP. Crowe had 2 SVHD (one of each), with 4 K in 3 IP while allowing no hits/runs. Those two are quite good at the baseball. They’re the ones you want.
Welp, what else can anyone say about Josh Hader? Added 2 SV and 6 K this week, giving him 18 SV and 28 K in 17.2 IP. It’s June and he still hasn’t allowed a run (not even an unearned one!). Only allowed four hits and has walked six. All season long.
David Robertson continues to look like pre-injury D-Rob, adding 1 SV and 7 K this week (no walks and no runs, either). Scott Effross has become a potential holds source from the Cubs, earning two this week and striking out five in 3.2 IP.
A win, a hold, and a blown save for Giovanny Gallegos. Also 9 K, so that’s dope af. Genesis Cabrera had 1 W and 1 HD, striking out six in 5 IP.
As for Reds guys, Tony Santillan stood out with 1 SV, but he had an ugly line overall: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, and then salvaged that with 3 K. Alexis Diaz had 1 HD and 4 K but also allowed three runs. Diaz is the one I’d own if I had to pick.
NL East
Tanner Rainey had 2 SV and 2 K. Having a very strong season IRL, but the fantasy returns are capped by the team he plays for. He’d be in the convo for Top 15 or even Top 10 fantasy RP if he played on a better squad, but for now he’ll have to sit at #45 on our Player Rater.
Kenley Jansen collected a pair of saves (and a BS) this week. Wasn’t pretty (6.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP), but it got the job done. And 4 K is nothing to scoff at. A.J. Minter had a strong fantasy week: 2 W, 1 HD, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 2 K. He’s up to 12 HD on the year with sparkling ratios and juicy K numbers — a definite must-own in holds formats. And let’s give Collin McHugh some love: 2 HD and 6 K in 5.2 scoreless.
Corey Knebel had 1 W and 1 SV but did allow 2 ER in 3 IP. He’s been pretty good, all things considered: 9 SV, 3.52 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 21 K in 23 IP. Not great, but not bad. Rather have this guy than freakin Melancon. Two holds for Brad Hand, who fired off three perfect innings. Can’t help but think the wheels are gonna fall off sooner or later, but right now he’s locked in (only allowed 2 ER all season).
I can’t really support any Marlins relievers right now, but if you told me I had to become a Cubs/Blackhawks fan or pick one, then I’d pick Tanner Scott. He had 1 W and 1 SV this week, adding 5 K in 3 IP. His 13.7 K/9 leads the team, but I’m not sure there will be too many saves in the future.
And finally, the Mets boys were kind of fantasy duds this week. Edwin Diaz had a hold and 3 K in two perfect innings. Seth Lugo was the most valuable, with 1 W and 1 HD, but it came with a 4.50 ERA. Okay fine, Colin Holderman was technically the most valuable, with 2 W and 4 K, but who even is that guy? He’s apparently never been tagged on this site before.
I do some fantasy baseball as well as some fantasy hockey here at Razzball. Find me on Twitter: @jkj0787. DMs are always open for questions, comments, concerns, complaints, etc. Odds are good I’m drinking black coffee, dark beer, or some form of bourbon at any given time.
