It’s another short week as we only got a weekend’s worth of games to go off of, but one that stood out was how well Devin Williams threw this past weekend. He was able to pick up three saves in three days (as did Jhoan Duran this past weekend), striking out five, letting up zero hits, and most impressive, allowing zero walks.
The majority of trouble Williams finds himself in is self-inflicted as he still holds a 12.6% walk rate for the season, and while the strikeout rate is down this year, Williams should still be a great reliever to roster the rest of the season.
Notes
- Jordan Romano felt some tightness in his lower back during the All-Star game and has yet to pitch since with Tim Mayza and Erik Swanson picking up saves over the weekend. I don’t think this should be a long-term concern, but it’s something to keep in mind. If Romano does wind up needing an IL stint, Swanson would be the preferred add.
- Aroldis Chapman appears to have taken over as the Rangers’ closer, and it’s not due to anything Will Smith has done, but the front office was likely pushing for Chapman to be in the closer role after trading for him recently. Chapman should be the favorite for saves the rest of the way, but I also wouldn’t rule out another bullpen move or two from this team.
- After a strong run of outings that allowed Scott McGough to retake the closer role, he has gone on to really struggle as of late and could be in danger of losing the closer role again. Over his past 8 IP, McGough has allowed 10 R (9 ER) on 14 hits, and 7 walks and has just 1 save since June 26th. He’s still in the closer role for now, but it may be worth scooping up Andrew Chafin or Miguel Castro in deeper leagues.
- Hunter Harvey will miss some time with a forearm strain, leaving Kyle Finnegan to resume closing duties for the Nationals. Harvey is likely to miss more than the minimum time, so Finnegan, who has been pitching well with a 1.65 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over his last 27.1 IP, could be worth a look in deeper leagues where saves are sparse.
And if you want more daily reliever updates, please check out our Reliever Ranks series
Watch List
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Will Smith | TEX | That happened fast. Smith could still factor into saves. |
| 2. | Giovanny Gallegos | STL | Hicks will be moved at the deadline. |
| 3. | Carlos Hernández | KC | If Barlow is dealt, could be the next closer in KC. |
| 4. | Andrew Chafin | ARZ | McGough is pulling away, but Chafin has still pitched well. |
| 5. | Mark Leiter Jr. | CHC | Alzolay is pulling away, but Leiter has still pitched well. |
| 6. | José Soriano | LAA | Best stuff in that bullpen and I don’t have faith in Estévez. |
| 7. | Jason Adam | TB | No closer is more injury prone than Fairbanks. |
| 8. | Adam Ottavino | NYM | Still likely in some timeshare with Robertson. |
| 9. | Tommy Kahnle | NYY | The Yankees are all over the place with bullpen usage. |
| 10. | Jason Foley | DET | Lange has been shaky lately and may even be traded. |
| Rank | Pitcher | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Félix BautistaT1 | - |
| 2 | Craig KimbrelT2 | - |
| 3 | Ryan Pressly | - |
| 4 | Paul Sewald | - |
| 5 | Jhoan Duran | +1 |
| 6 | Camilo Doval | +3 |
| 7 | Devin Williams | +4 |
| 8 | Jordan Romano | -1 |
| 9 | A.J. Puk | -4 |
| 10 | Raisel Iglesias | -2 |
| 11 | Josh Hader | -1 |
| 12 | Emmanuel Clase | - |
| 13 | David Bednar | - |
| 14 | Alexis Díaz | - |
| 15 | Pete Fairbanks | - |
| 16 | Evan PhillipsT3 | - |
| 17 | Aroldis Chapman | +UR |
| 18 | Kenley Jansen | - |
| 19 | Scott Barlow | - |
| 20 | Alex Lange | - |
| 21 | Carlos Estévez | - |
| 22 | Clay HolmesT4 | +2 |
| 23 | Adbert Alzolay | - |
| 24 | Scott McGough | -2 |
| 25 | Jordan Hicks | - |
| 26 | David Robertson | - |
| 27 | Kyle FinneganT5 | +UR |
| 28 | Justin Lawrence | - |
| 29 | Trevor May | - |
| 30 | Kendall Graveman | - |