Here you will find bullpen charts for each team. Bullpens are a messy business to track, but the purpose here is to highlight each team’s closer(s) and setup men. You can more or less expect the chart to read left-to-right in order of importance, but again, it can be a fluid situation day-to-day, week-to-week (looking at you, Tampa Bay Rays!). So, not only are we highlighting saves options, we’ve got you saves+holds folks covered, too!
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Heath Hembree
Please see our player page for Heath Hembree to see projections for today, the next 7 days and rest of season as well as stats and gamelogs designed with the fantasy baseball player in mind.
Ambulance Chasers: Noncompliant Kris Byrant
May 28, 2022 | Fantasy Baseball Injury Report | 9 Commentsby: keelinbillue
Happy Weekend to my Razzles from your Reporter of Fragiles! This week’s report will begin with a moment of silence for Kris Bryant. He was not off the IL for long, but he did come off of it. For a minute. While I am certainly breaking some sort of Razzball policy by showing you this, […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Lionel Richie, “Say you…
Suzuki, “Seiya…”
All together, “Say it for always…That’s the way it should be!”
And he’s signed by the Cubs! Um, Seiya Suzuki not Lionel Richie, Though, how’s Lionel’s arm? The Cubs could use a starter. “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?” That’s Lionel Richie picking up the bullpen phone. All right, enough giggles, this move’s got me all fired up! Seiya Suzuki just landed in a top five situation. The lineup around him is whatever, but that’s better for him. No way the Cubs pull any nonsense like platooning him or resting him more than he needs. As the new Cubs starter Lionel Richie would say, “We’re going to Party, Karamu, Fiesta, forever!” Also, Wrigley gives Seiya the little extra bang for his power buck that you want to see. Saw him as a 23-29 homer guy. A much bigger range than you want, but he landed in a solid spot that will give him the top-end of his homer range. “I’ve got this feeling down deep in my soul that Seiya just can’t lose!” That’s right, Lionel! Finally, Seiya’s speed was likely five to 12 range. Again, big range, bigger than you want, but he prolly lands on the high-end of that because the Cubs won’t slow him. “Woo-oh, what a feeling (Woo-oh, what a feeling).” I got it too, Lionel! I’ve done a big update on the outfielders rankings and moved Seiya up to the top 40 outfielders for 2022 fantasy baseball, and he’s now on the tail-end of the top 100 for 2022 fantasy baseball. Also, my top 500 for 2022 fantasy baseball has been updated. For a huge breakdown of Seiya, check out Coolwhip’s Seiya Suzuki fantasy. It’s worth the read. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this preseason for 2022 fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?
SAGNOF: The Rankings
January 23, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Closers, Fantasy Baseball Rankings, SAGNOF | 16 Commentsby: JKJ
Well hello there, Razz-folken!
Sorry, I’m working my way through Stephen King’s Dark Tower series (on Book 6 of seven — fantastic, trippy, masterful stuff), which contains some very interesting folken indeed. So that’s where that came from.
I’ve got some news for y’all. I am no longer the Injury Guru around these parts. I had my fill of ’em last year, let me tell you. Not sure my brain could handle tracking all that madness for another season (assuming we even get a full one…). Alas, the ever-so-talented-and-witty Keelin Billue will be manning the Ambulance Chasers column. Instead, I’ve become the official Bullpen Guru of Razzball! In addition to the weekly SAGNOF recaps, I’ll be in charge of our brand-spankin’ new Bullpen Chart, tracking who’s closing and who’s setting up across the MLB. Side note: I’m still waiting for the day SVHD becomes the standard category.
What I’ve got for y’all is just a good old-fashioned tiered ranking (catered toward the 12-team standard 5×5 audience). I could pretend I’m doing this for the people, but really this is as much for me as it is for you, dear reader. I’ve had my fantasy hockey helmet on, helping Viz over the on the Razzball Hockey side of things. Haven’t paid the best attention to the goings on in MLB — I could use a little brush up on how bullpens are looking.
Welp, I’ll quit dillydallying and get right to it. I’ll update these rankings eventually as things change throughout the course of the offseason. Some big names are still homeless as of now (you can find notes on them under the rankings themselves). These rankings stem from a combination of my genius brain and Rudy’s projections, which of course you can see over on the World Famous Razzball Player Rater.
I lied; I’ve got a little more dillydallying to do. I want to make it clear this is a focus solely on guys in closer situations. I’m looking at this through the lens of saves. I would personally rather own a Devin Williams type than a crappy closer like Cole Sulser in most instances, but I didn’t want to jumble up my tiers with guys who aren’t likely to get saves with any kind of regularity. Devin Williams, Craig Kimbrel, Jonathan Loaisiga, etc. do not appear in what you’ll see below. Maybe I’ll get around to some HAGNOF rankings, but you can always pop over to the Bullpen Chart and the Player Rater to find guys to help you with holds. And one last note: even though you see numbered rankings, they’re more of a formality. I treat everyone pretty much equally within their respective tiers, and it could shake out to where any one of them could out-rank the other. Is that a cop out for “hindsight is 20/20” purposes? Maybe! Oh, and the stats you see are 2021’s totals. Duh.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Logan Webb Pitching Like Wolverine Meets Spider-Man
August 18, 2021 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 188 Commentsby: Grey
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”844743″ player=”10951″ title=”RZBL%202021%20WAIVER%20WIRE%20Week%2019″ duration=”152″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-08-13″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/844743_t_1628816018.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/844743.mp4″]
I had the worst intro to a post in my head and because of OCD and other complicated factors I kinda have to do it now. The worst intro ever to any post ever written: It’s time we talked about (insert subject). Hey, Awkward Intro Sentence, how about you just talk about the subject and stop talking about how it’s time we talk about it! This…this whole talking about a terrible intro for an extended period of time? It’s much worse! I’ve worsened the worst! Luckily, we’re going from worsening of the worst to one of the best of the last three months. So, it’s time we talk about (side-eye) Logan Webb. On one breaking pitch to Jonathan Villar, it was like, “Bye-bye for now, you’re no longer needed.” Speaking of breaking:
Logan Webb’s pitches are breaking bad I’m so sorry how do I delete this pic.twitter.com/LMFgp0PWxP
— Razzball (@Razzball) August 18, 2021
Yesterday, Logan Webb went 7 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 8 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 2.92, and he has the 2nd best ERA in the major leagues in the last three months (1.64). Only pitcher’s ERA that is better since May is Jacob deGrom. He’s only allowed 17 earned runs since May 1st! That’s 64 IP, and 11 starts. The thing about his ERA too, it’s not all smoke and mirrors. He’s a 9.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 guy, which isn’t quite an ace, but it’s not far off from a fantasy three with two leanings, i.e., May not be Breaking Bad-level good, but he’s definitely a bad man who is breaking good. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?[brid autoplay=”true” video=”836625″ player=”10951″ title=”RZBL%202021%20WAIVER%20WIRE%20Week%2017″ duration=”149″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-07-30″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/836625_t_1627627897.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/836625.mp4″]
“We’re going to put all Graveman talk to rest, forever ever, amen. Bow your heads. Please. You with your head half-bowed…you have a crick in your neck? Okay, fine. Here lies the Graveman talk. He was a great teammate, we were told. You know who’s also a great teammate? A guy who is hitting home runs every game and helping your stupid asses win! Okay, you can raise your heads and go get some herring.” Yesterday, Abraham Toro went 2-for-4, 2 runs and his 9th homer, and his 5th homer in last seven games. He was re-christened Vigoda because his first name is Abe and his last name is a fish. It makes sense if you know Barney Miller. In all sincerity, I almost made Toro the lede buy this week, which will be available on our Patreon later today. Also, I’m starting to think Toro might be on my early list of 2022 sleepers. This is Splash and I’ve fallen in love with a fish. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Tylor Megill was meg-nificent Friday night going six scoreless innings against a tough Blue Jays offense, allowing just two hits and a walk and striking out five for his second straight quality start and his first career win. That’s right! His first win, in ever! He also collected his first big league hit. Have a day, man! Get that kid the ball! The rookie phenom hasn’t allowed a run in 12.2 innings and his 2.10 ERA, 1.10 WHIP gets me more flustered than that time Drew Barrymore touched my arm. Yes, that happened and I haven’t washed my elbow since. As for Megill, have I mentioned his 33/10 K/BB? Yuh. Tylor the ERA-ator, had his mid-90s fastball and fiiilthy sliiider (with three Is) working Friday in Queens. I’ll admit I scoffed a bit at Megill’s early success, but he showed me something Friday night, commanding his pitches and pounding the zone against one of the best line ups in the league. Are you sure its Megill and not McGill, cause he was taking those Canadians to school. Also, his name makes me think “McGrill” for something reason, which lead me to this article, and I don’t know if I’ll ever recover from seeing that so I had to share. Tylor gets a home start with Atlanta next week and he’s still available in over 75% of fantasy leagues. Even with the Mets recent Rich Hill acquisition, I think “Big Drip” Megill has earned his spot in the rotation and more importantly on your fantasy team. Megills could save your team from drowning. That was a fish joke! I think they should call him the MEG. As for Tylor, he’s no joke, I’d add him wherever you need starting pitching help. This kid’s gonna be a star! Ha-cha-cha!
Here’s what else I saw Friday night in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?
The All-Star game has come and gone, which means the 2nd half is upon us. During the beginning of this 2nd half, now is a good time to go back and look at anticipated return times for some of the players that have been on the IL since the start of the season. While the majority have been stored away in the designated IL spots, there are always a few stragglers available for the picking. Since this is a weekly H2H article, I don’t want to speculate on weeks in the future. Let me just take this time to give a couple extra pointers to help you gain an edge on your competition. Hell, the majority of your competition is digging into fantasy football. Keep grinding Razzball family…Keep Grinding!
Please, blog, may I have some more?[brid autoplay=”true” video=”822611″ player=”10951″ title=”RZBL%202021%20WAIVER%20WIRE%20Week%2015″ duration=”153″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-07-09″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/822611_t_1625807263.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/822611.mp4″]
(NOTE: THIS POST WAS RELEASED EARLY THIS WEEK ON OUR PATREON. IT’S $10/MONTH OR $13/MONTH WITH AN EXTRA WEEKLY PODCAST.)
So, this Buy/Sell is unlike other Buy/Sells — “Ma nish tah na Buy/Sell,” as Rowdy Tellez would say — this is different because this isn’t a waiver wire smorgasbord for the smorgas-bored. This isn’t guys to grab off waivers who are rostered in under 50% of leagues. Since there’s been very few games since my last Buy/Sell, that column still applies for most guys. A few under-50% rostered guys will show up here, but this is mostly for trading. Or as Michael Milken would call it, “Ripping off the other guy and/or girl.” Let’s start Milken’ing some stunods! (That sounds like someone who was hired to work for Jordan Belfort, but was like 40 years older than everyone else and struggled to fit in.) “Hey, Jordan, we’re Milken’ing them stunods now!” Ha, I’m snorting to myself. Any hoo! Josh Donaldson. Damn, I don’t even like this guy, but his Statcast numbers are about as sweet as you can find. He’s top 2% in the league for Exit Velocity; top 4% for barrels; top 10% for xWOBA and BB% and top 8% for xSLG and HardHit%. There’s no telling when a guy can get scorching hot, but by going off those numbers alone, Donaldson could be a 2nd half MVP. He is a clearcut guy who should be better. It’s time to Milken them like no udder! I am very juvenile. Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?With the All-Star game this week, most head to head leagues are combining this weekend and next week into one long week. This is an opportunity to take a small sample and “get ahead”. Is this the time that I am supposed to look at the camera and smirk because I used the article name in the actual article? Who knows? What I do know is that there are some excellent matchups and opportunities to take advantage of over the weekend. Finally, remember this, now is the time that many of your league mates transition to Fantasy Football, and just being attentive and aggressive gives you the biggest advantage!
Please, blog, may I have some more?Bam! Enrique Hernandez had two hits including his 11th home run of the season Friday night and has been hotter than twin Black Widows since returning to the lead off spot. You heard that correctly, friends, there is another Black Widow and she’s just as hot, and smart and badass as the first. As for Enrique, the home run was Kiké’s fifth out of the lead off spot and his fourth lead off home run in the past two weeks! Time to Kiké it into high gear! Hernandez struggled at the top of the order in May and early June but has found his groove since return to the #1 spot responding big with a .288 batting average, 9 runs, 11 RBI, and five dingers in the past two weeks! I know what you’re thinking–Enrique Hernandez? Is this guy for real? We all know what Kiké Hernandez is at this point, a career .240 hitter with very little speed who’s never hit more than 21 bombs in a season. He’s a clubhouse guy, a utility player, a swiss army knife for sure, but not a fantasy stud, right? Yeah you right, and Dodgers fans are rolling their eyes at me so hard right now, but hear me out! He’s leading off for possibly a top three offense in baseball and was basically headhunted by Sawx Manager Alex Cora. Cora loves himself a good swiss army knife, and Kiké is the guy he’s wanted leading off since day 1, despite his struggles and despite much more desirable, and likeable and handsome (*cough Verdugo*) options available. The impending arrival of top prospect Jarren Duran also puts Hernandez’s future as the lead off man even more in doubt, but he’s currently one of the hottest hitters in the league and scoring runs for one of the best teams in baseball. I’m not saying he won’t come back down to Earth, but I am saying he could be worth adding while he’s at least pretending to be the leadoff hitter Alex Cora always dreamed of. And as long as he has studs like JD Martinez (2-for-3, HR (18), 4 RBI) and Rafael Devers (1-for-3, HR(22)) driving him in he doesn’t have to do much but get on base and could help Kiké start your offense in the second half!
Here’s what else I saw Friday night in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?[brid autoplay=”true” video=”822611″ player=”10951″ title=”RZBL%202021%20WAIVER%20WIRE%20Week%2015″ duration=”153″ description=”undefined” uploaddate=”2021-07-09″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/thumb/822611_t_1625798258.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/9233/sd/822611.mp4″]
(NOTE: THIS POST WAS RELEASED EARLY THIS WEEK ON OUR PATREON. IT’S $10/MONTH OR $13/MONTH WITH AN EXTRA WEEKLY PODCAST.)
You ever think there’s forces larger than ourselves at work? For instance, Taco Bell removes the Mexican Pizza from its menu, but then you’re sitting in traffic, eating nachos off the passenger seat. *screech* You slam on the brakes, and, suddenly, the nachos slide off and crash onto the ground. You frantically pull onto the shoulder, and, as you’re eating the nachos off the floormat, you realize the fall to the ground makes those nachos look like that badly-missed Mexican Pizza. Life gives you what you need. A baseball example: The White Sox were supposed to be good this year, then they lose everyone from their lineup. One tragedy after another, and Tony La Russa, drunk, just filled in the lineup like, “I’m not going to drive my Mercedes…But I could go for a Burger,” suddenly standing and grabbing his ass, “First I need to take a Sheets.” Yet, they’d still win! Another circumstance that has managed to sort itself out is Rowdy Tellez. He was supposed to be great, but the Jays added player after player this past offseason, and Rowdy was squeezed, which had his Jewish mother say, “Why don’t you get married?” Then, he was traded and now The He’Brewer should get playing time again, and it’s a great park in Milwaukee. There’s a chance Rowdy could be again what we hoped he would be. “A doctor?” No, Rowdy’s Jewish mother. A top 10 1st baseman, if the Brewers, ya know, play him. Why exactly did they trade for him and are not starting him? Oh, that’s right, the Brewers are stupid. Well, if they smarten up, I like Tellez a lot. Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more?