Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 9/19

Detroit Tigers
Jacob Waguespack	2.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	3 K	3 Whiffs	26% CSW

There’s a good changeup here at least, but not much else for Waguespack.

Chicago White Sox
Noah Schultz – HLD (1)	1.2 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	4 K	5 Whiffs	44% CSW
Grant Taylor – SV (10)	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	3 Whiffs	26% CSW

Noah Schultz — Four-Seamer up 1.4 MPH (96.7 vs. 95.3 season avg). This is kind of fun, and he’s already tied Hagen Smith for holds on the year in just his second true relief appearance.

Milwaukee Brewers
Abner Uribe – HLD (22)	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	0 Whiffs	30% CSW
Aaron Ashby – SV (3)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	46% CSW

Aaron Ashby — Sinker up 0.8 MPH (98.5 vs. 97.7 season avg). #SaveChanceEnergy, although the command was not exactly great here (only 3/13 pitches were in the zone here).

Baltimore Orioles
Alex Hoppe	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	25% CSW

Alex Hoppe — Sinker usage 50% (+32 pts vs. 18% usual); Slider usage 17% (-25 pts vs. 42% usual). The sinkers a good pitch, I’m for it.

Boston Red Sox
Garrett Whitlock – L (2)	0.2 IP	0 ER	3 H	0 BB	1 K	5 Whiffs	37% CSW

Garrett Whitlock was Singled Out with the walk-off two-out single being of the extreme bloop variety landing in between the second baseman and right fielder.

Tampa Bay Rays
Kevin Kelly	1.0 IP	1 H	1 K	1 Whiffs	38% CSW
Cam Booser	0.1 IP	0 H	0 K	0 Whiffs	50% CSW
Cole Sulser	1.0 IP	1 H	2 K	4 Whiffs	44% CSW
Bryan Baker – W (4)	1.0 IP	2 H	0 K	0 Whiffs	15% CSW

Bryan Baker — Four-Seamer down 0.9 MPH (95.5 vs. 96.4 season avg). The velocity was not down as much as it has been, so that’s good? Baker’s fastball is averaging 94.6 MPH in September, and for the month now, he holds a -7.7% K-BB rate, 4.8% swinging-strike (19% CSW) rate, and 93 Stuff+. His 1.42 ERA is incredibly lucky for the month (6.92 SIERA), but the Rays have to be concerned about what he’s going to give them in October, right?

Philadelphia Phillies
Brooks Raley	0.0 IP	2 ER	2 H	2 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	18% CSW
Chase Shugart	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	15% CSW
José Alvarado	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	27% CSW
Orion Kerkering	1.0 IP	4 ER	4 H	2 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	28% CSW

Chase Shugart — Cutter usage 62% (+31 pts vs. 31% usual)
Orion Kerkering — Four-Seamer down 1.9 MPH (95.3 vs. 97.2 season avg). Kerkering was demoted to AAA after this one, and I’m not sure if the issues are mental or physical (maybe a combination of both?), but hopefully he’s able to get back on track for 2027.

New York Mets
Jefry Yan – W (2)	1.1 IP	2 H	0 BB	3 K	5 Whiffs	33% CSW
Cionel Pérez – HLD (6)	0.2 IP	1 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	17% CSW
Jonathan Pintaro – HLD (3)	0.1 IP	0 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	18% CSW
Dedniel Núñez – HLD (4)	1.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	38% CSW
Tobias Myers	1.0 IP	0 H	1 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	38% CSW

Jefry Yan — Sinker down 1.1 MPH (96.7 vs. 97.8 season avg). As long as he’s throwing strikes.
Cionel Pérez — Curveball usage 62% (+32 pts vs. 30% usual); Sinker usage 4% (-26 pts vs. 30% usual)

Athletics
Chris Roycroft	2.1 IP	1 ER	2 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	28% CSW
Geoff Hartlieb	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	44% CSW
Drew Rom	2.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	25% CSW

Meh.

Cleveland Guardians
Matt Festa	1.1 IP	1 BB	0 K	4 Whiffs	14% CSW
Tim Herrin	1.0 IP	2 BB	0 K	4 Whiffs	21% CSW
Slade Cecconi – W (5)	2.0 IP	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	24% CSW

Matt Festa — Four-Seamer up 1.2 MPH (93.9 vs. 92.7 season avg)
Tim Herrin — Curveball usage 54% (+26 pts vs. 28% usual)
Slade Cecconi — Four-Seamer up 3.4 MPH (97.0 vs. 93.6 season avg); Cutter usage 53% (+28 pts vs. 25% usual). The fastball is definitely passable at this velocity, but the rest of the stuff is still average-ish.

Chicago Cubs
Daniel Palencia – HLD (2)	2.0 IP	0 H	0 BB	3 K	3 Whiffs	40% CSW
Aaron Civale – HLD (1)	0.2 IP	1 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	27% CSW
Ryan Zeferjahn – HLD (14)	1.0 IP	1 H	0 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	21% CSW
Ryan Rolison – SV (3)	0.1 IP	0 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	20% CSW

Ryan Zeferjahn — Sweeper usage 67% (+30 pts vs. 37% usual).
Ryan Rolison — Sinker up 1.3 MPH (96.3 vs. 95.0 season avg). Rolison came in for the final out to face Bleday (they really couldn’t give Zeferjahn one more batter, at least?). This may be a matchup-based committee in the ninth moving forward, but

Cincinnati Reds
Pierce Johnson	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	1 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	36% CSW
Zach McCambley	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	41% CSW

Pierce Johnson — Four-Seamer up 1.4 MPH (97.2 vs. 95.8 season avg). Sure.

Kansas City Royals
Nolan Hoffman – HLD (3)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	33% CSW
Steven Cruz – L (4)	1.0 IP	2 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	6 Whiffs	47% CSW

Nolan Hoffman — Four-Seamer down 1.4 MPH (92.0 vs. 93.4 season avg)
Steven Cruz started the eighth by giving up a single to Flores before throwing three straight cutters to Lowe, the third he left middle in and a little bit up, and Lowe smoked it for a two-run home run. The homers are still an issue for Cruz, as was this sequencing.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Brandon Eisert	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	12% CSW
Lake Bachar – HLD (2)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	1 Whiffs	35% CSW
Camilo Doval – BS (5)	1.0 IP	2 ER	4 H	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	15% CSW
Luke Weaver – W (3)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	23% CSW
Mason Montgomery – SV (15)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	33% CSW

Brandon Eisert — Four-Seamer down 1.7 MPH (88.3 vs. 90.0 season avg)
Even when Mason Montgomery doesn’t have his four-seam command, he’s usually able to find the zone with his sinker at least. That’s been a big difference maker for him.

Toronto Blue Jays
Paul Sewald	1.0 IP	0 H	1 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	24% CSW
Tyler Rogers	1.0 IP	1 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	38% CSW
Brendan Cellucci	1.0 IP	0 H	2 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	33% CSW

The fastball (and command of it) for Brendan Cellucci is going to be the difference in what his 2027 looks like.

Texas Rangers
Cal Quantrill	1.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 K	1 Whiffs	8% CSW
Nathan Eovaldi – HLD (1)	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	1 K	3 Whiffs	41% CSW
Robert Garcia	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 K	1 Whiffs	25% CSW
Chase Silseth	1.0 IP	0 ER	2 H	1 K	4 Whiffs	26% CSW
Jacob Latz	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 K	2 Whiffs	33% CSW

Cal Quantrill — Four-Seamer down 2.1 MPH (91.7 vs. 93.8 season avg); Four-Seamer usage 75% (+56 pts vs. 18% usual); Cutter usage 0% (-28 pts vs. 28% usual)
Nathan Eovaldi — Four-Seamer down 2.1 MPH (92.3 vs. 94.4 season avg). That’s not good.
Robert Garcia — Four-Seamer down 1.0 MPH (93.0 vs. 94.0 season avg). He looked great for a couple of outings, but the last two have been worrisome with this decline in velocity.
Jacob Latz — Four-Seamer up 1.1 MPH (95.9 vs. 94.8 season avg)

Atlanta Braves
Victor Mederos – HLD (2)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	38% CSW
Dylan Lee	1.0 IP	1 ER	2 H	1 BB	1 K	5 Whiffs	27% CSW
Raisel Iglesias – SV (34)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	29% CSW

Victor Mederos — Four-Seamer up 1.9 MPH (99.2 vs. 97.3 season avg)
Dylan Lee — Four-Seamer up 2.1 MPH (95.4 vs. 93.3 season avg)
Raisel Iglesias — Four-Seamer up 2.8 MPH (97.1 vs. 94.3 season avg). He threw one fastball the day before, and now he’s out here with his best velocity to date? Everyone’s velocity was up significantly for the Braves, so that is a bit peculiar. This was easily the best Iglesias’s stuff has looked all season, though (and it’s not really close).

Houston Astros
Bennett Sousa – HLD (11)	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	29% CSW
AJ Blubaugh – L (3)	0.1 IP	3 ER	2 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	23% CSW
Bryan Abreu – BS (2)	0.2 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	13% CSW
Logan VanWey	2.0 IP	1 ER	3 H	0 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	24% CSW

Bennett Sousa — Four-Seamer down 0.9 MPH (93.2 vs. 94.1 season avg). Ughhh.
AJ Blubaugh — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (96.7 vs. 95.8 season avg). The fastball wasn’t the issue.

Washington Nationals
Richard Lovelady – HLD (10)	0.2 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	26% CSW
Jack Sinclair – HLD (1)	1.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	15% CSW
Erik Tolman – BS (2)	0.1 IP	1 ER	3 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	36% CSW
Yovanny Cruz	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	20% CSW
Riley Cornelio – W (3)	1.2 IP	0 ER	3 H	1 BB	2 K	7 Whiffs	33% CSW
Will Dion – SV (1)	0.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	50% CSW

Erik Tolman had some bad luck in this one, with this Church “double” followed by a changeup he left up to Pages for a single and a single past the dive of Abrams at 2B (I’m not sure he can even be a decent 2B defensively).
Yovanny Cruz — Fastball up 1.7 MPH (101.5 vs. 99.8 season avg). This could be fun if he can just find the zone 40-50% of the time.
Riley Cornelio — Four-Seamer usage 15% (-29 pts vs. 44% usual)

St. Louis Cardinals
Justin Bruihl	1.1 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	21% CSW
Luis Gastelum	0.1 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	0 K	2 Whiffs	25% CSW
Brycen Mautz	1.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	2 K	8 Whiffs	34% CSW
Ryne Stanek	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	0% CSW
George Soriano	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	25% CSW
Riley O’Brien	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	42% CSW
Gordon Graceffo – L (2)	1.0 IP	2 ER	2 H	2 BB	1 K	7 Whiffs	32% CSW

Luis Gastelum — Four-Seamer down 1.3 MPH (92.8 vs. 94.1 season avg). Ugh, sad.
Ryne Stanek — Four-Seamer down 1.8 MPH (96.3 vs. 98.1 season avg)
George Soriano — Changeup usage 56% (+26 pts vs. 30% usual)
Riley O’Brien — Sweeper usage 67% (+34 pts vs. 32% usual); Sinker usage 33% (-25 pts vs. 59% usual). Only four sinkers, but the velocity was up at least, sitting at 97.8 MPH.

Seattle Mariners
Carlos Vargas – HLD (1)	1.0 IP	2 ER	2 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	19% CSW
José A. Ferrer – L (4)	0.1 IP	2 ER	2 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	0% CSW
Cooper Criswell	0.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	2 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	16% CSW
Gabe Speier	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	45% CSW

Carlos Vargas — Sinker up 0.9 MPH (96.8 vs. 95.9 season avg). He doesn’t have much outside the sinker, though.
Cooper Criswell — Sinker down 1.2 MPH (89.6 vs. 90.8 season avg)

Colorado Rockies
Nick Frasso	2.0 IP	1 H	1 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	46% CSW
Juan Mejia – W (4)	2.0 IP	1 H	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	39% CSW
Brennan Bernardino – SV (2)	1.0 IP	1 H	0 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	37% CSW

Brennan Bernardino — Sinker usage 68% (+28 pts vs. 41% usual). Bernardino has been the only consistent reliever all year for them.

New York Yankees
Brent Headrick	0.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	43% CSW
Paul Blackburn	1.1 IP	0 ER	2 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	25% CSW
Michael Fulmer – L (1)	0.1 IP	2 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	31% CSW

Brent Headrick — Four-Seamer down 1.4 MPH (92.8 vs. 94.2 season avg)
Paul Blackburn — Sinker up 1.0 MPH (95.3 vs. 94.3 season avg). Yankees needed to see this, and it snapped his three-game strikeout drought. He still needs to command his way to success.
Michael Fulmer — Sinker down 0.8 MPH (93.9 vs. 94.7 season avg)

Arizona Diamondbacks
Justin Martinez	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	20% CSW
Kevin Ginkel – BS (2)	1.0 IP	2 ER	2 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	35% CSW
Brandyn Garcia	1.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	35% CSW
Juan Morillo – W (5)	1.1 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	20% CSW

Kevin Ginkel — Four-Seamer up 0.8 MPH (96.5 vs. 95.7 season avg). All so Ramos and Wells could take said four-seamer deep.

Miami Marlins
Michael Petersen	1.1 IP	1 ER	2 H	0 BB	4 K	6 Whiffs	40% CSW
Calvin Faucher	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	38% CSW
Victor Vodnik	2.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	21% CSW
Josh Ekness – L (4)	0.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	25% CSW

Victor Vodnik — Four-Seamer up 0.9 MPH (99.5 vs. 98.6 season avg). With a good offseason, I don’t think it would be crazy to suggest Vodnik’s in the mix for the closer role here next year.

San Diego Padres
Randy Vásquez	2.0 IP	0 ER	3 H	0 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	31% CSW
Bradgley Rodriguez	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	58% CSW
Yuki Matsui – HLD (10)	0.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	14% CSW
Adrian Morejon – HLD (27)	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	2 BB	2 K	5 Whiffs	38% CSW
Mason Miller – BS (3)	1.2 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	4 K	4 Whiffs	42% CSW
David Morgan – W (4)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	46% CSW

Bradgley Rodriguez’s fastball velocity looked just fine here, so it looks like we can move on from last week’s velocity dip scare.
Mason Miller — Four-Seamer up 0.8 MPH (102.3 vs. 101.5 season avg). Conine turned on a 102 MPH heater down and in here to tie up the game in the ninth. Crazy.

San Francisco Giants
Philip Abner	0.1 IP	0 ER	2 H	1 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	9% CSW
Joel Kuhnel	0.2 IP	1 ER	4 H	0 BB	1 K	4 Whiffs	23% CSW
Duncan Davitt	2.1 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	5 Whiffs	25% CSW

Blegh. Maybe Davitt can be something.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Evan Phillips – HLD (8)	1.0 IP	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	67% CSW
Alex Vesia	1.0 IP	0 BB	2 K	2 Whiffs	30% CSW
Edwin Díaz	1.0 IP	1 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	32% CSW
Seth Halvorsen	1.0 IP	0 BB	2 K	4 Whiffs	40% CSW

Evan Phillips — Four-Seamer up 1.7 MPH (98.5 vs. 96.8 season avg). This is the best Phillips has looked, maybe ever? Just in time for October.
Alex Vesia — Four-Seamer up 1.3 MPH (93.4 vs. 92.1 season avg). Vesia is peaking at the right time for the Dodgers
Edwin Díaz looked pretty good again here. Command can still improve, but at last the stuff is there (on back-to-back days nonetheless).

Minnesota Twins
Andrew Morris – HLD (23)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	27% CSW
Jeff Hoffman – HLD (22)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	26% CSW
Yoendrys Gómez – HLD (7)	0.1 IP	2 ER	2 H	2 BB	1 K	2 Whiffs	21% CSW
Kody Funderburk – HLD (13)	0.2 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	50% CSW
A.J. Minter – BS (2)	1.0 IP	1 ER	1 H	0 BB	0 K	1 Whiffs	12% CSW
Taylor Rogers – L (4)	1.2 IP	0 ER	1 H	2 BB	4 K	4 Whiffs	31% CSW

Andrew Morris — Cutter usage 60% (+40 pts vs. 20% usual); Four-Seamer usage 20% (-26 pts vs. 46% usual)
Yoendrys Gómez has been removed from the closer role and even struggled here in the eighth inning. Minter got the ninth, as I guess they are dead set on keeping Hoffman as the seventh-inning guy.

Los Angeles Angels
Blake Weiman	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	0 BB	1 K	1 Whiffs	18% CSW
Sam Bachman	1.0 IP	0 ER	1 H	1 BB	1 K	3 Whiffs	44% CSW
Ryan Watson	1.0 IP	1 ER	3 H	1 BB	3 K	7 Whiffs	45% CSW
Mitch Farris	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	17% CSW
Ben Joyce	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	0 K	0 Whiffs	17% CSW
Tayler Saucedo – W (1)	1.0 IP	0 ER	0 H	0 BB	2 K	3 Whiffs	42% CSW

Blake Weiman — Sinker down 2.8 MPH (87.5 vs. 90.3 season avg)
Sam Bachman — Sinker down 1.3 MPH (97.4 vs. 98.7 season avg). Ehh, at least it’s good to see him bach.
Ben Joyce — Four-Seamer down 0.8 MPH (100.2 vs. 101.0 season avg)
Tayler Saucedo — Four-Seamer down 1.7 MPH (90.9 vs. 92.6 season avg)

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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 9/19

Rick Graham

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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 9/19

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