With the Pirates bullpen currently in limbo, I think we can turn to one of their veteran lefties as a potential holds option. Ryan Borucki is back pitching in leverage, and while he’s had trouble staying healthy, he has been very steady for this organization dating back to 2023. Since landing in Pittsburgh, Borucki has tossed 54.2 innings and holds a 3.29 ERA (3.21 SIERA) and 0.91 WHIP to go with a 20.1% K-BB rate. So far we are seeing more sweepers and fewer sliders from Borucki, and it’s had a great effect on his success as he’s willing to throw that sweeper more against righties.
Sticking with lefties working their way into leverage, Steven Okert is probably the Astros’ third-best reliever at the moment, and it’s not like we haven’t seen him have success before. The slider has always been a weapon for Okert, and as long as he can hide the fastball behind it, he should be just fine. He’s coming off a great spring as well, and with the Astros bullpen up in the air after Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu, Okert could be useful in holds leagues, at least to start the season.
Notes
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José Alvarado and Mason Montgomery continue to look unhittable, and I know it’s early but if these two lefties are both averaging over 100 mph, then I think it’s fair to say they belong in Tier 1, at least for the time being. Alvarado may not be on this list much longer anyway, as it does seem like he is the favorite for saves in Philadelphia at the moment. Saves or not, both of these lefties need to be rostered in all holds formats.
- It’s great seeing Yimi García back in Toronto dominating hitters again. He’s locked into the top setup role there, and should be a great source of strikeouts as well. Camilo Doval has impressed so far and I’m not worried about just the one strikeout. The velo being down a tick isn’t a major concern, especially if it means improved command (just one walk so far).
- The Gabe Speier comeback season is on, as he’s been able to keep his velo gains from the spring and now very well may be the Mariners’ top setup man. I was high on Speier heading into last season, but his velo dropped to 93 mph and he was just never able to get right. Speier was excellent in 2023 when he was averaging 94.5-95 mph on his fastballs, and he appears to be back at that level, if not better. The slider is Speier’s biggest weapon, but that fastball velo is clearly a big difference-maker for him.
- Tommy Kahnle picked up the Tigers’ first real save of the season, but it’s too early to anoint him the closer as this bullpen figures to mix and match in the ninth throughout the year. Either way, Kahnle is picking up where he left off, throwing his changeup 93% of the time to start the season and having a ton of success doing so. I’m not sure if it can last for a full season, but until proven otherwise, I’m comfortable rostering him.
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Abner Uribe is back and has looked really good in two outings so far. We’ve always been tempted by the talent, and maybe this is the year he puts it all together. It feels like with Uribe, who is only 24 years old, his success is tied to the mental side of things so I’m hoping Uribe can still turn into that elite reliever the Brewers had hoped for, and I love the idea of buying low on Uribe in dynasty formats.
- Lake Bachar is not one of the Great Lakes but he may be one of the Marlins’ great reliever options right now. How effective he will be over time remains to be seen, but I’m certainly intrigued by his fastball metrics (19″ IVB, 2705 rpm spin) despite him only sitting 94 mph. He’s also added a sweeper this year, is throwing his slider harder, and has gone from a more traditional changeup to a splitter. It’s an interesting mix, and I can’t wait to see how he looks a month from now.
