X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Top 10 Projected WHIP Finishers for Relievers: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

In 1979 New York Times writer and inventor of rotisserie baseball Daniel Okrent created a statistic then-known as IPRAT, or “innings pitched ratio.” At a time when ERA and wins were all the rave, Okrent created a simple formula that would form the foundation of sabermetrics and eventually work its way into regular fantasy baseball categories in nearly every format.

Okrent’s equation? Walks allowed plus hits allowed, divided by innings pitched. Seems like he should have realized that WHIP is a better moniker than IPRAT. Though most advanced metric guys and sabermetricians have nearly phased out WHIP, Okrent’s formula changed how the average fan assesses his or her favorite pitchers and opened the door for a litany of baseball nerds (such as your friendly author) to make fun of the term IPRAT as well as ask the question: how could the father of fantasy baseball (Okrent) never win a title in his leagues?

As for 2015, there are two things you should know about WHIP. First, it is dominated by dominant relievers. Closers and setup men have historically dominated this category, more so in the last five years. Obviously this will help the fantasy owner that forgoes drafting starters and instead grabs relievers. This makes sense considering that a closer will only face a batter once whereas a starter will face a batter up to four times in a given start and batters typically improve against pitchers in the second, third and fourth at-bats in a game against the same pitcher.

The second thing you should know about WHIP is that K rate is the best advanced metric to use when trying to properly project WHIP. Clearly this needs no explanation but you get one anyway. If a pitcher is striking out batters at a high rate that means those batters are not putting the ball into play and hence any chance of a ball squeaking by for a hit is negated.

Keeping these two factors in mind, this list will attempt to properly predict in no particular order which ten pitchers in the league will finish with the best WHIP. Middle relievers need not apply since they typically do not reach the minimum innings pitched threshold.

 

Relievers That Will Lead MLB in WHIP

1. Aroldis Chapman – CIN, RP

Coming off a season in which Chapman struck out batters at a ridiculous 52.5% clip, the Cincinnati closer is arguably in the prime of his career. He is completely healthy to start the season and should be the number one relief pitcher available on most draft boards.

 

2. Craig Kimbrel – ATL, RP

Kimbrel has lost a bit of velocity over the past couple seasons which is a minor cause for concern. He still remains a top option at the relief pitcher position. With the Braves evidently going into rebuild mode, Kimbrel will lose on save opportunities but should still get plenty of pitching opportunities to maintain and expand on that career 0.90 WHIP.

 

3. Kenley Jansen – LAD, RP

Jansen might be out for the first month or so, but that does not mean owners should be afraid to draft him. Last season his fastball saw an increase in average velocity to 93.7 MPH, up from 92.4 in 2013, but with that came an increase in his walk rate. That walk rate is cause for some concern, but all in all Jansen should continue his dominance in 2015.

 

4. Dellin Betances – NYY, RP

Talk about showing massive improvement. From him combined 5.2 IP in the majors in 2012 and ’13, Betances exploded onto the scene for the Yankees in 2014. He may not get a ton of saves, but Betances will be a strikeout force. His 39.6% K rate and 0.78 WHIP last season landed him fourth and third, respectively, among all pitchers with at least 50 IP. He is no Mariano Rivera, but he will surely be a weapon for any fantasy owner.

 

5. Greg Holland – KC, RP

It’s no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy. If Holland were smart he would have listened to Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” nonstop in the offseason. Posting a .169 and .168 BAA, coupled with a 40.4% and 37.5% K rates in consecutive seasons shows that Holland has some stuff. His 8.3% BB rate from last season shows he also has some control problems. His walks are what will keep his WHIP from finishing at a phenomenal level come October.

 

6. Brad Boxberger – TB, RP

The Rays have seemingly committed to closer by committee between him and Jake McGee so there is really no telling where Boxberger will finish in the saves category. If the Rays are smart, he will be used the most in high pressure situations to maximize win probability. While doing Triple-A stints in 2013 and ’14, Boxberger struck out 117 batters in 66.2 IP. Sounds like Chapman-esque strikeout numbers. He finished 2014 in the bigs with 64.2 IP and a 42.1 % K rate. Expect the same for 2015.

 

7. Sean Doolittle – OAK, RP

He may have one of the more fun last names in the show, but Doolittle will not be sneaking up on anyone this season like he did last year. Doolittle finished last year’s campaign with a 37.7% K rate, 3.4% BB rate, .21 BAA and a 0.73 WHIP in over 62 IP. He struggled slightly in August but bounced back for a strong finish in September. The only cause for concern with the Oakland reliever is when he is not pitching in cavernous O.co Coliseum.

 

8. Joaquin Benoit – SD, RP

Much like Doolittle, Benoit’s numbers get better when pitching at home. Benoit saw a rejuvenation in 2014 in his K rate and BB rate with both rates seeing considerable improvement in percentage points. Benoit was able to mix up his off-speed pitches well last season as he saw a career low in contact rate to opposing hitters. Benoit’s velocity has dipped a bit, but it is clear he has developed as a smarter pitcher since his days in Detroit.

 

9. Ken Giles – PHI, RP

A Phillies player made this list because… well, why not? In all honesty though Giles is poised to become a household name at the end of this season. In 45.2 IP in the majors last season, he finished with a 31.9% K-BB rate which was surely instrumental in his 0.79 WHIP clip. If the Phillies move Jonathan Papelbon, which is likely, then Giles’s stock will skyrocket. Fantasy owners would be smart to have him on their pre-draft radar.

 

10. David Robertson – CWS, RP
Do not let Robertson’s 3.08 ERA from 2014 fool you. He had a few bad breaks against him and a few Texas leaguers drop to inflate that number. Otherwise, Robertson had a heck of a 2014 campaign as he recorded 96 K in 64.1 IP. His 37.1% K rate was a career MLB high while holding hitters to a .191 BAA. He should have no problem fitting in with his new team in the Windy City.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Coby White6 mins ago

Cleared For Action Monday
Josh Giddey11 mins ago

Remains Out On Monday
Grayson Allen15 mins ago

Sits Out Fourth Straight Game
NFL17 mins ago

Azeez Ojulari Heading To Philadelphia
Bradley Beal23 mins ago

Sidelined On Monday
Jesse Winker26 mins ago

Exits Early On Monday
NFL32 mins ago

Juan Thornhill Heading To Steel City
Yves Missi34 mins ago

Returns From Two-Game Absence
Orelvis Martinez36 mins ago

Removed Early On Monday
Kelly Olynyk39 mins ago

Cleared To Play Monday
Zion Williamson42 mins ago

Available Against Pistons
Andrew Benintendi44 mins ago

Takes Live Batting Practice
NFL45 mins ago

Garrett Bradbury Released By Vikings
Svi Mykhailiuk52 mins ago

Unavailable Against Chicago
Alek Manoah53 mins ago

Placed On 60-Day Injured List
Guerschon Yabusele55 mins ago

Downgraded To Out
Andrew Wiggins1 hour ago

Inactive On Monday
Philadelphia Eagles1 hour ago

Eagles Rework Lane Johnson's Contract
Kristian Campbell1 hour ago

Still Competing For Second Base Gig
Myles Turner1 hour ago

Misses Monday's Matchup
Aaron Nesmith1 hour ago

Unavailable Against Minnesota On Monday
Tyrese Haliburton1 hour ago

Will Not Play On Monday
Adem Bona1 hour ago

Misses Monday's Game
Andre Drummond1 hour ago

Continues To Sit With Toe Injury
Jabari Walker2 hours ago

Unavailable Again On Monday
Kyle Lowry2 hours ago

Still Out On Monday
Brett Baty2 hours ago

Luisangel Acuna Could Platoon At Second Base
Lonnie Walker IV2 hours ago

Remains Out On Monday
Spencer Steer2 hours ago

To Resume Throwing On Tuesday, Could Be Ready For Opening Day
Kelly Oubre Jr.2 hours ago

Sits Out Monday's Game
Jerami Grant2 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday's Matchup With Washington
Alexis Díaz2 hours ago

Alexis Diaz To Pitch In Minor-League Game On Tuesday
Tyrese Maxey2 hours ago

Unavailable Against Rockets
Tobias Myers2 hours ago

To Start The Year On Injured List
Max Kepler2 hours ago

Dealing With Back Injury
Andrei Svechnikov2 hours ago

Could Return To Action Thursday
Alec Bohm2 hours ago

Could Play On Wednesday
Dustin Wolf2 hours ago

Faces Maple Leafs Monday
Jake Allen3 hours ago

Searches For Third Consecutive Victory Monday
Brandon Marsh3 hours ago

To Return To Action On Tuesday
Zack Wheeler3 hours ago

Phillies Announce Zack Wheeler As Their Opening Day Starter
Jet Greaves3 hours ago

Receives Starting Nod Monday
Jake Cousins3 hours ago

Throwing At 90 Feet
DJ LeMahieu3 hours ago

Has Been Hitting
Ivan Fedotov3 hours ago

Starts Against Lightning
Paul Goldschmidt3 hours ago

Pulled On Monday With Back Soreness
Grayson Rodriguez3 hours ago

To Play Catch On Tuesday
Joonas Korpisalo3 hours ago

Starts For Bruins Monday
Coby Mayo3 hours ago

OK After Being Hit By Pitch
Roman Dolidze3 hours ago

Extends His Win Streak To Three
Marvin Vettori4 hours ago

Suffers Back-To-Back Losses
Will Zalatoris4 hours ago

Has Been Consistent At Least In 2025
Carson Young4 hours ago

Makes The Cut In Second Straight Tournament
Xander Schauffele4 hours ago

Struggles At The PLAYERS Championship
Nicolai Hojgaard4 hours ago

Misses First Cut In 2025
Lucas Glover4 hours ago

Produces Another Strong Showing At The PLAYERS Championship
Joel Dahmen4 hours ago

Finding Stride Heading To Valspar Championship
Corey Conners4 hours ago

Finishes Tied For Sixth At The PLAYERS Championship
Luke Clanton4 hours ago

Secures PGA Tour Card At Cognizant Classic
Blades Brown4 hours ago

Set To Make Fourth PGA Tour Start In 2025
Cameron Young4 hours ago

A Loose Cannon On Florida Swing
Akshay Bhatia4 hours ago

Secures Third Top-10 Finish
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos4 hours ago

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Sahith Theegala4 hours ago

Seeking Elusive Consistency In Florida
Kyler Murray4 hours ago

Excited For 2025
Joe Highsmith4 hours ago

An Intriguing Option At The Valspar
Chidi Njokuani4 hours ago

Scores TKO Win At UFC Vegas 104
New York Jets4 hours ago

Byron Cowart Inks Deal With Jets
Kurt Holobaugh4 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez5 hours ago

Wins Decision At UFC Vegas 104
PGA5 hours ago

Nico Echavarria Just Attempting To Get To The Weekend
Bud Cauley5 hours ago

Trying To Keep Good Times Rolling
5 hours ago

Tetairoa McMillan Increasing His Draft Stock
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 hours ago

Needs His Putter At The Valspar
Edward Cabrera5 hours ago

Playing Catch On Monday
PGA5 hours ago

Byeong Hun An Attempts To Get Off To Faster Start
Joseph Woll5 hours ago

Starting On Monday
Nick Jensen5 hours ago

Not Expected To Play On Tuesday
Royce Lewis6 hours ago

To Miss Opening Day
Dylan Strome6 hours ago

Battling Illness
Jonas Brodin6 hours ago

Not Playing On Monday, Viewed As Day-To-Day
Cody Gibson6 hours ago

Submitted At UFC Vegas 104
Luis Severino6 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod For Oakland
Josh Norris6 hours ago

Not Playing On Monday
Da'Mon Blackshear6 hours ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
JJ Peterka6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday's Contest
Brendson Ribeiro6 hours ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Vegas 104
Diyar Nurgozhay6 hours ago

Suffers His First Loss
MMA7 hours ago

Seung Woo Choi Suffers First-Round TKO Loss At UFC Vegas 104
Kevin Vallejos7 hours ago

Finishes Seung Woo Choi In Debut
Jameis Winston7 hours ago

To Visit With Giants On Tuesday
Cincinnati Bengals7 hours ago

Bengals Still Hoping To Sign Trey Hendrickson To An Extension
Houston Texans7 hours ago

Texans Make Derek Stingley Jr. The Highest-Paid Defensive Back
Tyler Reddick9 hours ago

Solid Performance Is Derailed By Late Pit-Road Issues At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney9 hours ago

Struggles End In A Disappointing Exit Late At Las Vegas
Josh Berry9 hours ago

Impressively Earns First Cup Series Win At Las Vegas
AJ Allmendinger9 hours ago

Scores First Top-10 Finish Of Season At Las Vegas
Kyle Larson9 hours ago

Leads The Most Laps, But Settles For A Top-10 Finish At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain10 hours ago

Obtains A Hard-Fought Top-Five Finish At Las Vegas
Daniel Suarez10 hours ago

Scores Career-Best Finish At Las Vegas, But Falls Short Of Winning
Cole Perfetti13 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Karel Vejmelka13 hours ago

Earns Victory On Sunday
Jordan Kyrou13 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins13 hours ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers
Cale Makar13 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
Dmitry Kulikov13 hours ago

Injured On Sunday
NASCAR16 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecks At Las Vegas But Shows Promising Speed
Alex Bowman16 hours ago

Recovers From Loose Wheel To Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric16 hours ago

Wins Stage 1, But Loose Wheel Foils Victory Bid
William Byron16 hours ago

Loses Las Vegas Race On Strategy But Expands Points Lead
Ryan Preece16 hours ago

Earns Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish At Las Vegas
Tee Higgins21 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase21 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Miami Dolphins1 day ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold1 day ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews1 day ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin1 day ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson1 day ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad1 day ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers1 day ago

Re-Ups With Rams
New York Jets1 day ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush1 day ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher2 days ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Chase Elliott2 days ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
William Byron2 days ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson4 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro4 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Kaleb Johnson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: Best, Worst Picks In Rounds 1-4

You don't want to draft the below players, trust me. There are busts in every year's rookie class, and while some of them are tough to predict, others show clear signs that they aren't worth their capital. Many players have great fortune in college, playing on great teams that elevate their production and thus the […]


Matthew Golden - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 5 Rookies

Last year’s wide receiver class was one of the best in recent history, totaling three top-10 picks and seven prospects coming off the board in the first round. Many have called this year’s class a massive downgrade compared to last year’s unit. Yet, the 2025 wide receiver draft class has several impressive prospects. There might […]


Brenton Strange - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire, TE Streamers, NFL DFS

Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency in Fantasy Football

NFL Free Agency has been quite the frenzy. At RotoBaller, we track it all for you right here! It might not always feel like it, but there have been a ton of impactful moves. And with every move comes a fantasy football impact, right? This article takes a look at some of the top winners […]


Jaylen Wright - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football Breakouts: Running Back Sleepers For 2025

The running back position is in constant flux in Dynasty fantasy football, as depth charts are constantly shuffled around, teams often decide to move on from productive players and replace them with cheaper or younger options, and players have their first good seasons in their careers. We're mostly concerned with that last point -- RBs […]


Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]