X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

No Way, Jose? What To Expect After Jose Leclerc's Breakout

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose LeClerc had a breakout season in 2018. Riley Mrack examines the reliever's fantasy baseball value heading into the 2019 season.

There are two schools of thought regarding what to do with the reliever position in fantasy baseball. The first mentality is to grab an elite arm early, guaranteeing you elite ratios and a safe save source. The other method of thinking, that’s becoming increasingly popular, is to wait until the later rounds or to find your save numbers on waivers. This trend is growing more popular for a number of reasons. Several teams have a revolving door of guys picking up saves for their squads, some pitchers get hurt, or some will underperform and lose their job mid-season. These factors lead to finding plenty of saves on the waiver wire, while it is a bit riskier, the reward can be just as gratifying as reaching for that elite level arm early.

If you were the manager in your league last year who streamed closers and scooped up Jose Leclerc mid-season, you looked like a genius. After the Texas Rangers traded Keone Kela to Pittsburgh, it opened the door for Leclerc to step in as the teams closer. After dominating the first half of the year as a set-up man, Leclerc became even more dominant in the second half as the ninth inning arm. Finishing the year with a minuscule 1.56 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and a skillful 13.27 K/9, he also had the elite metrics to support these numbers.

Let's look at some data to see what can be expected from Leclerc moving forward as the new ace in the Texas bullpen.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Strikeouts and Walks

Leclerc has always been at least a strikeout-per-inning guy since Single-A ball. Over his entire minor league career, he has a 9.9 K/9, and so far in his big league career, which started in 2016, that number sits at 12.2 K/9. His 13.27 K/9 from his age 24 season last year was by far his best number to date as a strikeout arm, so let’s see what factored into the new career high.

Primarily a two-pitch pitcher, Leclerc relies on his four-seamer and an excellent split-finger to get his outs. His fastball averaged 95.8 MPH, and his split was clocked in over 14 MPH slower at 81.7 MPH, a devastating combination. Generating an excellent 24.6% Whiff% on the split, batters only put this ball in play just over 8% of the time with only one extra-base hit, that being a double. Leclerc finished 2018 with the highest SwStr% (17.2%) and lowest Contact% (62.9%) of his short career. Not only were these career bests, but they were also among the best rates of relievers in baseball last season. He was tied for fifth-best with Craig Kimbrel in SwStr%, and he was second best in Contact% to Kimbrel's 62.7%, and slightly better than third place Josh Hader’s 63.4%, a couple of satisfying names to be drawn in comparison.

The free pass is something that Leclerc will need to improve on if he wants to remain associated with the elite bullpen arms. So far, Leclerc has a career 5.9 BB/9 in the majors, not a good number to say the least. He did manage to finish 2018 with a 3.9 BB/9, just slightly worse than the league average for a reliever. He did, however, keep improving his walk rate as the season progressed. From the beginning of the season until June 30, the right-hander’s mark sat at 5.16 BB/9. From that point on until the remainder of the campaign, it dropped significantly to a 2.57 BB/9, a remarkable transformation. A big part of this productive stride forward was throwing a first-pitch strike over 10% more often than what he did in the first half. If he keeps limiting the free pass, Leclerc will become even more of a threat on the mound.

 

Batted Balls

Leclerc excelled at generating soft contact. His 26.4% Soft% was fifth best in baseball, and his Hard% was an identical number finishing as 13th-best. These numbers helped him achieve an AVG/OBP/SLG line of .123/.237/.193 with the AVG and SLG being the best marks in baseball. Statcast also had Leclerc among the league leaders in limiting Barrels/PA (1.8%), and he was second in average exit velocity (83.7 MPH). Leclerc was league average in LD% (20.8%) but gave up more fly balls than most. A league-leading infield fly ball rate (28.0%) aided a 47.2% FB%. The amount of soft contact Leclerc generated kept him to amazingly serving up only one home run all season, which occurred at the end of July off the bat of Khris Davis.

Since he was given the reigns as the Rangers closer, Leclerc was lights out. Picking up 12 saves, he never allowed another run the rest of the season since that longball to Davis. Going 21.0 scoreless innings to finish off the year, Leclerc generated more soft contact over this span (28.6%) as well as improving his fly ball rate (45.7%) and line drive rate (17.1%). He kept his WHIP to a microscopic 0.52, and his 1.78 SIERA suggested that this outstanding finish wasn't a series of flukes that prevented runners from scoring.

 

2019 Value

Leclerc proved to be a legitimate bullpen arm in 2018 with the continued second-half success in all metrics. With no one else even close to Leclerc’s ability in the Rangers pen, his job as closer is as safe as it gets as long as he’s healthy. With only one career disabled list stint and a low arm stress pitching arsenal, the 25-year old should be able to remain on the diamond. It’s unlikely that he’ll continue this kind of torrid pace in the majors, because no matter how good or bad a player is, regression is destined for everyone. What Leclerc has in his favor though, is all the strong peripherals to limit this negative regression and keep him in the mix as a top relief arm in baseball.

If you decide to choose the path of selecting an elite relief arm early, Leclerc is a solid choice to build your bullpen around. The Rangers 2018 Pitcher of the Year is currently going off the board as the 12th reliever selected with an ADP of 115. At this price, it is a pretty good bargain as he can keep his ERA and WHIP numbers as good as a top-five relief option, especially if he continues his second-half walk rate from last season. His strikeout ability is also much better than some of the other relievers going before him, and you can expect him to keep missing the same amount of bats that he did in 2018. Don’t think that being on a below average team will hurt his amount of save chances either as the team with the league leader in saves the past two seasons both missed out on the playoffs. Say “yes way, Jose” to Leclerc in 2019.

More 2019 Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Uchenna Nwosu

Seahawks Place Uchenna Nwosu on PUP List
Taylor Decker

Alim McNeill, Taylor Decker Placed on PUP List
Tyrion Davis-Price

Titans Waive Tyrion Davis-Price
Tre Harris

Chargers Relying on Tre Harris to Be Starting X Receiver
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Micah Parsons

Will Become Highest-Paid Non-QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Vying for RB2 Role
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith Finds End Zone in First Training Camp Practice
Tyler Shough

Pushing for Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal
Ar'Darius Washington

Goes on PUP List
Lamar Jackson

to be Even Better in 2025?
Tre Harris

Agrees to Terms on Rookie Deal
Justin Herbert

Off to Good Start at Training Camp
Jameson Williams

Earning Rave Reviews from Lions Coaches
Christian Mahogany

Expected to Start for Lions
Zach Allen

an Extension Candidate in Denver?
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF