After a rough outing at Fenway Park on May 22nd I was beginning to wonder if Andrés Muñoz would actually make a big enough impact this season in SV+HLD’s leagues to be considered rosterable in non dynasty formats. His ERA was sitting at 6.08 with a 1.65 WHIP, but the 34.4% K rate and 2.60 SIERA still gave me hope. Since that outing, Muñoz has been arguably a top five reliever in all of baseball, with a 1.14 ERA (1.08 SIERA) and .68 WHIP and a 20.2% K-BB rate! He’s even chipping in more holds as of late, and has eight over that stretch, with seven coming over the past 30 days, which is the the second most over that span. Muñoz is now fully in the “must roster” category for all of you playing in holds leagues, and has some standard save only appeal as well given his strikeout rate.
Notes
- Garrett Whitlock returned to the Red Sox bullpen this past weekend and fired 3 dominant innings, allowing no hits or walks while striking out five. He’s certainly a huge addition to this bullpen desperate for reliable arms, and should see high leverage work no matter what the team decides to do at the deadline.
- Pete Fairbanks and Josh Staumont returned this past week as well, and both should factor in to the late innings mix for their respective teams. Obviously things are a bit wide open in Tampa Bay, but Fairbanks, when healthy, has been a consistent option in SV+HLD spots for manager Kevin Cash. Staumont should slot back into a set up role behind Scott Barlow, and could wind up closing out games if Barlow is dealt (assuming he isn’t traded himself).
- While the Diamondbacks make it hard for hold opportunities, All-Star Joe Mantiply may be in line for an increased role over the second half of the season if the team deals away their veteran relievers. On the flip side, despite not hitting free agency until 2027, this may be the highest Mantiply’s value will ever be and at age 31, the team could still look to move him as he could be the top left handed reliever option on the market.
- Will Smith plummets in the rankings this week and with that bullpen (mostly) healthy now, I can’t imagine him seeing many hold chances as the team prefers the other lefties (A.J. Minter and probably Tyler Matzek too) in those spots. Matzek hasn’t been quite the same this season, but I’d bet on him turning things around before Smith this season.
Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)