With fantasy leagues ending this week, I did not feel the normal report would be of much value at this point. Instead this week we will look at the season as whole and hand out multiple awards for relievers (did you catch that pun in the title? Pretty witty right?) The fantasy bullpen is always a tough one to manage throughout the season, as it tends to be revolving door, but some of these guys performed admirably and deserve the recognition. So without further ado…
MVP: Edwin Díaz
Diaz has had an absolutely ridiculous season and based on the fact that he was not one of the top-four closers off the board in drafts this year, it was a very easy choice to pick him as the MVP. He currently has 56 saves, which is 14 more than the next closest, and all of his ratios are lights out. His 56 saves have him currently in third for most in a season in MLB history and he has a good chance at tying Bobby Thigpen for second most all time at 57. He has pitched to the tune of a 1.99 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 1.62 FIP, 15.06 K/9 (121 strikeouts in 72.1 innings pitched), and .159 BAA. He has stayed healthy all year long and only had one month this year where he didn’t post a sub 2.16 ERA. What makes his year even more impressive is when you consider the fact that he is only 24 years old and in just his third season in the big leagues. His ADP was in the triple-digits, so the return on investment was insane. What more could you ask for?
Honorable Mention: Blake Treinen , Craig Kimbrel
Best Breakout: Jose Leclerc
Leclerc had a very dominant season and it seems to have happened in very quiet fashion. He did not take over the closing role until the trade deadline, but he didn’t miss a beat after moving from a setup role to the closing job. He has 11 saves to go along with 15 holds and two wins. While his 11 saves are nothing to write home about, his ratios are among the best in the entire league as he currently holds a 1.59 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 1.91 FIP, 13.34 K/9 (84 strikeouts across 56.2 innings pitched), and a ridiculous .123 BAA. That BAA comes from only giving up 23 hits in those 56.2 innings and only one of those left the yard. He should be one of the first closers off the board in 2019 fantasy drafts. Oh yeah, he’s also only 25-years-old.
Honorable Mention: Kirby Yates
ROY: A.J. Minter
Minter only pitched 15.0 innings in 2017, which meant he still qualified as a rookie this season, and he claims the award as top rookie reliever. He leads all rookies in saves with 15 and has rock solid ratios of a 3.28 ERA and 10.14 K/9. He also picked up 12 holds after starting the year in a setup role and snagged four wins as well. As you can see, he really helped fantasy owners in a variety of categories and this all came from a guy who had an ADP in the mid 200’s before the season started. It is likely that he retains the closing gig in 2019 and you can expect his ADP to be cut in half.
Honorable Mention: Seranthony Dominguez , Jordan Hicks
Bounce-Back Performer: Blake Treinen
While Treinen finished 2nd in my MVP voting, he does take home the bounce-back performer award. After a rough 2017 season in which he finished with a 3.93 ERA, 16 saves, 1.39 WHIP, and just 74 strikeouts across 75.2 innings pitched, Treinen was arguably the most lights out closer in baseball this year. He is currently sitting on 37 saves, a 0.79 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 11.12 K/9 (98 strikeouts across 79.1 innings pitched), and .157 BAA. Treinen wasn’t even one of the first 15 relievers off the board in most drafts this year and was an absolute steal for fantasy owners. You can expect him to be one the first five closers to go in 2019 drafts.
Honorable Mention: Jeremy Jeffress
Stat Stuffer: Josh Hader
Hader is our only reliever to win an award despite never operating as his team’s primary closer this year. He did finish with 11 saves – never had more than four saves in any month – which was helpful to fantasy owners, but it was not the only category that he helped in. He also racked up 22 holds and six wins this year while supplying a 2.28 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 15.95 (140 strikeouts across 79.0 innings), and .129 BAA. His 140 strikeouts led all MLB relievers and were good enough to rank him 66th in total strikeouts among all MLB pitchers. Hader was especially good against lefties as they have only managed to hit .093 against him with a slugging percentage of just .174.
Honorable Mention: Jeurys Familia , Jeremy Jeffress
Biggest Disappointment: Corey Knebel
Knebel takes home the one award on this list that you don’t want to take home. After being drafted as the third or fourth reliever off the board in the majority of leagues this year (and an ADP in the top-100), Knebel failed to come anywhere close to making good on that draft slot. While his overall stat line may not look that rough, when you take into consideration where he was draft and also look at what he did last year, this was a huge disappointment for fantasy owners. He has 16 saves (tied for 23rd in MLB), a 3.78 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 13.93 K/9. Last season, he had 39 saves (tied for fourth in MLB), a 1.78 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 14.92 K/9. His ADP in 2019 should take a huge hit and he may be someone who is worth taking a risk on, as he still showed us strong strikeout rates and had a very nice .199 BAA.
Dishonorable Mention: Cody Allen , Greg Holland
That wraps up our season from a relievers perspective. It was a fun year and I hope you found the Bullpen Report useful and I hope it helped you win your leagues! Those of you who are locked up in a tight race or H2H matchup that will come down to the wire, I wish you the best of luck!