Fantasy Baseball Category Impact: Saves

This week, it’s time to talk closers and add some guys who have recently moved into the closer role or could see their name called here shortly. Even if some of the guys aren’t the closer right now or haven’t been named as such yet, they are worth a speculative add, especially since the role is coming soon and they have been pitching well. Alongside getting some saves for you, some of the guys below can help you with some ratios, or at least balance things out for your team. Without further adieu….

Tanner Scott , BAL – As much as I want it to be Hunter Harvey , and I do think he will be the guy in the longer term, but for now, while Harvey continues to get his arm back behind him and his feet under him, Scott is likely the guy. A couple days ago, Baltimore had the lead late, four runs to be exact, Harvey came out for the eighth, and Scott got the ninth inning duties. The southpaw isn’t a household name, but take a look at his Statcast metrics, courtesy of Baseball Savant:

Yeah, it’s rather impressive! He’s punched out 18 batters in 15 innings of work this year, and he’s induced an average exit velocity of just 86.2 miles per hour and a launch angle of just 2.3 degrees! That’s huge for his home park and continuing to induce ground balls gives me more confidence that he can hold the closer role moving forward. Yes, Baltimore has already said that Harvey is their closer when he’s ready, but he was activated from the injured list just a handful of days ago, and if Scott can hold the fort down for the time being, it allows Baltimore to give Harvey some extra time. I like Scott as a quiet source of saves, especially since Harvey won’t be able to be used on a regular basis. Although, it’s not like Baltimore is pumping out save chances left and right.

Rafael Dolis, TOR – Ken Giles is hurt. Jordan Romano is hurt. Enter Anthony Bass as the closer for Toronto. However, he’s allowed at least one earned run in two of his last three outings, and he hasn’t looked as sharp as late. With Toronto in the thick of the postseason race, and right now, Dolis is the guy to get the job done. He’s allowed just one run (zero earned) in his last 4.1 innings of work with a 5:2 K/BB ratio. Dolis is coming at you with heat and movement. He relies on his sinker, splitter and slider, and while batters hit more fly balls against him than you might expect for a sinker/splitter guy, he does an excellent job at missing barrels and avoiding hard contact. His average exit velocity allowed mark is in the 94^th percentile, and while you think that’s impressive, consider the fact that his hard-hit rate is in the 97^th percentile! If Bass has just one more less than stellar outing, expect Dolis to be the guy closing out games for the American League East hopefuls.

Gregory Soto , DET – Of anybody here on the list, Soto is the one that is likely owned in your league, but perhaps not. Over on ESPN fantasy baseball leagues, however, he’s owned in under 18 percent of leagues! That’s way too low, especially now that it is confirmed he’s closer. Soto was excellent in July, punching out eight batters in 4.2 innings of work, but August was a different story. He allowed six earned runs in 12.2 innings of work with a 13:5 K/BB ratio. We haven’t seen him since the 30^th of August, but his marks for that month were skewed by really just two bad outings in consecutive days against the White Sox.

Courtesy of Baseball Savant

Soto is the pronounced closer and Jimenez is out. The southpaw brings some serious velocity, and while his hard-hit rate is the 89^th percentile, his average exit velocity comes in at the 26^th percentile. He relies primarily on his sinker, but his slider and four-seamer have been excellent in terms of limiting hard contact, so perhaps he mixes them in a bit more. However, when you boast a sinker that averages nearly 98 miles per hour, it’s tough to move away from that weapon, even if it has allowed an average exit velocity of over 90 miles per hour, per Baseball Savant.

At the end of the day, he’s a closer and needs to be owned, despite some batted ball profile concerns.

Yoshihisa Hirano , SEA – With reliever Taylor Williams being one of about 148 players traded to the San Diego Padres at the deadline, Hirano figures to be the most likely candidate to get the majority of the save chances moving forward. His 2020 season got a late start due to COVID-19, but since returning, he’s been solid, allowing three hits and three walks with three strikeouts in four innings of work. For his career, he’s converted just four of nine save chances, which is less than ideal, but he’s displayed shutdown ability in the closer role overseas, registering at least 29 saves in all but one season from 2013-2017.

Does he have elite velocity? Nope.

Does he have elite movement? Elite? Not quite.

However, he’s incredibly deceptive, avoids the sweet spot of the bat, and it’s quite impressive that he’s remained well below the league average in hard hit contact since the earlier parts of 2019.

Hirano is owned in under five (!!!) percent of ESPN fantasy baseball leagues.

For more information on closers, talk to @gjewett9 on Twitter to get involved with his Coffee and Closers piece, and after a hiatus this week, check me out on Twitter (@colbyrconway) to cast your vote for next week’s Category Impact piece!