Help Needed: 2023 Initial Closer Roles

by
August 17, 2023

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 decided to verify the beginning of the season section before every manager disappears. For most of the selections, I used our Opening Weekend Bullpen Report. Here are the values I think are right but I don’t feel good about the ones in Yellow. Could people spend a minute looking over the Yellows and verify the names on their favorite team(s)? Thanks.

Changes:

  • Angels to Committee
  • A’s to Committee
  • Mariners to Committee
  • Rangers to Committee
  • White Sox to Lopez

 

2023 Initial Closer Roles
Team Eventual First Top Closer Going into season NFBC ME ADP
Angels Carlos Estévez Committee 276
Astros Ryan Pressly One Guy 57
Athletics Trevor May Committee 342
Blue Jays Jordan Romano One Guy 49
Braves A.J. Minter Closer Hurt 302
Brewers Devin Williams One Guy 52
Cardinals Ryan Helsley One Guy 58
Cubs Michael Fulmer Competition 221
Diamondbacks Scott McGough Committee 301
Dodgers Evan Phillips Committee 219
Giants Camilo Doval One Guy 80
Guardians Emmanuel Clase One Guy 28
Mariners Paul Sewald Committee 171
Marlins A.J. Puk One Guy 328
Mets David Robertson One Guy 177
Nationals Kyle Finnegan One Guy 234
Orioles Félix Bautista One Guy 62
Padres Josh Hader One Guy 38
Phillies Jose Alvardo Competition 270
Pirates David Bednar One Guy 100
Rangers Will Smith Committee 429
Rays Pete Fairbanks One Guy 129
Red Sox Kenley Jansen One Guy 82
Reds Alexis Díaz One Guy 113
Rockies Pierce Johnson One Guy Not Drafted
Royals Scott Barlow One Guy 132
Tigers Alex Lange One Guy 222
Twins Jhoan Duran One Guy 121
White Sox Reynaldo Lopez Closer Hurt 336
Yankees Clay Holmes One Guy 85

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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.

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Pat GMember since 2020
2 years ago

As a White Sox fan, I took shots at Reynaldo Lopez. A fill-in for Liam Hendriks hadn’t been named and it seemed like Graveman struggled in the 9th. Lopez didn’t fair any better, unfortunately.

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Jeff ZimmermanFanGraphs Staff
2 years ago
Reply to  Pat G

Thanks

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