Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/26

Tampa Bay Rays
Kevin Kelly – HLD (27)	2.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	39% CSW
Tyler Wells – SV (5)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	0 Whiffs	27% CSW

Tyler Wells — Four-Seamer up 1.2 MPH (94.6 vs. 93.4 season avg). Wells got the call in the ninth here after Baker had pitched in three straight days, Saturday-Monday, and looked good despite not a single whiff generated.

Detroit Tigers
Tyler Kinley	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	20% CSW
Kyle Finnegan	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	17% CSW

Kyle Finnegan — Four-Seamer down 0.8 MPH (95.5 vs. 96.3 season avg). As terrible as Finnegan has looked this season, he still has an ERA of 3.31 with 16 SV+HLDs. That’s something.

Chicago Cubs
Trent Thornton	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Ryan Zeferjahn	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	0% CSW

Trent Thornton — Four-Seamer up 1.1 MPH (96.2 vs. 95.1 season avg). Meanwhile, Ryan Zeferjahn looks broken. This was only a 7-pitch outing (2 hits, 3 outs on 7 pitches), but the fastball was hit around here.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Brandyn Garcia – HLD (15)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	24% CSW
Juan Morillo – SV (2)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	50% CSW

Just the second save of the season for Juan Morillo, but he’s pitched well enough to earn more. If Justin Martinez were available here, I wonder if he’d have been considered in the ninth…

Cincinnati Reds
Julian Garcia	2.0 IP	2 ER	3 H	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	31% CSW
Brock Burke	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	36% CSW
Tony Santillan – W (2)	1.0 IP	3 ER	2 H	2 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	29% CSW
Emilio Pagán – SV (17)	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	25% CSW

Brock Burke — Four-Seamer down 1.1 MPH (95.1 vs. 96.2 season avg)
Emilio Pagán’s velocity bounced back here after his previous two outings had me worried, but the iVB was still down here, so the fastball remained down from a stuff standpoint.

San Francisco Giants
Jason Foley	0.1 IP	1 ER	3 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	25% CSW
Ryan Walker – HLD (4)	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	18% CSW
Spencer Bivens – HLD (1)	1.0 IP	4 ER	3 H	2 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	34% CSW
Dylan Smith – L (5)	0.1 IP	2 ER	4 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	19% CSW
Reiver Sanmartin	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	0% CSW

Jason Foley — Sinker up 1.2 MPH (97.0 vs. 95.8 season avg). The velocity increase is something, at least.
Ryan Walker — Sinker usage 29% (-39 pts vs. 68% usual); Slider usage 65% (+36 pts vs. 29% usual). That usage works for me.
Dylan Smith — Four-Seamer down 1.7 MPH (94.0 vs. 95.7 season avg). Not to make excuses, but we’ve seen this situation a bunch before, where the closer thinks he has the day off and then things fall apart quickly in the ninth, and all of a sudden he needs to get hot quickly and get the final outs after not expecting to pitch. Almost every time, the closer’s stuff/command is way down, as it was here for Smith. The question now is, does he get the next Giants save chance, or does it go to a veteran or Carson Seymour perhaps?

Cleveland Guardians
Tim Herrin	1.1 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	33% CSW
Hunter Gaddis – W (2)	0.2 IP	0 H	1 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	50% CSW
Erik Sabrowski – SV (1)	1.0 IP	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	26% CSW

Hunter Gaddis — Slider usage 92% (+43 pts vs. 49% usual). Makes sense, I’m not exactly in love with the slider either.

Los Angeles Angels
Sammy Peralta – HLD (1)	1.1 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	3 K	4 Whiffs	53% CSW
Luke Murphy – HLD (4)	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	17% CSW
Ryan Watson – L (1)	1.0 IP	2 ER	3 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	27% CSW

Ryan Watson could be a solid middle reliever, but he’s not a closer. Not without a fastball.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Lake Bachar	1.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	31% CSW
Kirby Yates	0.2 IP	1 ER	3 H	2 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	14% CSW
Noah Murdock	0.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	40% CSW

Lake Bachar — Curveball usage 44% (+26 pts vs. 18% usual). Makes sense with the fastball down.
Kirby Yates — Four-Seamer down 0.9 MPH (90.0 vs. 90.9 season avg). Yates needed 35 pitches to allow 3 hits and 2 walks and get just 2 outs, but still escaped with only 1 earned run allowed, as Murdock bailed him out.

San Diego Padres
Kyle Hart – HLD (7)	1.0 IP	1 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	19% CSW
Griffin Canning – HLD (1)	0.1 IP	0 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	29% CSW
Yuki Matsui – HLD (8)	0.2 IP	1 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	29% CSW
Bradgley Rodriguez – SV (2)	2.0 IP	2 H	0 BB	2 K	6 Whiffs	46% CSW

Bradgley Rodriguez continues to be the unsung hero in this bullpen, with that changeup leading the way (42% usage, 36.4% CSW).

Philadelphia Phillies
Tim Mayza	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	27% CSW
Jhoan Duran	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	39% CSW

Jhoan Duran has just four saves since the All-Star break, but it’s not his fault (ok, maybe one was his fault). The Phillies just haven’t given him opportunities in the second half, but expect that to change.

Seattle Mariners
José A. Ferrer	1.0 IP	1 H	0 K	0 Whiffs	26% CSW
Eduard Bazardo	1.0 IP	2 H	1 K	3 Whiffs	39% CSW
Gabe Speier	1.0 IP	0 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	50% CSW
Carlos Vargas	2.0 IP	2 H	3 K	2 Whiffs	26% CSW

José A. Ferrer — Sinker up 0.9 MPH (98.4 vs. 97.5 season avg)
Eduard Bazardo — Sinker up 1.3 MPH (96.9 vs. 95.6 season avg)
Gabe Speier — Sinker up 1.8 MPH (96.8 vs. 95.0 season avg)
Love seeing the velocity increase, but it needs to be consistent and not just one time in a game they trailed by six runs.

Boston Red Sox
Jovani Morán	2.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	2 K	8 Whiffs	36% CSW
Wyatt Olds	1.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	28% CSW

The command is definitely a work in progress, but Wyatt Olds stuff continues to amaze me. I understand why he has the cutter, but I’d like to see it a bit less. I’d love to see a full season with 45/40/10/5 fastball/slider/cutter/changeup usage from him.

Miami Marlins
Victor Vodnik – HLD (6)	1.1 IP	0 H	1 K	3 Whiffs	46% CSW
Janson Junk – HLD (1)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 K	1 Whiffs	38% CSW
Dax Fulton	1.0 IP	1 H	1 K	2 Whiffs	50% CSW

Victor Vodnik — Four-Seamer down 1.0 MPH (97.5 vs. 98.5 season avg). Pretty fun game card from Vodnik here anyway…

Janson Junk — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (95.0 vs. 94.1 season avg). What’s he doing pitching here?
Dax Fulton — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (96.0 vs. 95.1 season avg); Four-Seamer usage 60% (+27 pts vs. 33% usual). Why not make him the top lefty in the bullpen at this point? The stuff certainly plays.

Colorado Rockies
Zach Agnos	2.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	15% CSW

Washington Nationals
Matt Waldron	2.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	1 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	21% CSW
Will Dion – L (1)	2.2 IP	4 ER	4 H	2 BB	3 K	10 Whiffs	27% CSW
Luis Perales	2.0 IP	4 ER	4 H	3 BB	3 K	11 Whiffs	28% CSW
Clayton Beeter	0.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	0% CSW
Orlando Ribalta	0.2 IP	4 ER	2 H	2 BB	0 K	3 Whiffs	20% CSW
Jorbit Vivas	1.1 IP	1 ER	3 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	7% CSW

Clayton Beeter — Four-Seamer down 1.0 MPH (94.7 vs. 95.7 season avg). Yet he was the only member of this bullpen to not get shelled (he faced one batter and threw five pitches).

Houston Astros
Kai-Wei Teng	0.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	40% CSW
Bennett Sousa – L (3)	0.1 IP	4 ER	5 H	1 BB	1 K	5 Whiffs	36% CSW
Enyel De Los Santos	1.2 IP	2 ER	1 H	1 BB	3 K	3 Whiffs	18% CSW

Bennett Sousa went 23/28 sliders here as the fastball remains an issue (the two fastballs he threw for strikes went for a foul ball and a 2 RBI double).

New York Yankees
Paul Blackburn – W (6)	1.0 IP	1 H	1 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	23% CSW
Michael Fulmer	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	31% CSW
Tim Hill	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW

Blegh. This may be OK for August, but I still can’t see this working in October.

Kansas City Royals
Mason Black	2.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	18% CSW

Toronto Blue Jays
Spencer Miles	2.0 IP	2 H	0 BB	1 K	0 Whiffs	24% CSW
Brendon Little	0.2 IP	0 H	2 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	31% CSW
Chad Dallas – W (2)	2.2 IP	0 H	0 BB	4 K	9 Whiffs	38% CSW
Mason Fluharty – HLD (14)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	50% CSW
Paul Sewald – HLD (1)	0.2 IP	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	8% CSW
Tyler Rogers – HLD (28)	0.2 IP	2 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Louis Varland – SV (30)	1.1 IP	2 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	27% CSW

Spencer Miles — Sinker usage 70% (+27 pts vs. 43% usual)
Brendon Little — Sinker down 1.2 MPH (93.4 vs. 94.6 season avg); Curveball usage 6% (-26 pts vs. 32% usual). Jekyll and Hyde reliever.
Tyler Rogers now holds a 1.37 WHIP since early May. It’s a sacrifice for the 2.42 ERA and 25 SV+HLDs over this stretch.

Milwaukee Brewers
Grant Anderson	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	21% CSW
Bryse Wilson	2.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	32% CSW

Grant Anderson — Four-Seamer up 1.3 MPH (94.8 vs. 93.5 season avg). But no strikeouts and just one whiff? Boo

New York Mets
Chayce McDermott	2.0 IP	1 ER	3 H	2 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	27% CSW
Jefry Yan	2.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	42% CSW
Dedniel Núñez	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	12% CSW

Chayce McDermott — Four-Seamer down 1.2 MPH (94.1 vs. 95.3 season avg).
Dedniel Núñez — Four-Seamer down 1.0 MPH (95.2 vs. 96.2 season avg).
Two fun relievers in this bullpen with their stuff down…ugh. At least we got Yan still throwing gas without any idea where it’s going.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Edgardo Henriquez	0.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	20% CSW
Eric Lauer	2.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	2 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	18% CSW
Evan Phillips	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	29% CSW
Brock Stewart	1.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	21% CSW
Tanner Scott – L (5)	0.2 IP	1 ER	2 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	12% CSW

Edgardo Henriquez — Four-Seamer down 1.1 MPH (99.4 vs. 100.5 season avg); Four-Seamer usage 73% (+41 pts vs. 32% usual); Sinker usage 0% (-27 pts vs. 27% usual)
Evan Phillips — Four-Seamer down 0.9 MPH (95.8 vs. 96.7 season avg). The sweeper is starting to look better, though.
Brock Stewart — Four-Seamer up 0.8 MPH (96.6 vs. 95.8 season avg). Four-seam/sweeper look great.
Tanner Scott — Four-Seamer usage 82% (+36 pts vs. 47% usual); Slider usage 18% (-36 pts vs. 53% usual). Thomas flared a double down the right field line here to set up the Kim walk-off single on a four-seamer Scott left middle-down in the zone. I know that’s back-to-back L’s for Scott, but I’m not too worried about him.

Atlanta Braves
Dylan Dodd – HLD (12)	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	11% CSW
Dylan Lee	0.0 IP	2 ER	3 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	9% CSW
Didier Fuentes – BS (6)	2.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	3 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	17% CSW
Victor Mederos – W (3)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	15% CSW

Dylan Lee may be hitting a wall here as that’s now 8 hits, 2 walks, and 4 earned runs over his past five outings (3.1 IP). The stuff looks fine, more so a command issue, it appears. Hopefully, he isn’t needed this weekend and can get some rest and bounce back next week.

Texas Rangers
Chase Silseth	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	15% CSW
Robby Ahlstrom	1.0 IP	5 ER	4 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	16% CSW
Peyton Gray	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	0 Whiffs	23% CSW
Jakob Junis	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	0 Whiffs	33% CSW

Alright, that’s enough of Robby Ahlstrom for now, I guess.

Chicago White Sox
Sean Newcomb – W (2)	3.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	5 Whiffs	21% CSW
Jonathan Cannon – SV (1)	3.0 IP	2 ER	4 H	2 BB	4 K	11 Whiffs	24% CSW

Jonathan Cannon was sent down this morning, and there’s not a whole lot to get excited about here anyway.

Baltimore Orioles
Alex Hoppe	0.2 IP	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	25% CSW
Josh Walker	0.2 IP	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	27% CSW
Rico Garcia	1.1 IP	0 H	1 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	35% CSW
Grant Wolfram – W (5)	1.0 IP	0 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	15% CSW
Andrew Kittredge – SV (7)	1.0 IP	1 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	20% CSW

Alex Hoppe — Sinker up 1.2 MPH (99.2 vs. 98.0 season avg); Sinker usage 58% (+40 pts vs. 18% usual); Slider usage 8% (-33 pts vs. 42% usual)
Rico Garcia — Curveball usage 54% (+34 pts vs. 19% usual). So I guess Garcia isn’t going to stick in the ninth after getting closer usage last week. He’s still the best option in this bullpen and much easier to trust than Andrew Kittredge.

St. Louis Cardinals
Luis Gastelum	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	3 K	5 Whiffs	62% CSW
Ryne Stanek	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	21% CSW
George Soriano	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	20% CSW
Riley O’Brien – L (6)	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	6% CSW

Riley O’Brien — Sinker down 1.4 MPH (96.5 vs. 97.9 season avg). Can we have some fun here down the stretch and give Luis Gastelum a chance to close? O’Brien is clearly cooked, and Gastellum continues to be a whiff machine lately (49% K, 21% SwStr, and 39% CSW over his past 11.1 innings).

Minnesota Twins
Andrew Morris – L (6)	1.0 IP	3 ER	4 H	1 K	2 Whiffs	19% CSW
Kody Funderburk	1.1 IP	1 ER	2 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	33% CSW
Jeff Hoffman	0.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	50% CSW

Andrew Morris — Four-Seamer up 1.5 MPH (98.8 vs. 97.3 season avg). 7.45 ERA (5.73 xFIP), 2.07 WHIP and 0% K-BB rate in August so far (9.2 IP)…

Athletics
Brady Basso – HLD (3)	2.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	27% CSW
Elvis Alvarado – SV (5)	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	12% CSW

Another save chance for Elvis Alvarado, and while Hogan Harris was off, we may be seeing Alvarado ascend to that 1A closer role for the A’s. It’s hard to get excited about this potentially happening again for a few reasons, though, one being that the A’s could easily use Alvarado in the 6th inning his next time out, but the other being that Alvarado isn’t the best version of himself right now.

If you’re looking for potential relievers to stream today, check out RP Streamers

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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/26

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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 8/26

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