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Ryan Nakada analyzes the best waiver wire pickups for leagues that reward holds. These potential future closers are amongst the best fantasy baseball sleepers for holds.
While the holds statistic is even harder to predict than saves for closers, the players we highlight today feature some sleeper setup men and some looking to reclaim glory they once had. The more likely an MLB team is to win, the more likely these following relief pitchers will be eligible to earn the holds that could be the difference between winning or losing in your fantasy league.
This week, a lot of relievers are going to be important to teams' postseason plans. Some relievers are having amazing seasons and some are returning to respectability. One theme in today's selections is that some pitchers are effective against opposite-handed hitters-- a lot of these relievers receiving the spotlight here demonstrate this kind of reverse split.
Waiver Wire Options For Holds
Editor’s Note: This piece is part of a weekly series on relief pitcher targets for holds. You can follow the entire series of holds analysis and sleepers to stay ahead of your competition.
Also be sure to check out our famous fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list, which is broken down by every position with hot/trending players, and is updated every single day.
Kevin Jepsen, Los Angeles Angels
20 H, 1.99 ERA, 58.2 IP (67 games), 68 K, 0.99 WHIP
The Los Angeles Angels are one of the best teams in baseball. Kevin Jepsen is having a great season as a part of the Angels bullpen. He has 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings and is holding opponents to a .178 batting average. Relying on a fastball, curveball and changeup, Jepsen is keeping balls put in play on the ground at a 48.6% rate. The ERA under 2.00 is the best of Jepsen’s career.
Adding relievers like Jason Grilli and Huston Street has made Jepsen's job easier and contributed to his holds, as he has worked in the seventh inning for most of the season. The Angels are looking to clinch the West, and Jepsen will need to finish strong helping the Angels bridge wins to saves.
Seth Maness, St. Louis Cardinals
8 H, 2.90 ERA, 71.1 IP (63 games), 48 K, 1.12 WHIP
St. Louis Cardinals reliever Seth Maness is unlike most bullpen arms in that he's lucky if his fastball reaches 90 MPH. The two-pitch pitcher primarily turns to a fastball and changeup. With the low strikeout rate of 6.1 per nine innings, Maness relies on poor contact.
Nearly 55% of the balls put in play against Maness come on the ground. He will not be the flashy pick for holds, but with the Cardinals in the thick of the NL Central division race, he will get the call and he will frequently get the job done.
Oliver Perez, Arizona Diamondbacks
14 H, 1.84 ERA, 53.2 IP (60 games), 63 K, 1.12 WHIP
While most left-handed relievers are called upon for the significant left-handed bat that a team does not want to beat them, Oliver Perez should be considered a reverse-split reliever. The left-handed Perez is pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that will not see postseason baseball, but that does not make his season any less impressive. He has more than a strikeout per inning and posts an ERA under 2.00.
While he is holding opponents to a .210 batting average, left-handed batters are hitting .256 against Perez while right-handed batters are hitting .182. It's unusual, and tough to explain why Perez is succeeding with this style as his pitches, a low-90s fastball and a nearly 80-MPH slider, have not changed over the years. Regardless of the splits, Perez is succeeding in a difficult season for the Diamondbacks, having notched 14 holds and looking for more in the season's final weeks.
David Carpenter, Atlanta Braves
16 H, 3.48 ERA, 51.2 IP (56 games), 62 K, 1.30 WHIP
Atlanta Braves reliever David Carpenter is not having the season he had last year, when he managed an ERA under 2.00. His pitches are still electric: a fastball approaching 96.0 MPH on average and a sharp slider. He has still managed to collect a respectable 16 holds to this point in the season, and the Atlanta Braves are still in the hunt for postseason baseball.
While opponents are hitting significantly better against Carpenter this year (.266) than the did in 2013 (.198), the selling point for the right-handed Carpenter is his ability to put out the fires. This season, Carpenter has inherited 23 runners in his relief appearances and just four have scored. With the Braves still in the hunt, Carpenter and the rest of the middle-relief corps will need to get it together and help complete the chase for October baseball.
Sergio Romo, San Francisco Giants
8 H, 3.98 ERA, 52.0 IP (57 games), 53 K, 1.00 WHIP
Once the San Francisco closer, Sergio Romo had a difficult June that saw his ERA balloon to 9.70 over nine appearances. Once he had lost the closer role, he looked to establish himself as an effective reliever who can help the Giants to the postseason. In 11 August appearances, Romo struck out 14 in nine innings as he looked like the Sergio Romo of old.
So far this season, Romo has kept opponents to a .209 batting average using unconventional means. Romo doesn't throw hard, averaging 88 MPH on the fastball, but the right-handers primary pitch (which he throws over 50% of the time) is his slider, which clocks in at an impressive 78.7 MPH on average. It does not appear that Rono he will get the closer job back, but for those seeking holds in fantasy baseball, Romo is a gem.
