Closer Tiered Rankings
The first edition of my closer tiers has only enhanced my opinion that the position is pretty deep this year. There are certainly a few question marks, but there are a lot of high upside closers in the middle to late rounds. The first and second tier feature rock solid closers, but the third is an extremely sturdy group, in my opinion. The bottom tier guys could end up moving up as the season goes, but their lack of a hold on the closer position hurts them at this point. Some closer situations are still a bit fuzzy, but everything will likely be figured out in the next edition of the closer tiers.
Tier One
Craig Kimbrel
Jonathan Papelbon
John Axford
Mariano Rivera
This tier is the elite of the elite. Kimbrel’s strikeout numbers push him ahead of the rest of the competition, but the rest are not far behind in terms of overall fantasy value. This is the cream of the crop, and barring injuries they should all remain there all season.
Tier Two
Joel Hanrahan
JJ Putz
Rafael Betancourt
Brian Wilson
Jose Valverde
Heath Bell
The second tier is a rather valuable group as well, with mostly veteran closers filling the role. These guys pretty much all have choke hold locks on the closer role for their respective teams, aside from Betancourt. Rafael probably does have the best stuff of the group though. The only thing going against Hanrahan at this point is the potential for a trade midseason if the Pirates fall out of contention.
Tier Three
Sergio Santos
Jordan Walden
Sean Marshall
Grant Balfour
Brandon League
Jason Motte
Drew Storen
Carlos Marmol
This third group has tremendous upside, but they do not quite have the same lock on the closer spot as the second group. Marmol is so volatile that he could end up in the first or last tier, but I think slotting him in right here makes the most sense. Marshall gets the boost all the way to the third tier after finally being named closer after Ryan Madson’s injury. Motte and League look like decently undervalued guys, in my opinion. I have found myself targeting both Santos and Walden in most leagues, specifically Santos.
Tier Four
Joe Nathan
Brett Myers
Frank Francisco
Jim Johnson
Huston Street
The next tier has a few veterans who could fill out a bullpen. These guys have a pretty good hold of the closer spot, but a slew of poor performances could knock them out of the role. Nathan has the best stuff, but there is at least a bit of uncertainty around him. The rest of the group probably won’t help the rate stats a ton in comparison to the higher tiers, but they should be able to help tally some saves.
Tier Five
Matt Thornton
Jonathan Broxton
Kyle Farnsworth
Alfredo Aceves
Chris Perez
Matt Capps
Javy Guerra
Joel Peralta
This final group is a relatively lackluster one. Most of these guys should be drafted along with a handcuff, as they do not quite have a lock on the closer spot. Thornton is the most talented, but the closer situation for the White Sox is still relatively uncertain. Farnsworth is this low because of his injury, but Peralta (31st man listed) does not get a huge boost due to the potential for Farnsworth to return. There is a decent chance that this tier has many different faces by midseason. There is a slew of setup types that could jump way up the tiers if given the opportunity, so keep watch on any poor performances or injuries out of the gate.
EDIT: With Bobby Valentine naming Alfredo Aceves closer, he will move into the bottom tier in place of Mark Melancon. I am slotting Aceves right below Farnsworth at this point. Melancon was previously right after Thornton on the bottom tier.
Ben has been at RotoGraphs since 2012 and focuses most of his fantasy baseball attention toward dynasty and keeper leagues.
I think Myers should get a bump because of his SP eligibility in most league formats. Also, I really don’t know who would replace him even if he were blown up a few times.
It’s a huge benefit in leagues with start limits. I can slot him as a starter and essentially have four closers to everyone else’s three.
Its kind of weird that leagues allow you to cheat the system and get extra RP stats. We customized our league long ago to keep it fair; also have a start limit so ‘2 start pitchers don’t matter…’
What’s wrong with a league that has a few loopholes for smart players to exploit? I’d rather be in a league that forces me to pay attention to my team, the waiver wire, and my opponent’s lineup every day than one where I could win simply by drafting well and checking once a week to see if anyone’s on the DL.
Yes, I have Brett Myers as a fourth closer for the same reasons, but when strictly compared to other closers, he doesn’t have good stuff or ratios or recent history of success, and plays for a team that may only win 60 games. His ranking is about right.
There are benefits in Ottoneu to having starting eligible relievers as well.
How is having multi-position eligibility “cheating the system”? Using Myers as a SP this year is no different than drafting Miguel Cabrerra and planning on using him as a 3B.
Shh! Nobody’s called me on it yet. This is the first year I’m able to start the season this way. I’m betting the rule will be changed next season, but until then I intend to take advantage. There aren’t alot of guys that fit this bill.
Lankhaar, it’s different because essentially it gives me an extra player every day. My starting pitcher starts are limited, so this lineup spot usually doesn’t provide value.
Bill, I do the same thing (its why I have Myers on my team too). I just view it less as a loophole and more as a reliever having extra value by being able to sit in a starter slot. Of course, I have an innings limit in my league, so its not a “free” slot either.