Crowdsourcing: Beginning of Season Closers
Every season, I try to determine how much closer turnover there is from the last drafts to the season’s end. For example, here is last season’s report.
I try to verify the beginning of the season section before every manager disappears for a much-needed break. Here are the values I think are right after consulting my Twitter followers. Could people spend a minute looking over the list and help verify the name on their favorite team(s)? Thanks.
| Team | Eventual First Top Closer | Going into season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angels | Carlos Estévez | One Guy | |
| Astros | Josh Hader | One Guy | |
| Athletics | Mason Miller | One Guy | |
| Blue Jays | Chad Green | Closer Hurt | Green got two Saves before Garica |
| Braves | Raisel Iglesias | One Guy | |
| Brewers | Abner Uribe | Closer Hurt | Uribe is an update, was Megill |
| Cardinals | Ryan Helsley | One Guy | |
| Cubs | Adbert Alzolay | One Guy | |
| Diamondbacks | Kevin Ginkel | Closer Hurt | Sewald debuted in mid-May |
| Dodgers | Evan Phillips | One Guy | |
| Giants | Camilo Doval | One Guy | |
| Guardians | Emmanuel Clase | One Guy | |
| Mariners | Andrés Muñoz | One Guy | |
| Marlins | Tanner Scott | One Guy | |
| Mets | Edwin Díaz | One Guy | |
| Nationals | Kyle Finnegan | One Guy | |
| Orioles | Craig Kimbrel | One Guy | |
| Padres | Robert Suarez | One Guy | |
| Phillies | José Alvarado | Committee | Verified Hoffman does take over until later |
| Pirates | David Bednar | One Guy | |
| Rangers | José Leclerc | One Guy | |
| Rays | Pete Fairbanks | One Guy | |
| Red Sox | Kenley Jansen | One Guy | |
| Reds | Alexis Díaz | One Guy | |
| Rockies | Justin Lawrence | Committee | |
| Royals | Will Smith | Committee | Smith lost immediately to McArthur |
| Tigers | Jason Foley | Committee | Lange might have had the job for a day or two |
| Twins | Griffin Jax | Closer Hurt | |
| White Sox | Michael Kopech | One Guy | |
| Yankees | Clay Holmes | One Guy |
Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.
Green got two saves, then Romano got eight before getting injured again, then Garcia took over come June, then Green took it back post-deadline.
I would argue that for the purpose of fantasy Romano would be considered the opening closer, no one was drafting Green for saves if he was drafted at all. Similar for MIN and Jax/Duran.