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While holds are even tougher to predict than saves, the players we’ll highlight today include some elite setup men to target off the waiver wire in Week 11.
One-inning middle relievers are the constant sources for holds and specialists can manage to secure a hold even with one out. However, while specialists can get many holds, their fantasy value is limited to how effective they are in their specific role. Long relievers are not a strong source of holds, they are often used in emergency or mop-up roles; reducing their likelihood to enter a game with the lead. The strongest setup relievers can even be eligible for saves on occasion.
Bottom line: the more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could be the difference between winning or losing in your fantasy league. Let's get to it.
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Week 11 Waiver Wire RP Pickups for Holds
Matt Barnes, Boston Red Sox
14 Holds, 2.03 ERA, 26.2 IP, 35 K, 1.01 WHIP
The Boston Red Sox are one of the best teams in the league and Matt Barnes is doing a great job of ensuring they maintain that pace. With a 95.9 mph fastball and 83.5 mph curveball, Barnes has been striking out well over a batter per inning. He holds opponents to a .154 batting average. To compensate pitching in the hitter-friendly Fenway Park, Barnes generates a ground ball on 54.5 percent of batted balls. The Red Sox are expected to be strong contenders all season so Barnes is a strong candidate for a waiver wire claim as he will see a lot of opportunities for holds.
Yoshihisa Hirano, Arizona Diamondbacks
12 Holds, 1.73 ERA, 26.0 IP, 25 K, 0.92 WHIP
The former Japanese League closer, Yoshihisa Hirano, has adjusted to being in the majors with the Arizona Diamondbacks well. The 34-year-old Hirano currently averages nearly a strikeout per inning. Opponets are hitting .180 against Hirano. With a 91.6 mph fastball and 83.1 mph splitter, Hirano is not blowing it by batters. With a traditional Japanese delivery that includes a pause, Hirano relies on disrupting timing and getting off-balance swings. A 48.4 percent ground ball rate is allowing Hirano to accept above average swings in the zone. As long as he can continue generating poor contact in the zone, Hirano will have a firm grasp on the seventh inning and will continue tallying up holds.
Nate Jones, Chicago White Sox
4 Saves, 4 Holds, 4.30 ERA, 23.0 IP, 26 K, 1.39 WHIP
The Chicago White Sox have a volatile situation in their bullpen but when Nate Jones is right, he is lights out. The hard-throwing Jones is armed with a 97.1 mph fastball and 88.9 mph slider. Opponents are hitting .230 against Jones this year. He averages more than a strikeout per inning but needs to minimize his wildness, walking nearly a batter for every two innings he has pitched this year. With uncertainty throughout the White Sox bullpen, Jones has accumulated four saves. An ugly outing this month may have pushed him out of save situations in the immediate future but his role remains valuable in the eighth inning too. If he is not closing out games, he will be called upon for holds. With high risk comes high reward when it comes to a potential waiver wire claim on Nate Jones.
Matt Albers, Milwaukee Brewers
1 Save, 7 Holds, 2.05 ERA, 26.1 IP, 22 K, 0.99 WHIP
Ever a reliable bullpen presence, Matt Albers is having another strong season. Never a strong strikeout pitcher, Albers is averaging under a strikeout per inning but he is also allowing just one baserunner per inning as well. Primarily relying on a 91.7 mph sinker, Albers generates a ground ball on 47.2 percent of batted balls. The Brewers bullpen has been slowly returning to form so Albers' role is solely in holds. If the other statistics are covered and holds are lacking, the Brewers are in the thick of the division race so look to Albers for holds on the waiver wire.
Justin Anderson, Los Angeles Angels
2 Saves, 9 Holds, 3.72 ERA, 19.1 IP, 27 K, 1.55 WHIP
The Los Angeles Angels' bullpen is volatile at best right now but Justin Anderson could have high potential for opportunities. With a fastball that averages at 97.7 mph and an 86.2 mph slider, Anderson is striking out well over a batter per inning. Opponents are hitting .200 against him this year but the biggest flaw in his game will be his walks. In his three outings of this month, Anderson has walked six batters in less than three innings. Currently he averages a walk per inning, which can put him on a hot seat of his own doing. If Anderson can develop command of his stuff and reliably throw strikes, his frequent use in the eighth inning by the Angels will be worth a waiver wire claim as he fills in the other statistics well.
