/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49831137/usa-today-9312907.0.jpg)
We have some movement in the Closer Rankings for Week 11, as Will Harris now has a firm grip on the closer role in Houston, and Ken Giles owners, me included, are beginning to wonder if his time to close will ever come. I am considering dropping him in my AL only keeper league as he has not pitched well of late and isn't sniffing any high leverage late inning situations for the time being.
More Closer Thoughts
- Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen blew a big save in San Francisco on Saturday night, blowing a one run lead in the 10th inning after first baseman Adrian Gonzalez homered to give the Dodgers the lead. Jansen allowed 2 runs on 4 hits for his third blown save of the season. He has allowed six baserunners in his last two appearances, so I wonder who closes should the Dodgers have a lead in the Sunday Night Baseball game of the week. I assume it would be Pedro Baez, but he has had his share of troubles with the long ball this season. Jansen's strikeout rate has dropped
- Rockies closer Jake McGee blew a save a few nights ago vs the Padres, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits, including a home run to blow his third save off the season. There were questions about McGee moving to Coors Field when he was traded to Colorado, and he has struggled before landing on the disabled list with a knee injury. His strikeout rate is down drastically, and his walks and home runs are up.
- Taking McGee's spot as the Rockies closer is Carlos Estevez, who nailed down his first save of the season on Saturday night. Estevez throws hard, as his average fastball is in the 97-98 mph range, and he can get it up to triple digits. With the big heater comes some control issues, as he is walking more than four batters per game, with a 26.2% strikeout rate. Should Estevez struggle in the role, veteran Jason Motte is the next in line to close. Estevez is a must add at the moment.
- I moved Giants closer Santiago Casilla down in my rankings, as he has struggled of late giving up runs in three of his last five appearances, including giving up the game winning home run to Justin Turner on Friday night. Camilla has already given up four home runs this season, after giving up just six in 2015. His strikeout and ground ball rates are up and his walk rate is down, but hitters are squaring him up more than in the past. That said, he is not in any danger of losing the closer role at the moment.
- The Twins made a change in the back of the bullpen this week, as Brandon Kintzler and Fernando Abad will share the closer role after Kevin Jepsen lost the job earlier in the week. Jepsen was not your typical closer, as he isn't a big strikeout guy.
Closer Rankings for Week 11
Rank |
Team |
Name |
Second Option |
Third Option |
Sleeper |
1 |
Dodgers |
Kenley Jansen |
Pedro Baez |
Joe Blanton |
|
2 |
Craig Kimbrel |
Koji Uehara |
Junichi Tazawa |
|
|
3 |
Aroldis Chapman |
Andrew Miller |
Dellin Betances |
|
|
4 |
Zach Britton |
Mychal Givens |
Brad Brach |
Darren O'Day (DL) |
|
5 |
Wade Davis |
Kelvin Herrera |
Joakim Soria |
|
|
6 |
David Robertson |
Nate Jones |
Zach Duke |
|
|
7 |
Mark Melancon |
Tony Watson |
Neftali Feliz |
|
|
8 |
Jeurys Familia |
Addison Reed |
Hansel Robles |
|
|
9 |
A.J. Ramos |
David Phelps |
Kyle Barraclough |
|
|
10 |
Hector Rondon |
Pedro Strop |
Justin Grimm |
|
|
11 |
Jeremy Jeffress |
Will Smith |
Tyler Thornburg |
|
|
12 |
Jeanmar Gomez |
Hector Neris |
David Hernandez |
Andrew Bailey |
|
13 |
Trevor Rosenthal |
Seung-Hwan Oh |
Kevin Siegrist |
|
|
14 |
Fernando Rodney |
Ryan Buchter |
|
|
|
15 |
Cody Allen |
Bryan Shaw |
Zach McAllister |
|
|
16 |
Santiago Casilla |
Hunter Strickland |
Josh Osich |
Sergio Romo |
|
17 |
Ryan Madson |
Sean Doolittle |
John Axford |
|
|
18 |
Roberto Osuna |
Jason Grilli |
Joe Biagini |
Drew Storen |
|
19 |
Alex Colome |
Enny Romero |
Erasmo Ramirez |
Brad Boxberger (DL) |
|
20 |
Jonathan Papelbon |
Shawn Kelley |
Blake Treinen |
|
|
21 |
Francisco Rodriguez |
Mark Lowe |
Justin Wilson |
|
|
22 |
Will Harris |
Luke Gregerson |
Ken Giles |
Michael Feliz |
|
23 |
Sam Dyson |
Jake Diekman |
Matt Bush |
Shawn Tolleson |
|
24 |
Huston Street |
Fernando Salas |
|
Joe Smith (DL) |
|
25 |
Brad Ziegler |
Daniel Hudson |
Tyler Clippard |
|
|
26 |
Carlos Estevez |
Jason Motte |
Jake McGee (DL) |
Miguel Castro (AAA) |
|
27 |
Arodys Vizcaino |
Jim Johnson |
Chris Withrow |
|
|
28 |
Steve Cishek |
Joaquin Benoit |
Nick Vincent |
Joel Peralta |
|
29 |
Brandon Kintzler |
Fernando Abad |
Ryan Presley |
Glen Perkins (DL) |
|
30 |
Tony Cingrani |
Ross Ohlendorf |
Blake Wood |
Raisel Iglesias (DL) |
Fantasy Rundown
If you are looking for more fantasy baseball coverage, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown, where you can find links to all of the best fantasy coverage on the internet.