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This is it folks. The finale of Closers and Saves Report for 2021. It looks like we have some really exciting playoffs ahead of us in real baseball, here’s hoping the playoffs were exciting and financially beneficial for all of our readers in their fake baseball leagues!
Thanks for sticking around all season. Depth charts will remain updated throughout the playoffs and offseason as needed, and we’ll be back with our weekly reports once Spring Training gets going in 2022.
Be sure to keep an eye on our RotoBaller Closers and Saves Bullpen Depth Charts. They're updated daily, or sometimes even more often in this wild 2021 baseball season. With that being said, here are the closers, saves, and bullpen waiver wire pickups to consider for Week 26 - September 27 through October 3.
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Bullpen News For The Week
San Francisco Giants
The Giants bullpen has been a very interesting one to follow this season. Tyler Rogers has saved 13 games even with a 16.8 K%. Jake McGee, meanwhile, has earned 31 saves with a slightly more closer-like 24.3 K%. So who will close in the playoffs? The lefty with 31 saves or the submariner with 13? How about the rookie with two career saves but a 102 mph fastball? Camilo Doval was on the mound in back-to-back games for save situations in huge games. He converted both, and could be the guy the Giants go to for the rest of the year. The Giants “closer of the future” may be causing the future to start now.
Risers: Camilo Doval
Fallers: Tyler Rogers, Jake McGee
Milwaukee Brewers
Ever been so excited to do something that you just punch a wall and then end up not being able to do the thing that you were so excited about? Devin Williams has. The Brewers stellar setup man will miss the playoffs after punching a wall while drunkenly celebrating his team clinching a playoff spot. In the history of fists vs. walls, walls remain undefeated. Brad Boxberger will move up from the seventh to the eighth inning, and Brent Suter figures to take Boxberger’s old spot. Josh Hader remains the closer, but he may be asked to take on more multiple-inning appearances in the playoffs to make up for the shakier eighth inning situation.
Risers: Brad Boxberger, Walls
Fallers: Devin Williams, Hands
League Leaders
With a few games still left to play for all teams in real life, but most fantasy teams done for the season, let's take a look at the league leaders in various categories for bullpen pitchers:
Saves:
Mark Melancon, 38
Liam Hendriks, 37
Kenley Jansen, 37
-nine different pitchers had 30 or more saves, and 19 different pitchers had 20 or more.
ERA:
Aaron Loup, 1.01
Josh Hader, 1.27
Emmanuel Clase, 1.33
-nine different relievers have ERAs under 2.00. I'll take this spot to admit that I was WRONG about Josh Hader. I was a guest on a fantasy baseball podcast in early spring training, and one of my "bold predictions" was that Josh Hader would struggle and lose his ninth inning job to Devin Williams. I was right about a lot of things this season. I was so, so wrong about this one,
FIP:
Josh Hader, 1.84
Ryan Pressly, 2.00
Emmanuel Clase, 2.13
-Hader and Clase appear on the top three lists for ERA and FIP, with Pressly (2.32 ERA, 22nd among relievers) making his way in between the two.
fWAR:
Liam Hendriks, 2.5
Ryan Pressly, 2.4
Josh Hader, 2.4
-usual suspects here, based on the other stats covered earlier. Special shoutout to Yankees reliever Jonathan Loaisiga, putting up 2.3 fWAR (fourth place) despite missing some time on the IL and never really working as the team's closer.
K%:
Josh Hader, 44.2%
Craig Kimbrel, 42.2%
Liam Hendriks, 41.4%
-Hader again, then the two White Sox guys. Rumors of Kimbrel's demise were clearly exaggerated.
BB%:
Josh Tomlin, 2.3%
Liam Hendriks, 2.7%
Richard Bleier, 2.7%
-Tomlin had a rough season (6.57 ERA), and Bleier is a decent enough lefty middle reliever for a bad fish team, but Liam Hendriks appearing on the leaderboard for highest K% and lowest BB% is incredibly impressive.
BB% the other way around for fun:
Jose Alvarado, 19.3%
Alex Reyes, 16.7%
Aroldis Chapman, 15.7%
Short Relief
-J.B. Wendelken is the guy in the Arizona bullpen, in case they have a lead to save over the weekend.
-David Bednar is back from the injured list and could earn a save or two this weekend if the Pirates want to push him a little.
-Drew Steckenrider and Paul Sewald both seem equally as likely to get saves this weekend out of the Mariners bullpen.
-Tyler Wells has been shut down for the season, so if the Orioles happen to have a late lead, it should be Cole Sulser or Dillon Tate in the ninth inning.
-Tanner Rainey has been significantly better since coming back from Triple-A and could nab a save if the Nationals have a save chance.
-Jonathan Loaisiga is back from the IL and should go right back into a main setup role.
-Andrew Kittredge is also back from the IL and should get an appearance or two to get ready for the playoffs. The Rays have had 14 different players earn a save this season, a big league record (which of course belongs to the Rays bullpen).
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