X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Save Prospecting: Top Five Non-Closing AL Relief Pitchers

Last week I looked at the top five non-closer NL relief pitcher options. Today we take a look at the top AL relief pitchers currently not occupying closer roles.

 

Top Five Non-Closing AL Relievers

Wade Davis - RHP, Kansas City Royals

If we are talking about American League bullpens, you have to start the conversation with the Royals' electric HDH trio of Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera. After failing as a starter in 2013, the Royals moved Davis to the bullpen for good last season. He turned in a truly historic campaign as the team's primary setup man. The right-hander went 9-2 with a microscopic 1.00 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 72 innings last year while walking 23 and striking out 109 batters. Opponents hit just .151 against him, and he gave up only eight runs all season.

What makes Davis so dominant? In a compressed one inning stint, he’s nearly impossible to hit. He is able to air out his fastball, averaging 96 mph last season, while complimenting it with a filthy curve and a nasty cutter. He may never get a chance to close with Holland around, but he’s the best non-closer in baseball without question. He's capable of providing a boost in both wins and strikeouts, while posting a truly elite ERA and WHIP. If you’re punting saves entirely, Davis should be your top relief pitcher target for 2015.

Zach Duke - LHP, Chicago White Sox

Zach Duke changed his arm slot to a sidearm delivery and increased his use of breaking pitches. It resulted in the best statistical season of his career, going 5-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP with 74 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 58.2 innings of work with the Brewers. The White Sox savvy front office snatched up the 31-year-old as a free agent this offseason with a three-year, $15 million deal in November.

The Sox bullpen was atrocious last season. The addition of closer David Robertson along with Duke should turn things around in a big way. A journeyman who has pitched for six different organizations since 2010, Duke’s revamped delivery may have saved his career. He nearly doubled his strikeout rate last season, jumping all the way up to 11.35 K/9. Barring a regression in strikeouts, Duke should be one of the most valuable non-closers in the junior circuit this season. Most fantasy owners will gladly let you have him without a fight.

Tyler Clippard - RHP, Oakland Athletics

Any discussion about the best non-closing relievers in baseball regardless of role has to start with Clippard, who has established himself as one of the premier setup men in baseball over the past six seasons with the Washington Nationals. After an offseason trade to Oakland, Clippard will step in as the A’s closer in April while Sean Doolittle is sidelined.

Relief pitchers are among the most volatile commodities in baseball, which is why Clippard is the exception and not the rule when it comes to these types of guys. In each of the past five seasons, Clippard has struck out over a batter per inning while working at least 70 innings. He posted a sub-3.00 ERA in three of the past four campaigns. An extreme flyball pitcher, Clippard should have no problem meshing with the spacious confines of O.co Coliseum.

Brad Boxberger - RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

With Jake McGee on the shelf to open up the 2015 campaign, Brad Boxberger is the logical candidate to open as Tampa Bay’s closer. It’s hard to ignore what Boxberger did last season, posting an absurd strikeout rate (14.47 K/9) while cutting his walk rate in half (2.78 BB/9) from the previous season in San Diego.

The 26-year-old did have a propensity to serve up the occasional gopher ball (18.8 HR/FB rate last season), which could come back to haunt him if his strikeout rate declines and he starts issuing free passes again. There is a lot to like with Boxberger, but fantasy owners should remain cognizant of the potential downside. McGee should take over the closer job when he’s healthy, leaving Boxberger as one of the top non-closers in baseball.

Andrew Miller - LHP, New York Yankees

Assuming Dellin Betances wins the Yankee’s closer battle in spring training, Andrew Miller instantly becomes the top non-closing, left-handed reliever on the planet. The Pinstripes inked the southpaw to a $36 million deal with the expectation that he will repeat the staggering numbers he put up last season with Boston and Baltimore.

Miller posted a 2.02 ERA with a 0.80 WHIP in 62.1 innings of work while striking out 103 batters (14.87 K/9) and handing out only 17 free passes (2.45 BB/9). If Betances gets in trouble early in the season, the Yankees will have no problem turning the job over to Miller, which makes him one of the most attractive speculative save pickups for fantasy owners. Even if he’s not closing, he’s one of the best relievers in the game.

Don’t Sleep On

Luke Hochevar - RHP, Kansas City Royals

Fantasy owners may have forgotten about the first overall selection from the 2006 MLB Draft after he missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. Luke Hochevar washed out as a starter and turned into a dominant reliever during the 2013 campaign when he put up a 1.92 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 82 strikeouts over 70.1 innings.

After re-signing with Kansas City this offseason, a healthy Hochevar has the potential to give the Royals another dynamic, late-inning reliever. Fantasy owners in deep leagues should take a flier on Hochevar.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Max Scherzer11 mins ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw23 mins ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler27 mins ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager34 mins ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz41 mins ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Alex Caruso43 mins ago

Ayo Dosunmu Probable Friday
Darius Garland55 mins ago

Probable Against 76ers
Donovan Mitchell1 hour ago

Upgraded To Questionable
Duncan Robinson3 hours ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Bryan Reynolds3 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jimmy Butler3 hours ago

Probable Against Portland
Onyeka Okongwu3 hours ago

Remains Out Thursday
Dejounte Murray3 hours ago

Questionable With Back Soreness
Jordan Romano4 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole4 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz4 hours ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon5 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco5 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad5 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov5 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto5 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin6 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard6 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins6 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist6 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear6 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop6 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels6 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado7 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer7 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman7 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent7 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Al Horford18 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White18 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl19 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon19 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter19 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic19 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio19 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday19 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton20 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Eduardo Rodriguez21 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Garrett Mitchell21 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Chad Green21 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Erik Swanson21 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman21 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Gleyber Torres23 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard23 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson23 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer23 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia23 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen23 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers23 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers1 day ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers1 day ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar1 day ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers1 day ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF