What’s poppin, Razzpimples? Bullpen update time!
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). And directly below are your Top 10 most valuable RP over the last week, courtesy of our super cool and filterable Last 7 Days pitching stats page you should be using all the time, as well as a current look at the Top 15 RP via our Player Rater.
Here’s what stood out to me this week (Note: Monday’s games do not factor in):
Player Rater Top 15
| # | Name | Team | Pos | $ | $/G | PS | PA/IP | $R | $HR | $RBI | $SB | $AVG | $W | $SV | $ERA | $WHIP | $K | R% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edwin Diaz | NYM | RP | 19.3 | 7.3 | 6.2 | 49 | -2 | 12.3 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 100 | |||||
| 2 | Ryan Helsley | STL | RP | 18.1 | 11.6 | 5.8 | 50 | 5.1 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 4 | 1.5 | 100 | |||||
| 3 | Emmanuel Clase | CLE | RP | 18 | 5 | 5.8 | 52 | -2 | 12.3 | 2.8 | 4.3 | -0.4 | 100 | |||||
| 4 | Kenley Jansen | ATL | RP | 15.1 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 46 | 2.3 | 12.3 | -0.8 | 0 | 0.4 | 100 | |||||
| 5 | Jorge Lopez | MIN | RP | 12.6 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 56 | 0.8 | 9 | 1.6 | 0 | 0.1 | 100 | |||||
| 6 | Jordan Romano | TOR | RP | 12.6 | 5 | 4 | 45 | 0.8 | 11.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | -0.9 | 100 | |||||
| 7 | Scott Barlow | KC | RP | 12 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 58 | 2.3 | 7.3 | 1.1 | 0.4 | -0.1 | 100 | |||||
| 8 | Liam Hendriks | CHW | RP | 11 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 43 | -2 | 12.3 | -0.6 | -0.1 | 0.4 | 100 | |||||
| 9 | Daniel Bard | COL | RP | 10.1 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 44 | -0.6 | 10.6 | 0.5 | -0.6 | -0.9 | 100 | |||||
| 10 | Paul Sewald | SEA | RP | 9.9 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 49 | -0.6 | 5 | 0.8 | 4.2 | -0.5 | 100 | |||||
| 11 | Ryan Pressly | HOU | RP | 9.6 | 5.5 | 3.1 | 38 | -0.6 | 10.6 | -0.9 | 0.8 | -1.4 | 100 | |||||
| 12 | Clay Holmes | NYY | RP | 9.3 | 1.5 | 3 | 49 | 2.3 | 6.1 | 0.5 | 0.3 | -0.8 | 95 | |||||
| 13 | Seranthony Dominguez | PHI | RP | 8.6 | 2 | 2.8 | 44 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | -0.5 | 93 | |||||
| 14 | David Robertson | PHI | RP | 7.8 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 49 | -0.6 | 6.1 | 0.8 | 0 | 0.4 | 100 | |||||
| 15 | Brock Burke | TEX | RP | 7.6 | 3 | 2.4 | 65 | 3.7 | -3.4 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 14 |
Top 10 Last 7 Days
| # | Name | Team | ESPN | YAHOO | $ | $/G | G | GS | QS | W | L | SV | HLD | IP | H | ER | K | BB | ERA | FIP | WHIP | BABIP | R% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carl Edwards Jr. | WSH | RP | RP | 21.1 | 8.6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2.28 | 0.25 | 0.091 | 7 |
| 2 | Alexis Diaz | CIN | RP | RP | 20.8 | 8.4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | -0.17 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 84 |
| 3 | Adrian Morejon | SD | RP | RP | 19.7 | 23.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.67 | 0.54 | 0.222 | 0 |
| 4 | Erasmo Ramirez | WSH | RP | RP | 19 | 7.5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0.43 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Jason Adam | TB | RP | RP | 15.7 | 2.9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0.43 | 0.4 | 0.125 | 77 |
| 6 | Jimmy Lambert | CHW | RP | RP | 15.4 | 9.9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.7 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -0.8 | 0.27 | 0.2 | 0 |
| 7 | Brent Suter | MIL | RP | RP | 15 | 5.2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1.87 | 0.93 | 0.231 | 0 |
| 8 | Chris Martin | LAD | RP | RP | 15 | 9.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.64 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 | Scott Barlow | KC | RP | RP | 14.9 | 18.3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.03 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 100 |
| 10 | Kyle Finnegan | WSH | RP | RP | 14.4 | 4.9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2.03 | 0.5 | 0 | 89 |
Saves Daddies
Liam Hendriks only pitched 2.1 IP but got you 3 SV and 2 K. If the White Sox were consistently good (and healthy), then his fantasy season would be going a lot better. He’s still a Top 10 fantasy RP on our Player Rater, but that’s a pretty far cry from the #1 RP you thought you were drafting.
Kyle Finnegan is our headline daddy this week after 3 SV, 5 K, 0.50 WHIP, and 0.00 ERA output this week. Pro: he’s pretty much the sole closer. Con: it’s for a very bad baseball team. He’s absolutely worth rostering in all formats of course. I love BTCs (Bad Team Closers); they’re cheap AF.
Gregory Soto also had a three-save week but allowed five baserunners in the process. Detroit is really bad these, but as a sole closer for his squad, Soto can also wear a BTC crown. Dude has a quiet 23 SV in 2022 with an ERA barely over 3.00.
More dominance from Emmanuel Clase, which is frankly getting a little boring to write out week after week. He had 2 SV and 5 K in four innings of one-hit, no-runs ball. Had 46.3 CSW%, which is reallllllllllllll good.
A guy I’m watching kinda closely now is Brandon Hughes. Yes, the Cubs are bad, and yes, he doesn’t have a closing gig to himself, but he pumped out 1 W and 2 SV with 5 K in 4.1 IP. I’m not excited by him, but the Cubs pen is so comical that he’s risen to relevancy due to Wick’s recent struggles. I’m fully expecting him to fall apart, but for now, he’s someone worth keeping an eyeball on.
Garrett Whitlock is holding down the fort pretty well with Houck still on the mend. Whitlock had 2 SV this week and got his owners 4 K and 0 BB.
Hmmm. What to make of this Rays pen. It’s usually a cluster, but it got whittled down to two guys doing some good work this week at least. Both Jason Adam and Pete Fairbanks had 2 SV, with Adam tossing in 1 HD and Fairbanks tossing in 2 HD. Adam is the guy I’d pick in a pinch, though his 7 SV in 2022 are tied with Poche and are just one ahead of Raley. In short, this pen still rocks IRL and is very messy in fantasy.
That Felix Bautista guy I told you to go get keeps on keepin’ on: 2 SV and 4 K this week. He’s seriously doing everything Lopez was doing in an Orioles uniform, except he’s been even better cuz less walks. Bautista’s last month looks like sex: 6 SV (tied for 4th), 1 HD, 1.76 ERA, 1.32 SIERA, 0.72 WHIP, 24:3 K:BB in 15.1 IP.
Speaking of Jorge Lopez, he had 2 SV this week along with 2 K. No runs but did allow four baserunners in just 3 IP. His save totals have been solid, but his walks are still an issue and the Ks/SwStr% are dipping. There’s cause for concern here.
Alexis Diaz had 1 W and 1 SV along with 8 K this week, good enough to make him the #2 most valuable RP in that span. Looked like his bro out there with 26.6 SwStr% (that’s filthy) and 0 BB. If he could get the gig to himself then he’d be a must-own despite being a Red. He’s soooo much better than Every. Single. Other. Cincy. RP. I mean, OMG. He’s the only regular with an ERA under 4.25 lololol (and it’s an elite 1.70, by the way).
Holds Daddies
James Karinchak has been one of the single very best pitchers in baseball in recent weeks. He didn’t have a single hold this past week, but his 24 K over the last month are tied with Bautista for the most among all RP. And in that span, Karinchak has allowed just 4 H and no runs at all. He’s looking like the kid who took the world by storm in 2019 and the first half of 2020. Finally healthy and cookin’ with gas. The holds will come if this keeps up.
Brooks Raley led all players with 4 HD this week. Did allow six baserunners and a solo HR, but hard to argue with that many holds in a week’s worth of action. He’s been a stud. Just about all those Rays guys have.
Real good stuff from Brad Boxberger: 3 Hd, 0.00 ERA, 0.30 WHIP, and 7 K in 3.1 IP. He’s been steady all year, and is one of the best holds guys around, pushing his 2022 total to 23 HD.
Even with Karinchak breathing down his neck, Trevor Stephan continued his fantasy rebirth with three perfect innings, 3 HD, and 4 K. The Karinchak/Stephan/Clase trio is, for now, one of the nastiest things in the Western hemisphere.
I don’t trust him much, but Joe Jimenez had 3 HD and 5 K this week. I guess I should trust him, though? He has 66 K in 47.2 IP, with only 11 BB and 3 HR allowed all year. Maybe I can trust real-life Jimenez, but the holds aren’t common enough to put him on my fantasy rosters in most formats.
Three holds for Colin Poche, because of course. Not thrilled by four baserunners in 3 IP, but hey. He’s been great for the most part.
Shoutout to Brock Burke for 2 HD this week, adding 5 K in four scoreless. The real reason for this shoutout is cuz he cracked the Top 15 among all RP on the Player Rater…with a negative value for saves! Cray cray.
If you’re looking for a deeper-cut holds guy whom your league may have forgotten about, look no further than Robert Suarez and his 2 HD, 0 ER, and 7 K from this past week. Strikeouts weren’t exactly his thing in Japan, yet he’s sporting a 10.6 K/9 in his first taste of MLB at 31 years of age.
Another deeper-cut option who might even see a save or two here and there is Carl Edwards Jr., who had our #1 week among RP after 2 W, 0 ER, and 3 K.
Other Notes/Injuries
Both Clay Holmes and Scott Effross landed on the IL. Major, major oof. Holmes might be back soon at least, so let’s just hope he can get back to his earlier 2022 self. Look for Chapman, Loaisiga, Trivino, and Peralta to factor in for now.
Josh Hader has been demoted from the closer role for the time being. You should have grabbed Luis Garcia yesterday.
Brusdar Graterol has been activated. Look for him to work back into holds contention, but Vesia and Phillips are better options if you ask me. But don’t ask me cuz I don’t call the shots for the Dodgers.
Nick Anderson was activated and promptly sent straight down to Triple-A Durham. It’s feasible he regains his form and pops back into the fantasy picture down the road, but I’m not counting on it.
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.
