RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target Mid-to-Late Rounds in All Leagues
ANALYSIS: Big time talent Zach Britton transitioned from elite starting pitching prospect to full time closer last season, and boy did that work out for the Orioles. Britton finished his first season in that role with 37 saves and a 1.65 ERA.
The only thing holding Britton back from being one of the top RP options is his 7.31 K/9 rate however he makes up for this with a Major League best 75.3% ground ball rate. That’s right, Britton led the entire league in ground ball rate and it wasn’t even a competition. The next highest rate for a pitcher with at least 20 innings pitched on the season was Brandon League with a 67.5% ground ball percentage.
While it may be too bold to predict a repeat of that high of a number, his elite sinker ball should continue to produce consistent outs on the ground. The Orioles have won an average of 91.3 games over the last three years and I would expect to see them around that number in 2015. If this holds true, you should see Britton with 35-45 saves once again by seasons end. I for one am certainly looking at Britton as a second reliever option in all of my leagues. If he's going in the mid-100's ADP, that is a bargain.
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