Closers are the most overrated players in fantasy baseball. The good ones deliver strong contributions to one category, but generally pitch less than five innings per week.
During drafts, I usually ignore the position until the late rounds. Despite this strategy, my teams are usually very strong in the saves category. In fact, my teams have finished tied-first, second, first and first in saves over the last four seasons in my 10-team roto keeper league.
How is this possible you ask? It’s simple really. Let me run some numbers by you…
Over the last three years, only five closers have recorded at least 30 saves each season (Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Cordero, Mariano Rivera, Joakim Soria and Brian Wilson). This fact alone illustrates the high turnover rate at this unstable position.
With nearly half of baseball's 30 teams likely to start 2011 with a new closer, it's important for fantasy managers to brush up on the bullpens in transition.
Every week during the 2011 season, I'll update the Closer's Corner as ninth-inning roles change hands. In the meantime, I'll post updates as free agents continue to sign and spring training battles become more clear...
Game number 20 of 162 in the Fantasy Baseball Insiders Tonight summer-long journey featured a game that provided a whopping 25 runs on 32 hits between two struggling A.L. powerhouses…
Game No. 20 – Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
Mike Lowell was the most productive hitter in Monday night’s slug fest, going 4-for-4 with three doubles, a walk, two runs and four RBI. In just his ninth start of the season, Lowell hit sixth as Boston’s DH while David Ortiz sat against Angels’ lefty Joe Saunders, who yielded seven runs on nine hits and four walks in four innings.
Continuing our 162-game journey, Fantasy Baseball Insiders Tonight got a close look at Nationals’ starter Luis Atilano on Wednesday. Who the heck is Luis Atilano, you ask? Let’s find out…
Game No. 19 – Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs
After winning his major-league debut against the Dodgers last Friday, Luis Atilano toed the rubber against the Cubs Wednesday afternoon...
We’re putting our 162-game journey on hold Tuesday night, and instead Fantasy Baseball Insiders Tonight is covering parts of several games. Here’s everything you need to know from last night’s action around the league:
HITTERS
Hitter of the day: Cliff Pennington (4-for-5, R, HR, 4 RBI)
Batting leadoff for just the third time this season, Oakland shortstop Cliff Pennington recorded his first career four-hit game Tuesday night against the Rays. After blasting a three-run HR in the third inning, the switch-hitting 25-year-old ripped a ground-rule double to right, scoring two (though he was only credited with one RBI)...
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
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