Posts Tagged ‘Jonathan Papelbon’

MLB Top 20 Closers

Monday, April 1st, 2013

by Ryan Kantor

 

 

 

 

20. Jonathan Broxton, Cincinnati Reds
The Reds feel comfortable enough with Broxton to move Aroldis Chapman, who would otherwise be a top five closer, to the rotation.  Broxton was excellent last season, but isn’t striking out anyone and has a track record of injuries and inconsistency.

19. Casey Janssen, Toronto Blue Jays
Everyone loves a closer on a good team, especially one coming off a year where batters hit under .200 against him.  His stats have improved three years in a row.  My biggest concern is that Sergio Santos was originally brought it to be the closer, making me wonder how long Janssen’s leash will be if he struggles.  He’s also coming off shoulder surgery and will be pushing it to get back by opening day.  What if Santos starts the year as the closer and doesn’t relinquish?  That makes me uneasy, but he was very good last season and figures to be the closer for one of the best teams in baseball.

18. Addison Reed, Chicago White Sox
The White Sox would like to see the young (24) Addison Reed become their stopper for the years ahead, and he has the stuff to do it.  Without other thrilling options, he will be given the first shot.

17. John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers

With 39 walks, an ERA over 4.60, and the temporary loss of his closer’s gig, 2012 was not a pretty year for John Axford. On the bright side, he did record 93 strikeouts, an improvement from his two very successful prior seasons.  So his stuff is still there, he just needs to improve his control.  A bounce-back is likely.

16. Grant Balfour, Oakland Athletics
I originally planned on leaving Grant off the top 20 list due to his offseason knee surgery, however he has made an ahead of schedule recovery and is expected to be ready for opening day.  The veteran Australian has been great for the last three seasons and was very effective down the stretch for the AL West champion Athletics.  Oakland management typically has a quick trigger finger with their closer, but Balfour figures to be their best option.

15. Rafael Betancourt, Colorado Rockies
The veteran Betancourt has long been an elite set-up man and last year proved he could be a top stopper.  He doesn’t get a ton of strikeouts, and they’ve been on a steady decline over the past three seasons, which is cause for concern. Nonetheless, he has a firm grip on the closer’s job and has been a steadying force for practically every bullpen he’s been in.

14. Greg Holland, Kansas City Royals
At 27 years old, Holland could be one of baseball’s bright young closers if he can improve his command.  34 walks was ugly, but 91 Ks was nasty.

13. J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks
Putz, at 14th, is the last established closer off the board.  If you haven’t grabbed your top closer to this point, grab Putz before he’s gone.  J.J. has posted three consecutive strong seasons with Arizona and although he’s 36 and had a tendency to get nicked up, he’s got a track record of reliability.  Putz is a solid #2 fantasy closer and the last acceptable #1 closer in my book.

http://thecloserreport.com/tag/j-j-putz/

 

12. Huston Street, San Diego Padres
I’m less concerned about him playing on a poor team (remember Soria racking up saves for a bad Royals team?) than I am his health.  He is consistent though.  He’ll pitch effectively when healthy – likely under 50 innings – and manage 20-3o saves.

11. Joel Hanrahan, Boston Red Sox
Minor struggles as he adjusts to the AL East and pitching in Fenway should be expected, but after back-to-back all-star appearances, Hanrahan is one of the more reliable players at a very volatile position.  He’ll need to tame his walk rate, which got a little wacky last season to succeed in the American League.

1o. Tom Wilhelmsen, Seattle Mariners
He pitched like a top tier closer last season, is only 29 years old, and is on a much improved Mariners team.  He has a firm grip on the closer’s job and is a great value pick for a #2 fantasy closer.  Also in his favor is his nifty new change-up.

9. Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles
Johnson had 51 saves and 41 Ks in 2012.  He is a ground ball pitcher unlike flamethrowers like Craig Kimbrel who we are more comfortable with in a closer’s role.  His 2012 post All-Star Break numbers aren’t pretty: 4.02 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, .290 BAA. His ERA was only 2.49 last season.  It may jump a whole run in 2013, but even so, he’ll be a worthwhile closer and is more of a sure thing than most.

8. Sergio Romo, San Francisco Giants
Three straight seasons with a sub-1.00 WHIP and the closers job is finally his.  This should be the year he becomes a household name.

Credit: Zimbio.com

 

7. Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers
Nathan is just two saves away from 300 in his career.  He is one of the great closers of our time – right behind Rivera and Hoffman – and has overcome the injury that caused him to miss 2010.  Seemingly completely over the injury, two seasons later, the only problem I have with Nathan is his age (38).

6. Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays
After an Eric Gagne-esque season, don’t pay for a repeat from a soon to be 36-year old closer who had an ERA over 4.00 every year of his career except 2005, 2006, and of course 2012.

5. Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
ACL surgery, the long layoff since he last pitched (in May), and his advanced age (43) are risks, but may make the greatest closer of all-time a bargain.

4. Rafael Soriano, Washington Nationals
Soriano had a great season after taking over the closer’s role from the injured Mariano Rivera.  With the exception of 2o11, his first year in pinstripes, he’s been great since 2006.  There’s no reason to think he won’t be very effective playing for one of the best teams in the National League.

3. Jason Motte, St. Louis Cardinals
Not the track record of Jonathan Papelbon, but his BAA has decreased three straight seasons and he was among the very best last season.

2. Jonathan Papelbon, Philadelphia Phillies
Reliability is what you want when you draft a closer in the top 100 picks and Papelbon has seven straight seasons of 30+ saves and has never posted an ERA over 4.00.  He also K’d 92 in 2012.

1. Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
The undisputed top closer in baseball, Craig Kimbrel is the only closer worth drafting in the first five rounds of a fantasy draft.  With 127 and 116 strikeouts in 2011 and 2012 respectively, his contribution goes beyond just the saves category.

We hope this serves as useful guidance in your fantasy drafts, or just learning about the league’s best stoppers in 2013.

 

 

Ryan Kantor of “Reading Between the Seams”, for War Room Sports

 

 

Ryan Kantor is an author at Reading Between the Seams. He is a life-long Yankees fan and a proud Clemson alumnus, residing in North Carolina, where he works in marketing research. For more stories like this, you can visit his personal blog at RyanKantor.com and follow him on Twitter at @Ryan_Kantor.

Philadelphia Phillies 2012 Season Preview

Friday, April 6th, 2012

By Brandon Pemberton

Follow me on twitter @BrandonOnSports and @SportsTrapRadio

Listen to Sports Trap Radio Saturdays from 10am-2pm on ueradiolive.com, hosted by Brandon Pemberton and Chris Marshall (@215_Sports_Guy)

Hunter Pence and Jimmy Rollins need to carry the Phillies offensively while Ryan Howard is out of the lineup.

 

Ever since the Phillies won the 2008 World Series, expectations have been high here in Philly.  This has clearly been one of the best eras of baseball in town since the late 70’s-early 80’s Schmidt and Bowa led squads, and fans now have a “championship or bust” mentality.  How this team plays offensively without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley for a good part of the season will be huge.  Barring injury, the pitching staff should be fine and I’m looking forward to the addition of Jonathan Papelbon as the new closer as well.

The Miami Marlins have added some pieces to go along with their young talent and should be better this season.  The Nationals are a year older and will have a starting rotation of Strasburg, Gonzalez, and Zimmerman at the top and could be potentially a threat.  The Braves fizzled out and lost a 9.5 game wild card lead in September, but also remember, they lost quality starting pitching late in the season as well and the bullpen was overworked something vicious.

So I will breakdown this year’s team by the infield, outfield, and pitching staff, and then give my prediction on regular season wins and how far they get in the playoffs.

Pitching Staff

Starters: This staff is headlined by three aces and Cy Young award candidates: Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Cliff Lee.  All three had great regular seasons in 2011 and I expect the same this season.  Vance Worley was a pleasant surprise in his rookie year, with an 11-3 record, 3.01 ERA, and 119 K’s in 131.2 innings, and hitters only had a .232 average against him.  Right now, Joe Blanton is penciled in as the fifth starter and the Phillies just need him to be solid, nothing spectacular, make thirty starts give them six plus innings per outing, and don’t give up too many big innings.

Bullpen: Jonathan Papelbon was signed during the offseason to replace Ryan Madson as the Phillies’ closer and the move really looks great now after the news came out that Madson will miss the entire 2012 season with Tommy John’s surgery.  Last season, Antonio Bastardo was great as the only lefty in the bullpen and the Phils will need the same from him this year.  Michael Stutes, a rookie last season, pitched well in the 7th and 8th innings of games and will be the setup man for Papelbon.  This year, lefty Joe Savery will be the 2nd southpaw and that should give Bastardo the needed rest as he wore down at the end of the season.  Kyle Kendrick was given a 2-year contract and will be the Phillies’ long reliever and emergency start if one of the regulars happen to get hurt.

Infield: The Phillies will start the season without their starting right side of the infield as Ryan Howard is still recovering from his ruptured Achilles tendon and Chase Utley is on the shelf to start the season to rehab his bad knees.  Ty Wiggington, John Mayberry Jr., and Jim Thome will all see time at first base and rookie shortstop prospect Freddie Galvis has been moved to second base with the injury to utility infielder Michael Martinez, out until possibly June with a fractured foot.  Pete Orr could also see some time at 2nd base if Gavlis struggles a bit at the plate.

Jimmy Rollins was re-signed during the offseason and his glove and arm are still elite, but the Phillies need him to have a big year at the plate, regardless of his spot in the lineup.  Placido Polanco got off to a hot start last season, but hit well below .200 over the last two months of the season and dealt with back and elbow injuries during the season.

Carlos Ruiz had a hot spring and has been a rock behind the plate for the Phils pitching staff.  He has been a clutch hitter in big spots over the past few years and is a fan favorite here in Philadelphia.  Brian Schneider provides veteran leadership and steady play off of the bench when “Chooch” needs a rest.

Outfield: Shane Victorino is a potential All-Star player for the Phillies and will be the lead-off hitter and catalyst offensively.  He’s also one of the best defensive center fielders in all of baseball.  I would like a better approach at the plate, less strikeouts, and a higher on-base percentage as well.  Hunter Pence is in his first full season as a Phillie and the team needs big-time run production out of him with Howard out of the lineup for a while.  John Mayberry will get his chance to see quality time in the lineup after producing well in spot duty last season.  Juan Pierre adds speed, late game pinch hitting, and running to the Phils and Laynce Nix provides a left-handed bat off of the bench with some pop.

Prediction: The Phillies have an elite pitching staff who will win or keep them close in most games this season.  I’m not worried about pitching with this team as long as they stay healthy.  The question is the Phillies offense and how will they make up for the run production that Ryan Howard has  produced on a yearly basis.  Howard is unfairly scrutinized in Philly, but the numbers don’t lie, he’s been one of the best run producers in baseball over the last five years.  The Phillies will need to play more “small-ball”, cut down on the strikeouts in the lineup, and get timely hits in big spots.  Even with Howard and Utley out for a long period of time and the Marlins and Nationals making moves and having young talent, I still believe the Phils have enough to win the division.  They won’t run away with it like last season.  It will be a closer race than most think.

I really believe this is the year Philadelphia makes it back to the World Series.  I’m not saying they win it, but I predict they play the Detroit Tigers in the fall classic.

94-68, win the N.L. East, and represent the National League in the World Series.

Brandon Pemberton of Brandon on Sports & Sports Trap Radio, for War Room Sports