Ryan Pressly The Leading Candidate To Close
4 years agoIt appears that the closer role this year is Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly's to lose after he converted 12 of 16 save chances last year when Roberto Osuna was injured and lost for the season, according to pitching coach Brent Strom. Pressly was an All-Star setup man in 2019 and converted 11 of his final 13 save chances with a 2.08 ERA, four walks and 25 strikeouts in that span. Strom also said that Steve Cishek, who has 132 career saves, newcomer Pedro Baez and veteran Joe Smith could also factor into the ninth inning for Houston. Pressly had a 3.43 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 29:7 K:BB over 21 innings in the shortened 2020 season. With a potentially short leash as the closer to begin the year, the 32-year-old right-hander will be more of a low-end No. 1 fantasy closer this season.
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart