It’s time for the latest edition of Closing Time where we rank all 30 closing situations in the majors. Let’s take a look at where we stand:
TIER 1: Chess – These guys are the best of the bunch. The best lock on the closer role and will help you with ERA/WHIP/Ks as well.
1. Aroldis Chapman (Reds) + Jumbo Diaz/Tony Cingrani
2. Craig Kimbrel (Padres) + Joaquin Benoit/Dale Thayer
3. David Robertson (White Sox) + Jake Petricka/Zach Putnam
4. Greg Holland (Royals) + Wade Davis/Kelvin Herrera
5. Andrew Miller (Yankees) + Dellin Betances /David Carpenter
TIER 2: Checkers – They are solid options, but there is just something not perfect about them. It could be a question of job security, or the dent they will put on your peripheral stats.
6. Drew Storen (Nationals) + Blake Treinen/Aaron Barrett
7. Trevor Rosenthal (Cardinals) + Jordan Walden/Matt Belisle
8. Brad Boxberger (Rays) + Ernesto Frieri/Jake McGee (DL)
9. Glen Perkins (Twins) + Casey Fien/Tim Stauffer
10. Huston Street (Angels) + Joe Smith/Cam Bedrosian
11. Jonathan Papelbon (Phillies)+ Ken Giles/Jake Diekman
12. Hector Rondon (Cubs) + Pedro Strop/Jason Motte
13. Zach Britton (Orioles) + Darren O’Day/Tommy Hunter
14. Jason Grilli (Braves) + Jim Johnson/Luis Avilan
15. Joakim Soria (Tigers) + Al Alburquerque/Ian Krol
16. Mark Melancon (Pirates) + Tony Watson/Jared Hughes -8
17. Francisco Rodriguez (Brewers) + Jonathan Broxton/Will Smith
18. Koji Uehara (Red Sox) + Junichi Tazawa/Alexei Ogando
19. Jeurys Familia (Mets) + Bobby Parnell/Carlos Torres +8
20. Cody Allen (Indians) + Bryan Shaw/Scott Atchison -14
21. Luke Gregerson (Astros) + Chad Qualls/Pat Neshek
22. A.J. Ramos (Marlins) + Steve Cishek/Mike Dunn -4
TIER 3: Chutes and Ladders – These guys are all that’s left on the shelf. Their jobs are not as secure and you’re taking a risk by sticking them into your lineups.
23. Yimi Garcia (Dodgers) + Chris Hatcher/Kenley Jansen (DL) +6
24. Addison Reed (Diamondbacks) + Brad Ziegler/Evan Marshall -3
25. Fernando Rodney (Mariners) + Danny Farquhar/Tom Wilhelmsen
26. Tyler Clippard (Athletics) + Dan Otero/Sean Doolittle (DL)
27. Santiago Casilla (Giants) + Sergio Romo/Jean Machi
28. John Axford (Rockies) + Rafael Betancourt/Boone Logan
29. Brett Cecil (Blue Jays) + Miguel Castro/Roberto Osuna
30. Neftali Feliz (Rangers ) + Shawn Tolleson/Tanner Scheppers
Notes
– Greg Holland is healthy again, sending Wade Davis back to the set-up role. They are very comparable making no change to the rankings.
– Kenley Jansen is nearing his return to the field while Yimi Garcia has done a great job as of late.
– Miami’s closer situation officially went through a revolution as Steve Cishek has been booted. A.J. Ramos should get the majority of the chances to start.
– Jeurys Familia has been a nice surprise for the Mets and handled the reigns well so far in New York.
– He’s only accumulated two saves thus far, and Addison Reed’s 1.67 WHIP is making him a tough pill to swallow when looking for saves.
– Cody Allen has been very shaky and his grip on the job seems looser every day.
– While he’s been able to have a series of successful outings, Mark Melancon hasn’t reclaimed the velocity he had last season. It’s only a matter of time until Tony Watson takes over.