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Dellin Betances 2019 Outlook: Reports of Demise Greatly Exaggerated
6 years agoDellin Betances entered the 2018 season as one of the most highly drafted non-closer relief pitchers. By early May he was getting dropped in leagues left and right. Betances struggled with ineffectiveness and bad luck. Betances has been streaky throughout his career, but last year’s cold start made him look particularly ineffective. However, he rebounded, and by the end of the season, his final numbers (4 W, 4 S, 2.70 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 115 K) were even better than his 2017 season. Betances will continue to see high-leverage situations in 2019 and should generate a solid number of holds. However, with the acquisition of Zach Britton and Adam Ottavino, it’s not clear that the Yankees would use Betances as a closer even if Aroldis Chapman were to miss time. Despite that, Betances should offer real value because of his strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, especially for owners punting saves in an H2H format. Betances is prone to cold streaks like the one that marred the start of his 2018 season, but managers can expect another season of a sub-3 ERA, a WHIP near 1.00, 100 strikeouts, and around 20 holds, which makes him a top-30 reliever even in standard 5x5 scoring.
