When to select Farmers is one of the most polarizing topics of discussion during fantasy baseball draft season.
The position itself is incredibly volatile, and over the last five seasons we’ve seen about 30 percent of the players who open the season as their team’s closer finish the year in the same role.
This certainly adds fuel to the fire for those who insist on waiting until later rounds to draft their relief pitchers, but investing early in a top ninth inning specialist can make the difference you need to finish ahead of your competition.
Josh Hader of the Astros is one of the best defenders in baseball. P.A.
First, let’s debunk the theory that closures are only good for one category.
Yes, they are part of your lineup for backups, but high-end closures do so much more than that.
These days, when managers coddle their starting pitchers, we see fewer players pitching for more than 100 innings.
In fact, over the last decade we have seen a 20 percent decrease in the number of pitchers who finished the season at this level.
This means that the impact of a closer posting a 2.00 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP over 65 innings is much greater on your ratios than you might think.
Add to that a K/9 above 10.00, and a closer top actually increases your totals in all pitching categories except wins.
Pirates closer David Bednar could be a pitcher to grab in the middle rounds of your fantasy baseball draft. P.A.
This doesn’t mean you have to recruit top names like Josh Hader or Emmanuel Clase.
The main reason people do it is for safety. Given the volatility of the position, the investment comes with the belief that this player will not lose his job if he encounters difficulties in one or two first outings.
But there are many others who share similar levels of job security and won’t cost you a third or fourth round pick.
Closer players such as Pittsburgh’s David Bednar and Cincinnati’s Alexis Diaz have high ADPs in the 90s, and both have ratios and job security comparable to those at the highest levels.
You can certainly target closures deeper in your project. Players such as Miami’s Tanner Scott or Tampa Bay’s Pete Fairbanks will be available in the middle rounds and have solid ratios, but the further down the draft board you go, the greater the volatility in job security.
Not to mention, the longer you wait, the more likely it is that you’ll have to spend most of your Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) or forfeit priority savings on the waiver wire all season.
You don’t have to be the first person in your project to approach, but you certainly don’t want to be the last.
Howard Bender is the Content Manager at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on @rotobuzzguy and find him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Channel weekdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy baseball news and advice.
2024-02-25 14:41:19
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