Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/11

Cleveland Guardians
Matt Festa	0.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	9% CSW
Franco Aleman	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	29% CSW

Franco Aleman — Four-Seamer down 1.1 MPH (95.1 vs. 96.2 season avg). This is not as fun. If the stuff ticks back up again, then we’ll talk.

Detroit Tigers
Jacob Waguespack – W (1)	2.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	24% CSW
Drew Sommers – HLD (8)	0.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	33% CSW
Kyle Finnegan – HLD (13)	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	18% CSW
Tyler Holton – HLD (11)	0.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	50% CSW
Kenley Jansen – SV (14)	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	2 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	10% CSW

Kenley Jansen had some impressively poor command here, as only 9 of his 29 pitches were in the zone. Maybe (hopefully?) just a one-off, but something to keep an eye on.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Yohan Ramírez	3.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	5 K	4 Whiffs	35% CSW

Yohan Ramírez — Four-Seamer down 0.8 MPH (95.8 vs. 96.6 season avg). The sweeper and fastball were more than good enough here, despite a small velo dip.

Miami Marlins
Michael Petersen – HLD (19)	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	38% CSW
Pete Fairbanks – SV (18)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	25% CSW

Pete Fairbanks — Slider usage 50% (+28 pts vs. 22% usual). Fairbanks used his slider as a strike getter here, as he had trouble commanding the fastball.

Chicago Cubs
Ryan Rolison – W (7)	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	38% CSW
Trent Thornton – HLD (4)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	0 Whiffs	20% CSW
Ryan Zeferjahn	0.2 IP	2 ER	3 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	26% CSW
Jacob Webb – SV (8)	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	8 Whiffs	50% CSW

Trent Thornton — Four-Seamer up 1.8 MPH (96.8 vs. 95.0 season avg). The velocity increase brings his fastball closer to average. The curveball does the bulk of the heavy lifting.
Cubs fans getting their first taste of the Ryan Zeferjahn rollercoaster.
Jacob Webb may not give back the closer role when Palencia (who had a rough AA outing yesterday) returns at this point.

Washington Nationals
Tom Cosgrove	0.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	10% CSW
Max Kranick	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	2 BB	0 K	4 Whiffs	20% CSW
Orlando Ribalta	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	27% CSW
Miles Mikolas	3.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	28% CSW

Tom Cosgrove — Four-Seamer down 1.1 MPH (87.1 vs. 88.2 season avg); Four-Seamer usage 50% (+27 pts vs. 23% usual)
Miles Mikolas — Four-Seamer up 1.2 MPH (94.4 vs. 93.2 season avg). For those wondering…no.

Seattle Mariners
José A. Ferrer – HLD (11)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	31% CSW
Michael Rucker – L (4)	0.1 IP	4 ER	3 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	20% CSW
Eduard Bazardo	0.2 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	11% CSW
Seranthony Domínguez	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	12% CSW

José A. Ferrer — Sinker up 1.0 MPH (98.4 vs. 97.4 season avg)
Michael Rucker — Four-Seamer up 0.8 MPH (96.9 vs. 96.1 season avg). Rucker finally got a chance to pitch in a meaningful leverage spot, and well, it did not go well.

New York Yankees
Tim Hill – W (4)	1.1 IP	0 H	0 K	0 Whiffs	0% CSW
Brent Headrick – HLD (18)	1.0 IP	0 H	2 K	3 Whiffs	44% CSW
David Bednar – SV (27)	1.0 IP	1 H	2 K	7 Whiffs	42% CSW

David Bednar’s fastball looked great here, and the splitter did its thing as usual.

Boston Red Sox
Tyron Guerrero	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Seth Martinez	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	45% CSW

Seth Martinez has a good sweeper, but that’s about it. Nothing to see here.

Toronto Blue Jays
Chase Lee – W (1)	1.2 IP	1 H	2 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	28% CSW
Brendon Little – HLD (3)	0.1 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Braydon Fisher – HLD (12)	1.0 IP	0 H	1 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	27% CSW
Spencer Miles – SV (1)	1.0 IP	1 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	29% CSW

Spencer Miles — Sinker up 2.0 MPH (98.2 vs. 96.2 season avg). Miles got a nice velocity boost here (#SaveChanceEnergy), and I do see a patch to reliever success with his sinker/slider (curveballs meh).

New York Mets
Jefry Yan	0.2 IP	1 ER	0 H	3 BB	0 K	3 Whiffs	20% CSW
Chayce McDermott	1.1 IP	2 ER	2 H	1 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	28% CSW

Jefry Yan — Sinker down 1.2 MPH (96.8 vs. 98.0 season avg). The command may be even worse than I thought.
Chayce McDermott — Four-Seamer down 1.0 MPH (94.9 vs. 95.9 season avg). Boo

Atlanta Braves
Didier Fuentes – HLD (13)	1.0 IP	1 K	3 Whiffs	43% CSW
Dylan Lee – HLD (27)	1.0 IP	1 K	3 Whiffs	42% CSW
Raisel Iglesias	1.0 IP	1 K	1 Whiffs	21% CSW

Raisel Iglesias had a nice clean inning here, but I still get the sense the walls may be closing in, especially with the way Fuentes (not to mention Lee) has been throwing.

Baltimore Orioles
Josh Walker – HLD (1)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	0 Whiffs	25% CSW
Yennier Cano – HLD (11)	1.0 IP	1 H	1 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	32% CSW
Andrew Kittredge – SV (6)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	22% CSW

Josh Walker — Sinker up 0.9 MPH (93.0 vs. 92.1 season avg)
The slider has been looking better lately for Andrew Kittredge, but it was the sinker that was responsible for the Whiff and CSW% here. Low upside, but it does appear that Kittredge is the favorite for saves here.

Minnesota Twins
Kody Funderburk	1.0 IP	2 H	1 BB	1 K	6 Whiffs	41% CSW
Tommy Nance	1.0 IP	1 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	44% CSW
Taylor Rogers	1.0 IP	0 H	1 BB	2 K	1 Whiffs	39% CSW

Kody Funderburk holds a 0.51 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 32% K rate over 17.2 IP since the start of July. He has just one hold over this span, but that could change the way he’s been throwing.

Cincinnati Reds
Luis Mey	2.0 IP	0 H	2 K	3 Whiffs	52% CSW
Pierce Johnson	1.0 IP	0 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	38% CSW
Tejay Antone	1.0 IP	1 H	0 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Brock Burke – W (5)	1.0 IP	0 H	2 K	1 Whiffs	17% CSW
Emilio Pagán – SV (14)	1.0 IP	0 H	1 K	2 Whiffs	12% CSW

Luis Mey’s stuff was down a bit here, but the command was much improved, so we’ll take it.

Chicago White Sox
Bryan Hudson	0.0 IP	3 ER	3 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	20% CSW
Grant Taylor – BS (4)	2.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	31% CSW
Sean Newcomb – L (3)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	20% CSW

Bryan Hudson — Four-Seamer up 0.8 MPH (92.9 vs. 92.1 season avg).
Sean Newcomb — Four-Seamer down 1.4 MPH (93.2 vs. 94.6 season avg). That’s not great.

Philadelphia Phillies
Alex McFarlane – L (1)	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	35% CSW
Tim Mayza	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	31% CSW

Alex McFarlane’s command was not great here, but the stuff is worth the Phillies giving him an extended look, especially with their right-handed bullpen depth thin at the moment.

St. Louis Cardinals
George Soriano – W (6)	1.0 IP	1 H	1 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	35% CSW
Caleb Ferguson	0.0 IP	0 H	3 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	14% CSW
Ryne Stanek – HLD (22)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	0% CSW
Riley O’Brien – SV (30)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	50% CSW

Caleb Ferguson — Sinker down 1.2 MPH (91.1 vs. 92.3 season avg). And no command? Oof.
Riley O’Brien — Sinker down 1.2 MPH (96.8 vs. 98.0 season avg). O’Brien is now up to 30 saves, but how much longer can he survive with the diminished stuff/command?

Texas Rangers
Chase Silseth	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	45% CSW

Chase Silseth — Four-Seamer usage 73% (+34 pts vs. 38% usual). It worked here, but this isn’t the answer.

Los Angeles Angels
Tayler Saucedo	0.2 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	27% CSW
Luke Murphy – HLD (3)	1.2 IP	0 ER	2 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	15% CSW
José Fermin – W (4)	1.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	3 K	3 Whiffs	50% CSW
Samy Natera Jr. – SV (3)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	1 Whiffs	36% CSW

José Fermin — Sinker down 1.4 MPH (95.0 vs. 96.4 season avg). I’ll take lower velocity from Fermin if it has him locating like this.
Samy Natera Jr. didn’t even have his best stuff here pitching on back-to-back days, but still made it work. I may be nitpicking because the fastball is so good, but I’d love to see more sliders from him still.

Colorado Rockies
Jimmy Herget – HLD (6)	1.0 IP	1 H	0 K	1 Whiffs	21% CSW
Brennan Bernardino – HLD (9)	1.0 IP	0 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	23% CSW
Jordan Romano – SV (11)	1.0 IP	1 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	35% CSW

Jordan Romano — Four-Seamer down 0.9 MPH (93.1 vs. 94.0 season avg). I just don’t think we can expect this to continue, right? The rest of season schedule after this weekend is not great either.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Kevin Ginkel – L (4)	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	6 Whiffs	46% CSW
Taylor Clarke	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	22% CSW
Juan Morillo	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	9% CSW

This might be the best Kevin Ginkel’s slider has looked all year, but Goodman got him on a fastball up in the zone for a leadoff triple.

Athletics
Brady Basso	2.0 IP	1 ER	3 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	28% CSW
Elvis Alvarado	1.0 IP	2 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	19% CSW
Yunior Tur	2.0 IP	3 ER	2 H	0 BB	3 K	4 Whiffs	33% CSW

Elvis Alvarado left a 1-0 fastball down to Mesa here for a two-run home run, and I think we need to treat the A’s relievers similarly to the Rockies and just stay away, especially at home.

Milwaukee Brewers
Bryse Wilson	2.1 IP	3 ER	5 H	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	33% CSW
Gary Sánchez	1.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	21% CSW

Bryse Wilson — Sinker down 0.9 MPH (91.5 vs. 92.4 season avg). Nope.

San Diego Padres
Wandy Peralta	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	7% CSW
Griffin Canning	2.0 IP	1 ER	3 H	1 BB	2 K	7 Whiffs	31% CSW

Griffin Canning — Four-Seamer up 1.0 MPH (95.5 vs. 94.5 season avg). I still believe there’s a solid reliever future for Canning, it just may not be this season.

Houston Astros
Enyel De Los Santos	0.2 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 K	1 Whiffs	36% CSW
Bennett Sousa	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	3 K	5 Whiffs	58% CSW
AJ Blubaugh	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 K	2 Whiffs	28% CSW

Bennett Sousa went 16/19 sliders here, which is probably for the best, with the fastball still a bit down from his 2025 numbers.

San Francisco Giants
Carson Seymour – HLD (2)	2.0 IP	1 H	2 K	4 Whiffs	30% CSW
Reiver Sanmartin – HLD (1)	0.1 IP	0 H	0 K	2 Whiffs	40% CSW
JT Brubaker – SV (2)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 K	0 Whiffs	29% CSW

Carson Seymour — Sinker up 1.1 MPH (96.8 vs. 95.7 season avg).
JT Brubaker — Sinker up 0.8 MPH (94.4 vs. 93.6 season avg). Brubaker got the call in the ninth with Smith down for the night, and the increased velocity is nice, but the stuff still grades out terribly.

Kansas City Royals
Steven Cruz	1.1 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	12% CSW
Nate Pearson	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	55% CSW
Lucas Erceg – L (4)	0.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	2 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	14% CSW

Steven Cruz — Four-Seamer up 1.1 MPH (99.5 vs. 98.4 season avg); Four-Seamer usage 33% (-26 pts vs. 59% usual). A walk, a hit by pitch, and an opposite-field bloop single were responsible for the run here, but the stuff was still solid.
Nate Pearson got the ninth inning again in an interesting development. Maybe he’s just the sole closer here at the moment? At his best, Pearson’s fastball and breakers are good enough for success in this role…but can the command be consistent enough?
Lucas Erceg — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (98.0 vs. 97.1 season avg). Does it matter?

Los Angeles Dodgers
Alex Vesia	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Evan Phillips – BS (2)	0.1 IP	2 ER	3 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	31% CSW
Jack Dreyer	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Edgardo Henriquez	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	30% CSW
Seth Halvorsen – W (1)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	18% CSW

Seth Halvorsen — Four-Seamer up 1.8 MPH (100.7 vs. 98.9 season avg). They can’t keep getting away with this.

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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/11

Rick Graham

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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/11

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