RADIO
Kirby Yates 2021 Outlook: Closer Looking To Regain Dominance After Lost Season
4 years agoRelief pitcher Kirby Yates and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed on a contract that should slot the former Padre into the closer role for a team that needed bullpen help. Toronto saw six different players record a save last season with saves leader, Anthony Bass, leaving in free agency. Enter Yates, who was one of the most dominant relievers in the game before missing most of 2020. The right-hander allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings last season before undergoing surgery to remove bone chips in his pitching elbow. Based on his six to eight-week recovery estimate, Yates should be ready to roll in Spring Training. Before last year, Yates was among the game's elite bullpen arms. He led the Majors with 41 saves in 2019 while boasting a sterling 1.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. A look under the hood validates the numbers that earned Yates Cy Young Award votes. His 1.30 FIP was over half a run better than any other pitcher with at least 50 innings. He struck out 41.7 percent of batters and induced swinging strikes at an elite 15.6 percent rate. Yates has a career 34.9 K% making him one of the elite relievers in the game when healthy. Draft Yates with confidence as an RP1 at a discount from where he was drafted last season.
