Two high upside holds options returned from the IL this past week after long layoffs, with Julian Merryweather making his first appearance since April and Brock Stewart pitching in his first games since May 1. Merryweather’s velocity still remains down from where it was last year, but I’m hoping that will come over time. The same goes with Stewart who was down about 1.5 mph in his return, so we will need to be patient with the two of them. I do prefer Merryweather over Stewart for the time being, mostly due to opportunity, as the Cubs bullpen is depleted while the Twins bullpen is loaded right now.
Notes
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Cade Smith continues to impress and should get some Rookie of the Year votes at the end of the year if he continues dominating as he has. His teammate Hunter Gaddis has been great as well and is also getting tons of recognition, but Smith has just been on another level. Dating back to late April, Smith has 34.4% K-BB and 33.5% CSW rates as well as a 1.83 xFIP over his last 37 IP (Gaddis holds 19.8% K-BB and 28.9% CSW rates and a 3.74 xFIP over that span). That is why I feel confident in placing Smith a tier above Gaddis despite having seven fewer holds (although Gaddis has just one more hold since Smith picked up his first of the season on April 25).
- Let’s talk about two lefties who looked promising in the early stages of the season but have fallen apart as of late. José Alvarado over his past 15 IP has 16.2% K-BB and 25.9% CSW rates as well as a 3.55 SIERA. It’s not terrible, but it’s hard to justify rostering him over that stretch when it only comes with five SV+HLDs. JoJo Romero on the other hand has been just terrible over this span, with 1.8% K-BB and 23.2 CSW rates plus a 5.30 SIERA over his past 12 IP. However, Romero still has eight holds over this span as the team continues to trust him in high-leverage spots. Both pitchers are better than this and could turn things around quickly, but it’s hard to recommend either right now.
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Joe Kelly returned to the Dodgers bullpen this week, and with Brusdar Graterol close to returning, this bullpen may finally be at full strength… just at a time when there is no clear-cut closer on the roster. Typically a team like the Dodgers can produce four quality SV+HLD league reliever options, which at the moment would be Daniel Hudson, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, and probably still Evan Phillips. That leaves Kelly and Graterol likely on the outside looking in at the start of August, and things could be more difficult for them if/when the Dodgers add a reliever in the coming days.
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Two AL West set-up men who have been struggling as of late and fell this week are Ryne Stanek and Lucas Erceg. Stanek has been having trouble throwing strikes dating back to late June with an 18.2% BB% and 5.45 xFIP over his past 6.2 IP. The timing is particularly worrisome as it looks like Gregory Santos left yesterday’s game with a knee injury. Erceg just hasn’t been the same guy since he was activated from the IL back in June, with 11.3% K-BB and 26% CSW rates, and a 4.55 xFIP over his 12.2 innings since returning. The good news for him, and possibly Stanek as well, is that there just isn’t a better option on the roster to replace him.
If you would like more daily reliever updates, please check out our Reliever Ranks series.
SP Eligible Relievers
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mason Miller | OAK | Closer in Oakland. Dominant stuff |
| 2. | Matt Strahm | PHI | One of the best middle-relief fantasy options |
| 3. | Ryan Walker | SF | Fastball/slider combo from funky slot plays up in pen |
| 4. | Hunter Gaddis | CLE | Been impressive in a bullpen role |
| 5. | A.J. Puk | MIA | Velo is back up in the bullpen |
| 6. | Luke Weaver | NYY | Top setup option in New York now? |
| 7. | Michael Kopech | CWS | Closer in Chicago… for now |
| 8. | Porter Hodge | CHC | Might be the Cubs best RP currently |
| 9. | Randy Rodríguez | SF | Electric stuff, but role isn’t quite clear |
| 10. | John Brebbia | CWS | High leverage role for now, could be traded |
