What’s poppin, Razzpimples?!
Remember to bookmark that Razzball Bullpen Chart, y’all! I update it obsessively.
Also, if you’re a sub (you should be a sub…it’s great value), you get access to RP Projections and the super badass Relievonator Game Log tool, in addition to all the other awesome tools we have to offer. Hittertron and Streamonator, etc.
Let’s do it to it.
Note: All stats and Player Rater values are accurate through Sunday’s games.
Player Rater Top 20 (5×5 Standard)
Player Rater Top 20 (6×6 w/ Holds)
2024 SVHD Leaders
Weekly Saves Leaders
Weekly Holds Leaders
Weekly Blown Saves Leaders :'(
Alrighty, pards, got a pretty short and sweet one for you this week. I’m plumb swamped with being back to school, setting up a new room, and learning how to teach two new subjects. Instead of recapping a bunch of stats that you can really just look up yourself (0r look at the screenshots above), I’ve got more of a vibe check on some hierarchy trends.
Arizona Diamondbacks:
- Go get all the Justin Martinez you can. Looks like he’s the guy now. For SVHD, reckon you want A.J. Puk next and Kevin Ginkel after that.
Atlanta Braves:
- A.J. Minter is back on the IL. Bust of a season, sadly. I ranked him high and he let me down. Y’all know who the closer is…the SVHD Savant you want now is Joe Jimenez.
Baltimore Orioles:
- Craig Kimbrel is an outright drop. Can’t believe I gotta say it. I trusted the process, and he, too, let me down. For the time being — and it may be a shorter “time being” — Seranthony Dominguez looks to be the favorite for saves. Can’t believe I gotta say that either. Top setup is the same guy it’s always been, but Cionel Perez is worth a venture as well.
Boston Red Sox:
- The closer situation is universally known. What may not be universally known is Chris Martin should be rostered in all SVHD formats now that he’s healthy again.
Chicago Cubs:
- Hector Neris is the closer. The setup man I want is, for now, Porter Hodge. Don’t reckon I spare much thought for anyone else on the Cubs at the moment.
Chicago White Sox:
- Move on; nothing worthwhile to see here.
Cincinnati Reds:
- Emilio Pagan is back, and I don’t consider it blasphemous to say he could overtake Fernando Cruz as Setup Sheriff — Cruz has a 1.91 WHIP over the last month. Yowzers.
Cleveland Guardians:
- The #1 RP on the Player Raters needs no introduction. Hunter Gaddis remains my next favorite, while Cade Smith is a very close second at this stage.
Colorado Rockies:
- Victor Vodnik is your Headline Hero for the week. Rockies saves aren’t sexy saves, yet they have a place in fantasy, and that dude is widely available (at least in the Fantrax realm, which is the only realm where you’ll find me outside of analyst leagues at NFBC). I just wrote “Absolutely no one else matters” and then peeped Tyler Kinley‘s last month: 1 W, 1 SV, 4 HLD, 3.02 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, 15:5 K:BB over the last month (13 IP). I guess he matters at least a little bit.
Detroit Tigers:
- Tigers are kinda hot again right now, thus there have been lots of SVHD to go around. I just can’t care anymore. If you’re in a roto SVHD league, Tyler Holton is pretty okay. That’s the best I can do. His last month: 2 SV, 2 HLD, 1.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP.
Houston Astros:
- Simple pecking order here. Josh Hader #1, Bryan Abreu #2, take a few breaths, go to the bathroom, make sure nothing is in your teeth, and then it’s Ryan Pressly #3.
Kansas City Royals:
- Lucas Erceg is suddenly the only Royals RP worth a ding dang darn. Hunter Harvey is hurt and James McArthur can’t seem to do anything worthwhile. Erceg is borderline must-own in all formats.
Los Angeles Angels:
- Just as fast as he stole my heart, Ben Joyce has almost lost it again. The walks are troublesome again (8 BB over his last 12.1 IP). He does have 6 SVHD in that span with a nice 2.89 ERA, but good luck plays a factor given the 4.88 FIP and 1.38 WHIP. Trending the wrong way, suddenly. Still would hold for now in SVHD. I did drop my one SV-only share for Erceg, though.
Los Angeles Dodgers:
- Said last week it was an uphill battle trying to pin down this pen. I’m still kinda feelin the same way, pards. Woe is me! I’m a-strugglin. I guess if you held a sixshooter to my dome, I’d say prioritize Daniel Hudson first and Anthony Banda second.
Miami Marlins:
- Don’t know how ballsy you are, but Calvin Faucher is still the SV-only Marlin to own. Andrew Nardi has 23 K in his last 12 IP, it’s just he also has allowed 8 ER and five homers over that same span.
Milwaukee Brewers:
- Bryan Hudson is off the IL, so he’s right back to being the holds guy you want from the Brew Crew. You know whom to roster for saves.
Minnesota Twins:
- Same ol’ same ol’ here: you want Jhoan Duran still for SV but Griffin Jax everywhere else.
New York Mets:
- Reed Garrett has returned from injury. Jose Butto continues to pump out elite bulk IP numbers. Edwin Diaz has had a solid past month or so, just not as elite as I woulda reckoned. Still just really want Dedniel to come back soon. Miss him dearly.
New York Yankees:
- Clay Holmes is still the closer for one of the better teams in baseball, but a 1.50 WHIP over his last month doesn’t blow anyone’s boots off. The SVHD guy to roster is now Tommy Kahnle, who holds a 0.73 ERA and 0.81 WHIP over his last 12.1 IP.
Oakland A’s:
- Mason Miller is back. Yay! If you’re an AL-only SVHD type, Tyler Ferguson should be rostered: 20 K and a 0.70 WHIP over the past month.
Philadelphia Phillies:
- Carlos Estevez is your closer, so I guess I’m a ding dang dummy for thinking his SV-only value would tank after leaving the Halos. Jeff Hoffman is the SVHD maestro. Deeper leagues could still use Jose Alvarado I guess, but really it’s only the first two who seem to matter in most cases.
Pittsburgh Pirates:
- Pfft, more like David Buttnar amirite. What an asstastic week from that guy: 4 BS+L . He’s the Pittsburgh homeboy and all, but the Bucs are still feasibly fighting for a Wild Card spot and can’t afford to let this kind of malarkey continue. Bro has a 2.14 WHIP over his last month. Aroldis Chapman is cooking again…might see him steal a save opp soon? Dunno. Pure conjecture.
San Diego Padres:
- As a bullpen analyst, I love an easy pen to parse: Robert Suarez for saves, and either one of Tanner Scott/Jason Adam for holds. All three very good at what they do for fantasy purposes.
Seattle Mariners:
- Ahhh, another easy one. Don’t even really need to bother naming names, right? I’ll name one name I definitely forgot about: Collin Snider. Gotta love a 17:2 K:BB over any number of innings (in this case, we’re talking his last 12.1 IP). Munoz and Garcia are the top dogs, but Snider might just have a home in the deeper formats.
San Francisco Giants:
- So you may have heard: Camilo Doval was optioned. Gotta drop him. Again, I can’t believe I just typed those words. C’est la vie. Ryan Walker is who you want in all formats, and of course, it’s still Tyler Rogers as Plan B. The boring bastard is 6th in baseball with 25 HLD.
St. Louis Cardinals:
- Andrew Kittredge has risen to the top of the holds hierarchy again. That pard leads the Majors with 30 HLD. JoJo Romero is #3 with 28 HLD, it’s just he feels like he’s not worth it anymore? Even with a 0.98 WHIP on the year, it still feels that way??? Post-All-Star-break JoJo is nothing like pre-All-Star-break JoJo.
Tampa Bay Rays:
- You and I both know whom you want for saves. The holds are trickier right now…I, for one, still want Colin Poche, but does Mr. Cash still want Poche? Or does he want Manuel Rodriguez, who has 4 HLD and a 0.71 WHIP over the last month?
Texas Rangers:
- Whew, another easy one. Yates and DRob. Nuff said.
Toronto Blue Jays:
- Whewwwww, another easy one. Green, and Green only.
Washington Nationals:
- Whewwwwwwwwwww. Ending on another beach ball: Finnegan for the winnegan. He’s up to 30 SV now. I’ll take the L on Robert Garcia being the “dark horse MVP of this pen ROS.” Had Finny been dealt, I may be victory lapping right about now.
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading. Leave me a comment below so I feel all warm and fuzzy.
I specialize in bullpens, and I also do some fantasy hockey as well here at Razzball. Find me on Elon’s Disaster: @jkj0787. DMs are always open for questions, comments, concerns, complaints, etc. Odds are good I’m drinking black coffee, dark beer, or some form of bourbon at any given time of day
