Florio's Bullpen Report: Gearing Up for the Final Month!

Michael F. Florio reviews bullpens that have changed, closers to add off the waiver wire, and relief pitchers who are useful for fantasy baseball heading into Week 23 of the 2023 season.

We are in the stretch run of the fantasy baseball season. You often hear the season is a sprint and not a marathon. And while that is true, any person who has run competitively will tell you – the end of a run does become a sprint as you try to beat out those around you. 

That is precisely the portion of the season we have hit. With just a month left, you can make tough decisions with your lineup. Points leagues are in the playoffs already, and teams in rotisserie leagues know whether or not they have a shot at a title. 

It's also the time of year when those towards the bottom of the standings check out and look to their other leagues or football. That means less competition off the waiver wire – which is an excellent thing for those still looking to add some saves and make a late-season push.

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Changing Bullpens for Fantasy Baseball

The Orioles had to place closer Felix Bautista on the IL due to a UCL injury that is expected to keep him out for potentially the rest of the regular season. That leaves Yennier Cano as the closer for the Orioles. Cano has pitched to a 1.57 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and a 24 percent strikeout rate this season. He is a must-start option, and if you are a regular reader of this, you have known to stash him if possible. Shintaro Fujinami and Danny Coulombe appear as fallback options here. 

The Rangers have a lot of talent in their bullpen, but it has been a mess for fantasy baseball purposes. Aroldis Chapman appears to be the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to save chances, but Will Smith remains in the mix. To make things even more confusing, with Chapman seemingly unavailable on Monday night, it was Jose Leclerc picking up the save. He has the Rangers' lone save in the last two weeks. All three could be rostered in Roto formats, and I rank them Chapman, Smith, and Leclerc. If you are a save-needy team, spend the FAAB you need to get Leclerc on your roster. 

The Tigers appear to be an all-out committee right now. In the last two weeks, Jason Foley and Alex Lange have each picked up two saves. Foley has been the better option for strikeouts, but Lange has not allowed a run in that span. Right now, it appears both are in play for saves. Both can be started in points or Roto formats. 

The Royals have been a nightmare for much of the season when it comes to saves, but it appears we have an answer for the rest of the season. Carlos Hernandez has picked up two saves for the Royals in the last two weeks. He has pitched to a 2.08 ERA in that span, but the peripherals and strikeout rate leave a lot to be desired. He is the top option here moving forward and can be started in both formats. Austin Cox and Dylan Coleman are deeper options if Hernandez falters. 

Speculative Saves for Fantasy Baseball

The Cardinals have been a frustrating bullpen to figure out this season, so why should the final month be any different? JoJo Romero is the top option as of now and has picked up their lone save in the last two weeks. If you start anyone from this bullpen, it should be him. But Giovanny Gallegos still looms and has plenty of closing experience himself. Add in the fact that Ryan Helsley is set to return from the IL and was closing games for the Red Birds earlier this season. He is worth a speculative pickup off the waiver wire, just in case. 

The Mets season was seemingly a disaster ever since Edwin Diaz was injured during the World Baseball Classic. Their bullpen has been shaky all year, but especially as of late. Trevor Gott has their lone save in the last two weeks, although I would rather roster Adam Ottavino, or in deeper leagues, Brooks Raley. Diaz has been throwing and still hopes to return this season. Perhaps we will see him pitch in September, and his closing-out games cannot be ruled out. He is a stash candidate if you have an open bench spot. 

Evan Phillips is the top option for the Dodgers, picking up four saves in the last two weeks. However, in that span alone, three other pitchers have picked up a save for the Dodgers. Ryan Yarbrough, Brusdar Graterol, and most recently, Caleb Ferguson have picked up saves. The Dodgers are in “just get to the playoffs” mode, meaning they may opt to give extra rest to their late-inning arms. Phillips is a must-start, but Graterol and Ferguson, in that order, are worth fliers in deeper formats. 

Elite Strikeouts and Ratios for Fantasy Baseball

Shawn Armstrong has the lowest WHIP (0.40) among relievers in the last month. He has pitched to a 1.80 ERA and 2.69 xFIP with a 32 percent strikeout rate. Batters have hit just .090 against him in that span. He can help stabilize your ratios and strikeouts in the final month. It also doesn’t hurt that the Rays like to mix and match arms in the later innings. 

Andre Jackson is another strong option for ratios. He has pitched to a 1.64 ERA and 0.55 WHIP with a 23 percent strikeout rate. He also could close out games if anything was to happen to David Bednar. 

Bowden Francis has pitched to a 0.49 WHIP and 1.46 ERA with a 26 percent strikeout rate in the last month. The Blue Jays have plenty of late-inning options, so he likely will not help you with any saves, but the ratios make him worth rostering in Roto formats if you are in need. 

Yimi Garcia is an excellent source of ratios and strikeouts in the final month of the season. In the last month, he has pitched to a 0.90 ERA and 0.70 WHIP, while striking out 32 percent of the batters he has faced. Just like Francis, I would not expect him to see many save chances in the Blue Jays pen, but he can provide everything else.

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio. 

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