Tag Archives: Zach Britton

2019 Red Sox Free Agency: Get Cody Allen

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The Red Sox bullpen is in flux for 2019.  Craig Kimbrel is out there asking for a 6-year deal, which the Red Sox will never give him.  Joe Kelly is also a free agent, and his performance doesn’t exactly inspire.  Because an already bloated Red Sox payroll, it’s looking like a budget bullpen piece is the answer.  The place to go is Cody Allen.

Cody Allen Performance

Between the years of 2014 and 2017, Cody Allen was one of the best closers in the game.  He averaged 32 saves a year as the anchor of a star-studded bullpen that included Andrew Miller.  The Cleveland Indians rode that bullpen to a lot of postseason success, including a run to the 2016 World Series.

In the regular season, he averaged an ERA under 3 during that time, but he stepped it up in the Postseason.  His career Postseason ERA was 0.47 in 19 innings.  That’s positively vintage Mariano Rivera territory.

But then 2018 happened.  He had a 4.70 ERA, lost his closer position, and got blown up in the Postseason.  So what gives?

The information may be behind a paywall, but pitch usage points to a few things – specifically his curveball.  The curve got less swing and misses in 2018, and he had some trouble throwing it for strikes.  Furthermore, he lost a MPH on his fastball, which dipped below 94 MPH.  The fastball/curve mix is what made him so deadly.

Maybe being in a free agent year got to him.  Maybe he was simply tired and in this era of quick hooks and little patience he crumbled.  But he wouldn’t be available if he had remained elite last year.

Contract Possibilities

A quick google search of Cody Allen shows a distinct lack of contract demands.  There are not even stories out there like this one, saying Joe Kelly is being looked at by multiple teams as a closer.  Because of this, it appears clear that Allen would come cheap.  Maybe even on a one year deal.  Now that’s more like it.

Cody Allen isn’t necessarily a sure thing, but he looks pretty good from here.  He’s one year removed from being untouchable in the Postseason for many years.  He’s only 30 years old, he’s cheap, and he would be an excellent gamble to pair with the remaining relievers on the staff, such as Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes, in the late innings.

Furthermore, he is right-handed.  This is essential.  The Red Sox biggest competition, the Astros and Yankees, have a plethora of right-handed, middle of the order bats in their lineups.  To me, that excludes left-handed possibilities for essential bullpen roles like Andrew Miller and Zach Britton.  Kelvin Herrera is also cheap, right-handed, and recently successful, but arm troubles on top of foot troubles make him too risky.

That leaves Cody Allen.  Sign him.

 

 

The Red Sox Should Move on from Kimbrel

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Craig Kimbrel rejected his qualifying offer Monday, making him a free agent. Without Kimbrel, the Red Sox have no obvious candidate to fill in as the closer. However, they have a couple of in-house options and there are several viable free agent candidates who would cost much less than bringing Craig Kimbrel back. These are the reasons the Red Sox should explore those other options.

The Contract

Craig Kimbrel was always going to command a big contract for a relief pitcher. With news the other day that his agent, Scott Boras, claims Kimbrel to be the greatest closer ever, one can expect they are aiming for a big-time payday. What would that entail? My guess is Kimbrel will receive a five-year contract somewhere in the 90-100 million dollar range.

With Kimbrel turning 31 next spring, a 5-year contract could be a bit risky. His velocity might decline over the next couple of years, hurting his effectiveness. As things stand now, his effectiveness already waxes and wanes. For how good Kimbrel is, his control tends to disappear at times, at which point fans are in for a rocky rollercoaster ride in the ninth inning. Do you really want Kimbrel taking up 18-20 million of payroll each year for the next five years? That money would be better spent elsewhere. In addition, with the qualifying offer rejected, the Red Sox would pick up a draft pick if Kimbrel signed elsewhere.

This isn’t meant to criticize Kimbrel, he has been one of the better closers of all-time. He has a career ERA under 2.00 and 333 saves. Just two years ago he had another historic season, nearly striking out half of all batters he faced. However, when looking at his other two seasons in Boston, Kimbrel has been good, but nothing special. In 2016 and 2018 Kimbrel has a 3.04 ERA and walks nearly five batters per nine innings pitched. He’s still a strikeout machine and typically gets the job done, but it raises some questions.

More Important Contracts

Mookie Betts jumps to mind as a player the Red Sox need to extend. As the probable 2018 American League MVP and already a three-time Gold Glove winner, Betts is going to command a very large contract. The Red Sox will need plenty of available space to make an extension with Betts work. It might not happen this year, but with only two arbitration years left before he hits free agency, the Red Sox can’t be sleeping on this.

Chris Sale is another obvious guy as he enters his final year before free agency. Sale has been everything the Sox could have hoped for when they traded for him, going 29-12 with a 2.56 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 13.2 K/9 over his two seasons with the team. Sale is probably a top-five pitcher in all of baseball, it would be hard to lose that. With free agency looming, the Sox should be locking him up long-term this offseason.

Xander Bogaerts is also entering his final season before free agency. A two-time Silver Slugger coming off his best season to date, Bogaerts isn’t going to be cheap to retain either. Bogaerts hit 23 home runs, drove in 103 runners and posted a career-best .883 OPS this season. At a premium position, Bogaerts is an important player and won’t be a cheap one. Can the Sox retain him, Betts and Bogaerts even if they don’t keep Kimbrel?

The Red Sox shouldn’t be doling out massive contracts to guys who pitch 50 innings a year when they have MVPs and Silver Sluggers and potential Cy Young Award winners to lock up.

Free Agent Options

The Red Sox might be able to sign two late-inning options for the price of just Kimbrel, with considerably fewer years of payroll tied up in them. That is the direction they should go in, sign two, maybe even three guys to one or two-year deals to lock down the end of the bullpen. If they keep Joe Kelly, they’d likely be looking at signing two.

David Robertson

Robertson has had a nice career but has always done better in a setup role than as a closer. He had a sub-2.00 ERA his final three years with the Yankees before signing with the White Sox to be their closer. He did a good job but had an ERA above 3.00 all three seasons as their closer. At 34 years old come next season, he isn’t someone the Sox would want to give more than a two-year deal.

Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller is coming off a down season, so it might make some sense for the Sox to pounce. He too will be turning 34 next spring, so he won’t command a long-term deal. Coming off a down season, there is a chance he will be looking to sign a one year deal to reestablish some value. In his down season, Miller still struck out nearly 12 batters per nine innings. In his four previous seasons, Miller was 22-11 with a 1.72 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 14.5 K/9. Those are some insane numbers, ones I would love to give him a chance to rebound to.

Adam Ottavino

Ottavino has less mileage on his arm than the other guys, but he’s actually about to turn 33. He has missed time with arm injuries more than once, but when healthy he is good. Pitching in Colorado, Ottavino had a 2.43 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 13 K/9 this past season.

Cody Allen

Allen might be looking for a one year deal after having his worst season as a pro this past year.  At just 29 years old, he shouldn’t be nearing the end of his effectiveness, and he might be a bounce-back candidate. In the five years before this past season, Allen had an ERA under 3.00 each season, coming to a 2.59 ERA for that five year period. He has saved 147 games over the past five seasons and strikes out 11.5 batters per nine innings for his career.

These are just some of the many options the Red Sox could explore to help form their bullpen. Joakim Soria, Greg Holland, Jeurys Familia, and Zach Britton are several more options that could be had for a fraction of the cost of Craig Kimbrel. Soria and Holland could probably be had on one-year deals. The Red Sox should be looking to sign a couple of the above players to vie for the closer role.

Miller spent four seasons with the Red Sox already. Staff photo by Christopher Evans.

 

Featured picture from Yahoo! Sports

Red Sox-Yankees ALDS Preview Extravaganza

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It’s pretty hard to believe it’s been 14 years since we’ve had a playoff series featuring Major League Baseball’s premier rivalry. The Red Sox and Yankees will kick off their first postseason matchup since 2004 later tonight, and on paper it looks to be a doozy. Two 100-win juggernauts. Over $400 million in combined payroll. Stars all over the diamond. History everywhere. I can’t wait.

I’ll be breaking down both sides of this series, and then picking a winner at the end. But before we get into all of that, let’s take a little trip down memory lane:

Okay, glad we got that out of our systems. On to the good stuff.

Starting Lineup

The Red Sox led the majors in just about every major offensive category this season. They placed first in total runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, and wOBA. Boston was led by MVP-caliber seasons from Mookie Betts (.346/.438/.640) and JD Martinez (.330/.402/.629), though the Sox received significant contributions from others as well. Andrew Benintendi improved dramatically on his rookie campaign. Jackie Bradley Jr. slashed .282/.349/.502 over his final 284 plate appearances after a dismal start. Xander Bogaerts finally shook off his second half demons to post a career year.

And yet, there are some holes, and question marks (specifically at second base, third base, and catcher). Meanwhile, the Yankees offense is just as potent, if not more so. The Bronx Bombers tied the Dodgers for the best wRC+ in baseball (the Red Sox were a close 3rd). They also broke the Major League record for home runs in a season, with 269. That last one is a big point in the Yankees favor, as teams who hit more HR tend to have more success in October.

The slugging starts with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, who both homered in Wednesday’s Wild Card game. Luke Voit has been a revelation at first base, where his 188 OPS+ over 148 PA has lengthened an already long lineup and provided a boon desperately needed after poor seasons from Greg Bird and Gary Sanchez. That’s not to mention the production from rookies Miguel Andujar and Gleybar Torres. Plus, Brian Cashman was able to throw former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen into the mix in August.

The Sox have a great offense, but it feels like New York’s is a bit more formidable for this time of year.

Slight Edge: Yankees

Starting Pitching

Here’s how the first three starting pitching matchups seem to be shaking out:

Game 1 – J.A. Happ vs. Chris Sale

Game 2 – Mashiro Tanaka vs. David Price

Game 3 – Rick Porcello vs. Luis Severino

That certainly feels like it favors the Red Sox. Three AL Cy Young Award winners should be enough to tip this category in Boston’s favor. That is, until you include each pitcher’s career postseason ERA…

Game 1 – J.A. Happ (3.72) vs. Chris Sale (8.38)

Game 2 – Masahiro Tanaka (1.44) vs. David Price (5.03)

Game 3 – Rick Porcello (5.47) vs. Luis Severino (4.50)

Look, I get it. Postseason baseball is a small sample size, and past performance isn’t always indicative of future performance, especially in that scenario. But it’s hard to feel too confident, given Price’s non-Rays playoff history, Porcello’s inability to keep the ball in the yard, and Sale’s dip in velocity since returning from multiple summer DL stints. The Yankees starters might not have the same upside, but they certainly feel less volatile. The Happ acquisition continues to loom large. He’s undefeated since joining the Yankees, and has a career 2.98 ERA against the Red Sox. If he can beat Sale in Game 1, it’ll be a bad omen for the Sox’s chances through the weekend. I’m choosing to trust that the Red Sox starters are ready to turn a corner this postseason, but I don’t feel great about it.

Slight Edge: Red Sox

Bullpen

I’ll save you the suspense. This is a huge win (obviously) for the Yankees, and will likely be the deciding factor should the Yankees come out on top. The Red Sox bullpen, while much maligned over the past month, has actually been perfectly above average this season. Craig Kimbrel still looms at the end of games as a premier closer, and rebounded from a mid-summer swoon with a 13 appearance stretch where he allowed only 3 hits and 1 earned run between 8/12 and 9/21. Still, a 4 run implosion in his second to last appearance of the year against the lowly Orioles bumped his ERA to 2.74, the second worst mark of his career.

The rest of the Sox bullpen is fine. Solid, unspectacular, and far from reliable (unless you’re really into the Matt Barnes Experience).

The Yankees ‘pen, conversely, reads like a damn All-Star team. There’s Chapman and Britton. There’s Betances and Robertson. Chad Green may not have as big of a name as his teammates, but he might be the most consistent of the bunch. New York can trot any and all of these guys out there in a high leverage situation, and be reasonably comfortable that the outcome will be in their favor. They led the league in reliever fWAR, and while the Red Sox have had their share of come-from-behind wins this year, they’ll be hard pressed to overcome any substantial deficits in this series.

Major Edge: Yankees

Bench X Factor

Steve Pearce has been a terrific mid-season addition for the Red Sox, providing a boost at a premium offensive position as Mitch Moreland struggled down the stretch. But Brock Holt is the guy here. He can play nearly every position on the diamond, and had perhaps the best all-around season of his career. Holt slashed .277/.362/.411 with a 109 OPS+ this year, and had plenty of clutch moments off the bench:

Holt had 5 hits in 15 pinch-hitting plate appearances, 4 of which went for extra bases. Alex Cora will almost definitely call his number in a tight spot again this series, and Holt will need to deliver.

For the Yankees, Austin Romine *should* be the starting catcher. But, because the baseball gods would never want to deprive us of the joy of watching Gary Sanchez trot after yet another passed ball, he’s stuck in a platoon. If Aaron Boone is smart, he’ll put his best lineup on the field. Fingers crossed nobody gives him a heads up.

Edge: Red Sox

Manager

Cora has been a breath of fresh air for the Red Sox off the field and in the clubhouse this season. After two years of underachieving relative to their talent, the Sox took off under their first year manager’s watch. Cora hasn’t been perfect with his in game decisions, and it does seem like he lingers with guys a bit longer than I would like. However, he’s been excellent as rookie managers go on the whole.

I’ll just say I don’t get the same vibe from Boone, and leave it at that. Plus, I kind of miss Joe Girardi and his binder.

Edge: Red Sox

The Pick

I really want to pick the Yankees. While I think the Red Sox are a better team overall, and better suited for a full 162 game slate, New York feels built for the postseason, especially a short series. The bullpen discrepancy is a major check in the Yankees favor. In a series that figures to be as tight as this one, such an advantage is a major red flag for Boston.

But screw that. What’s the point of writing for a Red Sox blog if you don’t think the best regular season team in franchise history can make it out of the first round?

RED SOX IN 5

W2W4: Post All-Star Break Edition (@greg_habeeb)

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We’ve officially entered the sports abyss. You know, that 48-hour black hole following the MLB All-Star Game where there are no sports to be found. The World Cup is over. There are no baseball games in sight. NFL training camp is still a ways off. Hell, even the NBA’s Summer League has concluded.

In these dire times, all we can do is lock ourselves in our rooms, and look ahead to what the second half of the Major League season might bring.

Red Sox fans are surely hoping for more of the same. Boston won an MLB record 68 games prior to the break, and hold a 4.5 game lead over the Yankees for first place in the AL East. There should be plenty of intrigue over the season’s final two and a half months. Here are a few key themes for Sox fans to keep an eye on for 2018’s stretch run:

Will Dave Dombrowski Make a Move?

The trade deadline is looming. The Red Sox may be on pace for 112 wins, but they have their share of holes. Three starting pitchers (Drew Pomeranz, Steven Wright, and Eduardo Rodriguez) are on the disabled list. The bullpen, beyond Craig Kimbrel, is “good enough to get by” at best and “heart-attack inducing” the rest of the time. 2nd and 3rd base have been well below average offensively, and a train-wreck defensively (at least when Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez have been in the lineup). The catcher position has been underwhelming as well, though the Sox aren’t alone there.

In short, there’s reason to believe that Boston may try to make an upgrade over the next couple of weeks. The Red Sox have been rumored to be interested in a high-caliber reliever. The Orioles’ Zach Britton could be on the table, and is one big name to watch. Boston has also shown interest in former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi. An augmentation to the pitching staff seems most likely, though whether it’s a major get like Britton or a stopgap solution like Eovaldi remains to be seen. However, don’t sleep on a boost to the lineup as well (The Royals’ Mike Moustakas or Whit Merrifield, anyone?). When you have a first half like the Red Sox did, a big swing is almost always in the works.

Dr. Chris vs. Mr. Sale

The splits are staggering. By almost every metric, Chris Sale is worse in the second half of the season than he is in the first half. For his career, Sale is 69-26 with a 2.66 ERA before the All-Star break, and 32-36 with a 3.28 ERA after it. Last year was no different; after a dominant first half, he showed signs of mortality down the stretch. Everything came to a head in the postseason, when he allowed 9 runs on 13 hits in 9.2 innings over two appearances versus Houston.

Sale will once again be coming off a stellar first half (10-4, 2.23 ERA, 13.1 K/9). We’ll see if he can keep it rolling for the full 162 plus postseason, assuming the Sox make it that far.

Will Jackie Bradley Jr. Get Hot?

JBJ has been nothing short of frustrating this season at the dish. His .210/.297/.345 slash line doesn’t inspire much confidence. Neither does his less-than-robust 73 OPS+. Fortunately for Bradley, his typically excellent defense has managed to keep him in the lineup more often than not.

There are signs that a patented Bradley Jr. hot streak could be around the corner. His .265 BAPIP is its lowest since 2013, despite a career best 38.8 hard-hit percentage (and a career low 9.7 soft-hit percentage). JBJ also showed signs of life towards the end of the first half. In 18 games since June 24th, Bradley is hitting .323//377/.548 with a couple of HR and 15 RBI to boot.

JBJ truly just needs to be mediocre at the plate in order to justify his prescence in the lineup with the way he mans centerfield. However, he’s also capable of going on extreme hot streaks that can buoy an entire offense for a month. Assuming he times that streak right, it could determine the AL East race.

Can Mookie Betts Stay Hot?

Mike Trout is already an all-time great, and the best player in baseball. But Betts has been the top dog this season from the jump. His monster first half (.359/.448/.691 with 23 HR, 18 SB, and a 200 OPS+) has made him the clear AL MVP favorite so far. It has also almost completely erased an underwhelming 2017 season. Check this out:

2016: 158 G, 730 PA, .318/.363/.534, 31 HR, 26 SB, 133 OPS+

2017-18: 231 G, 1067 PA, .295/.379/.534, 33 HR/162, 31 SB/162, 137 OPS+

It truly does feel as though this season is a correction for 2017, and combining both puts him right in line with 2016’s MVP runner-up campaign. The Sox need him to keep that pace, and stay locked in. While the top 5 of the lineup is as formidable of a group as any (Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez, Mitch Moreland), the bottom part has been suspect to say the least. Boston can’t afford much of a drop-off from their stars, especially Betts.

There’s plenty more to keep an eye on as the Red Sox make their way through the dog days of summer into the fall, of course. But don’t be surprised if these key points loom large through September and October.

The Top Relievers in Baseball

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In today’s game, relief pitchers are used so often. Starters are often relied upon to only go five to six innings, then turn it over to the pen to close things out for several innings. There are more relievers in the game, and more guys who throw in the upper 90’s. Nowadays, there are so many guys who can dominate for an inning, and oftentimes there are random guys who have one outstanding season. This can make it difficult to determine who is real and who is a pretender. In this article, I factor in age when determining my top 10.

Craig Kimbrel

Kimbrel is one of the most dominant stoppers the game has ever seen. From when he broke in during the 2010 season, through 2014, Kimbrel had a ridiculous 1.43 ERA while saving 186 games. During this time he struck out 14.8 batters per nine innings pitched and had a WHIP of 0.90. You really can’t be any better than he was. He did tail off for two seasons after leaving Atlanta, though he did save 70 games with a sub 3.00 ERA.

Last season, Kimbrel was back to his dominant self, pitching to a 1.43 ERA, the same ERA he had during his first five seasons. Kimbrel had a crazy low 0.68 WHIP and a filthy 16.4 strike outs per nine innings. In fact, if Kimbrel had struck out just one batter that managed to put the ball in play, he would have struck out exactly half of the batters he faced on the season. Still just 29 years old, Kimbrel should have plenty of run left as a dominant closer.

Kenley Jansen

Kimbrel and Jansen are clearly the top two relievers in baseball in my mind. It was them one-two, and then figuring out the rest. Jansen is remarkable in that he was a catcher in the minor leagues before becoming one of the most dominant relievers in the game. In parts of eight seasons, Jansen has posted an ERA below 2.00 in half of them. One of the top strike out artists in baseball, Jansen has struck out 14 batters per nine innings pitched during his career.

Jansen had arguably his best season last year, leading the league with 41 saves to go with his 5-0 record. He had the lowest ERA (1.32) and the lowest WHIP (0.75) of anyone with 11 or more innings pitched in the National League. Jansen has saved 230 games during his career. His ERA is 2.08 and he has a career 0.87 WHIP. Every number is among the league leaders during the time period.

Photo by John McCoy/So Cal News Group

Roberto Osuna

This might be a name that doesn’t come straight to mind for most. Osuna has not been around long, and pitches for a mediocre team north of the border. As such, Osuna doesn’t get the publicity others do. Make no mistake, Osuna is one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. Turning just 23 in less than a week, Osuna should be around much longer than guys behind him on this list.

As a closer, one thing you don’t want to do is allow baserunners. Osuna has a WHIP below 1.00 in all three seasons of his career, so he does a great job of limiting them. This past season, even though his ERA was a career high 3.38, Osuna allowed the fewest baserunners of his career at 0.86 per inning. He also allowed a career low three home runs, leading me to believe his still solid ERA was flukily high. With a little more luck, his ERA should dip back closer to 2.50 this coming season. Osuna has saved 95 games in his first three seasons, and at such a young age there is room for improvement.

Andrew Miller

If this list was just for 2018, Miller would be at least one spot higher. Easily the most dominant left-handed reliever in the game, Miller dominates both left-handed and right-handed hitters alike.

Over the last four years, Miller has been arguably more dominant than anyone. He is 22-11 over that span with a 1.72 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 14.5 strike outs per nine innings. He can go for more than one innings, which he illustrated during the postseason over the past couple years. In postseason play, Miller has a 1.10 ERA over 32.2 innings pitched. He seems to dominate no matter the circumstance. Miller will be turning 33 in May, giving him a full decade on Roberto Osuna, causing me to place Osuna in the third spot. I will not argue the fact that at the moment, Miller is the better pitcher.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Dellin Betances

I was shocked when I looked up Betances and learned he would be 30 years old before the season starts. He has only been around for four years, so it seems like he should be much younger. He also has been less dominant the last two seasons than he was in his first two. However, Betances can still dominate and has great stuff, so he cracks my top five. After pitching to a 1.45 ERA in his first two seasons, Betances’ ERA in the last two is 2.98. His WHIP has also risen every season, going from 0.78 in 2014 to 1.22 last season. There are some warning signs, but this is still a guy who has struck out over 15 batters per nine in each of the last two years. Last year, only Craig Kimbrel had a better strike out rate in the AL.

Ken Giles

Ken Giles struggled this past postseason, but that should not be all you think about when it comes to him. At 27, Giles has been in the majors for four years. Giles has a 2.43 career ERA and 12.4 strike outs per nine. After dominating for two seasons in Philadelphia, Giles encountered his first struggles in 2016 with the Astros. Despite the struggles, he did strike out a career high 14 batters per nine. Reaffirming himself as one of the better relievers in baseball, Giles posted a 2.30 ERA for the Astros last year with a 1.04 WHIP. He bolstered the back end of the Houston bullpen as they made their race towards the playoffs. Giles should be a good closer for years to come.

Aroldis Chapman

One could definitely argue that Chapman should be higher on the list. After all, I do have Chapman approaching top 10 all-time status for relief pitchers. However, Chapman showed signs of cracking last season and will be 30 before the month is out. Not that 30 is old, but he has eight Major League seasons of throwing a ball 100 miles per hour. All the stress of throwing that hard could catch up to him. Late last year, his control was all over the place and he exhibited very poor body language on the mound at times. I also wonder then how he will handle the pressures of New York.

All that said, Chapman still posted good numbers, just far from the great ones we were used to from him. His ERA was its highest since 2011, as was his WHIP. Chapman also posted the lowest strike outs per nine of his career. For his career though, Chapman has struck out nearly 15 batters per nine innings while allowing one baserunner per inning. He has surpassed 200 career saves with a 2.21 ERA.

Cody Allen

A man who can keep Andrew Miller from being a closer must be a pretty good pitcher, and Cody Allen is that man. He isn’t better than Miller, but Miller is more valuable in a role where he can be plugged in at opportune times, and Allen is plenty good enough to hold down the fort when his time comes. In five full seasons, Allen has had an ERA below 3.00 in all of them. He has saved 122 games while pitching to a 2.67 ERA. Whether it’s gone noticed or not, Allen has been even better in the playoffs. Over 19.1 postseason innings, Allen has allowed 1 earned run while striking out 33 batters.

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Knebel

Based just upon last year, Knebel should maybe be several spots higher on this list. I’d like to see him do it for another year though, as he kind of came out of nowhere last year to be one of the very best closers in the game. Knebel was a first round pick, so there is reason to think he can possibly continue his dominance. However, before last year Knebel had a career ERA north of 4.00 along with a relatively high WHIP. He had struck out a good amount of batters, but not near the rate at which he did this past year.

Last season, Knebel saved 39 games for the Brewers while striking out just a tick under 15 batters per nine innings. Knebel’s ERA hovered around 1.00 for half the season before one poor game. He then didn’t allow a run in 21 of his next 22 appearances to get his ERA back in the low 1.00’s. He faded a little in the last week or two of the season, possibly tiring out as he pitched more than ever before. Knebel finished the season with a 1.78 ERA

Zach Britton

Heading into last year, Britton would have likely been in the top three of this list. After an injury plagued season, and one much worse than we have been accustomed to, Britton has some rebounding to do. Problem is, he is injured again and expected to miss half this season. He is also 30 years old now. All of that has him dropped, but I felt he still needed to be included based upon how dominant he has proven to be when healthy. Britton was a legitimate Cy Young candidate in 2016, allowing just four earned runs over 67 innings pitched. He led the league with 47 saves that year along with his 0.54 ERA.

Over the three seasons prior to last year, Britton had a 1.38 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while saving 120 games. He was probably the best closer in the game during that three year stretch. Last year his WHIP skyrocketed to an unhealthy 1.53, though he still managed a 2.89 ERA due to his ground ball tendencies. Even if Britton comes back and shows some rust this season after missing half the year, I expect him to ultimately return to being a dominant closer again for a few years.

Honorable Mentions:

Edwin Diaz, Raisel Iglesias, Brad Hand, Wade Davis, Greg Holland