2017 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report: Marlins Opening?

Blown Saves

*Top 10

*Note: I track blown saves that happened by guys who were brought into finish the game. Such as guys in the closer role, or other pitchers who were brought in late in the game. A guy who picks up a “blown save,” for example, in the 6^th inning is very irrelevant in my opinion, when tracking fantasy assets.

Who’s Hot?

Corey Knebel (89% owned) had another stellar week and continues to rack up strikeouts at elite rates. This week he converted on all three of his saves chances and had six strikeouts across three shutout innings. Knebel along with Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen have really separated themselves from the rest of the pack this year, and are all putting up ridiculous numbers. Knebel has given up just one earned run since July 19^th a span of 23 appearances. In that span he has picked up 19 saves and is now in the top-5 for total saves despite starting the season in a setup role. YTD stats: 68.0 innings, 35 saves, 115 K, 1.32 ERA.

Cody Allen (93% owned) pitched three times this week and converted on all three of his save opportunities. He also had four strikeouts across three shutout innings and did not allow an opposing hitter to reach base against him. Allen has a current active streak of 14.1 straight innings without allowing a run. During that span he has picked up eight saves and two wins. Allen has had a strong season but has a surprisingly low save total of just 27, despite playing for the first place and white-hot Indians. Allen is in the top-10 of the closing ranks and should be a strong own for the rest of the season. YTD stats: 59.2 innings, 27 saves, 80 K, 2.56 ERA.

Who’s Cold?

Brad Ziegler (26% owned) pitched just one time this week and picked up a blown save. In his lone outing, he gave up two earned runs and recorded just two outs. He also failed to strikeout an opposing hitter, and let three runners reach base against him. He has given up four earned runs in his last 2.2 innings pitched and his job could soon be in jeopardy. He is also dealing with an injury to his back. Teammate Kyle Barraclough is the more talented of the two relievers and will likely push Ziegler for save opportunities down the stretch of the season. Ziegler cannot be counted on right now, and ranks near the bottom for closers. YTD stats: 44.2 innings, 9 saves, 25 K, 5.04 ERA.

Hector Neris (60% owned) pitched three times this week and converted on his lone save opportunity. However, he also gave up two earned runs across four innings and finished with a WHIP of 1.75 for the week. While his week was not a complete disaster, it was far from what you are hoping for at this point in the fantasy season. There is little upside for Neris for the remainder of the season pitching for the Phillies, but overall he has had a solid campaign. He remains near the bottom of the closing ranks. YTD stats: 66.2 innings, 20 saves, 72 K, 3.11 ERA.

Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold Season Leader Board

This table shows who has made the most appearances in these sections.

Middle Relievers of Note

Peter Moylan (1% owned) has not allowed a run to score against him in over a month, a span of 13 innings. Over that span he has picked up seven holds (good for T-3 in all of baseball) and has an impressive WHIP of 0.54. It is unlikely that the veteran will be able to keep it going much longer but the recent span puts him on radar. The Royals bullpen is a complete disaster, and with how well Moylan is pitching the door could soon open up for him to compete for save chances. Currently he is just someone worth monitoring. YTD stats: 55.0 innings, 21 holds, 43 K, 3.60 ERA.

Holds

*Top 10 

Team Bullpen ERA

This section will look into the best and worst bullpens in the league, which can be helpful for DFS. If a team has a weak starting pitcher throwing that day and also a poor bullpen it can make for big days for hitters. A bad bullpen ERA also has an effect on how likely a starting pitcher is to pick up a win.

Recently Overworked

This highlights the bullpens that have been seeing both heavy usage and struggling over the last 7 days.

*Ownership percentages are based off Yahoo

Be sure to check out the Closer Grid which has regularly updated rankings. Also feel free to shoot me any questions on Twitter @JustinVreeland