Week 12 Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts & Bullpen Report
In this story:
The Braves continue to have a struggling closer, and San Francisco has turned into a three-way mess with the long-term closing option yet to be decided.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The ball dropped on Justin Martinez’s right arm this week, ending his season due to his ailing elbow requiring TJ surgery. A.J. Puk also experienced a setback in his recovery from his left elbow injury, leaving Arizona’s closing job in Shelby Miller’s hands. His scoreless streak stands at seven innings with five baserunners, seven strikeouts, and two saves. He has been successful in seven of his 10 closing chances.
Their only other reliever of value this season is Jalen Beeks (3.03 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts over 32.2 innings). Ryan Thompson is riding a seven-inning shutout string with six hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts, but his ERA (5.40) and WHIP (1.52) remain in losing areas.
Atlanta Braves
Over the past week, the fading Raisel Iglesias only made one appearance (no runs or hits over one inning with two strikeouts). His last save came on May 16th, and he has a 9.00 ERA, 2.18 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts over his last 11.0 innings while converting half of his four save tries.
The hope of Pierce Johnson closing has faded over his last five appearances (five runs, eight baserunners, two home runs, and four strikeouts over 4.1 innings). Dylan Lee has been the Braves’ best reliever this season, shining over his last seven innings (no runs, one hit, one walk, and nine strikeouts). It’s time to tee him up for the fantasy teams looking for another closer in waiting.
Chicago Cubs
Ryan Pressly hasn’t allowed a run over his last 13.0 innings with 12 hits, three walks, and 11 strikeouts. The Cubs rewarded his progression with a converted save on June 12th. His average fastball has had more life over his last four appearances (above 93.5 mph), but it remains well below his best years in the majors.
Over his last 9.1 innings, Daniel Palencia gave up a run, six hits, three walks, and 10 strikeouts with five successful saves. He has yet to secure a save in June.
Colorado Rockies
Chasing saves for a major league team that wins less than 20% of its games seems like a bad fantasy decision, especially when adding in the home ballpark. Victor Vodnik hasn’t allowed a run over his last 11.2 innings with five hits, five walks, and 11 strikeouts, pushing him closer to the ninth inning.
Zach Agnos absolutely destroyed ERAs and WHIPs for anyone who started him over the past week (10 runs, six hits, two home runs, seven walks, and four strikeouts over 3.1 innings). Jake Bird is having the best season of his career (1.41 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts over 38.1 innings), inviting a potential trade for him this summer. He doesn’t have a save this season.
Philadelphia Phillies
Jordan Romano’s fickle right arm has flipped back in a negative direction over his last seven appearances (six runs, 15 baserunners, and one home run over six innings with nine strikeouts), but he did secure both of his closing opportunities. Orion Kerkering improved his shutout run to 12.1 innings with nine hits and 11 strikeouts. Unfortunately, his command (seven walks) over this span remains a season-long issue (16 free passes over 26.1 innings).
Toronto Blue Jays
Over his last 11.0 innings, Jeff Hoffman served up five home runs with 11 runs, 10 hits, five walks, and 13 strikeouts while converting eight of his 10 save chances. His WHIP (1.10) and strikeouts (43 over 30.0 innings) align with a top closer, but he does put his ninth-inning role at risk if home runs remain an issue (eight on the year over 30.0 innings).
Yariel Rodriguez has been an elite bullpen arm since his appearance on May 7th. Over this span, he allowed two runs, 10 baserunners, and one home run over 19.0 innings with 20 strikeouts. A win and a save came over his last two appearances.
Other Fantasy On SI Baseball News
How Aaron Civale Trade Impacts His Fantasy Baseball Value
MLB Top Prospect Promoted To Majors: Is Roman Anthony The Next Fantasy Baseball Star?
Week 12 MLB Prospect Watch: Edgar Quero, Jordan Lawlar Headline Top Infielders
MLB Prospect Watch: Colby Thomas, Chandler Simpson Lead Rising Outfielders
MLB Prospect Watch: Logan Henderson, Chase Burns Lead Surging Pitchers
Reid Detmers: Fantasy Baseball Bust Or Breakout Reliever In Waiting?
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
Follow Shawn__Childs