1. Joe Nathan – Since
being traded to the Twins three years ago, Nathan has arguably been the best
closer in the game. He’s averaged 5 wins
and 41 saves in the past three seasons, but it’s how he’s come to those figures in the counting categories as much as
the fact that he has them. Nathan has
averaged 93 strikeouts in just over 70 innings over the past three seasons,
fanning over 11 batters per nine while keeping a 1.96 ERA and an amazing 0.91
WHIP.
FIC Spin: Though
it’s not exactly by leaps and bounds (there are some other pretty darned good
closers out there), Nathan enters the season as the top closer in fantasy
baseball. He’s a virtual lock for forty
saves who will keep a WHIP under 1.00 and challenge the 100 strikeout plateau.
2007 Projection:
|
G
|
IP
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
HLD
|
SO
|
ERA
|
H
|
BB
|
WHIP
|
BAA
|
|
78
|
82.3
|
5
|
1
|
47
|
0
|
106
|
2.07
|
50
|
22
|
0.88
|
0.170
|
2. Mariano Rivera – Rivera
continued his dominance in 2006, posting a sub-2.00 ERA for the fourth straight
season. However, a forearm injury
limited him to just four appearances and one save in September, and he watched
his saves total dip significantly for the second consecutive season.
FIC Spin: Never
an elite option with his strikeouts,
Rivera has consistently been at or near the top of the closer’s ranks for the
better part of a decade now. Last season
saw him strike out just 6.6 batters per nine innings, lower than he had at any
point since 1998. He was still
tremendous, posting a 1.80 ERA and a WHIP under 1.00. However, his injury concerns marked the
second time in the past four years that he’s had to go on the shelf. Rivera remains a top option, though his
strikeout numbers, age, and recent injury history have to be a bit of a
concern.
2007 Projection:
|
G
|
IP
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
HLD
|
SO
|
ERA
|
H
|
BB
|
WHIP
|
BAA
|
|
84
|
93.6
|
4
|
2
|
48
|
0
|
76
|
1.86
|
73
|
18
|
0.97
|
0.209
|
3. B.J. Ryan – To
say that Ryan didn’t let the big offseason deal he signed affect him might be
negligent. While so many players get
shredded for not living up to some of the outrageous contracts being handed out
nowadays, Ryan thrived and earned every penny of his salary last season. His 1.37 ERA ranked second behind Jonathan
Papelbon among closers, while he cut his walk rate for the second consecutive
season, leading to a fantastic 0.87 WHIP.
FIC Spin: Ryan’s
second season in Toronto should be
nearly as good as the first. If
anything, the team that’s getting him the ball in the ninth should be improved
if the rotation can just remain healthy.
Expect the ERA and WHIP to come up a bit, but bank on him being a top
five closer again in 2007.
2007 Projection:
|
G
|
IP
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
HLD
|
SO
|
ERA
|
H
|
BB
|
WHIP
|
BAA
|
|
78
|
85.6
|
5
|
1
|
42
|
2
|
105
|
1.97
|
57
|
28
|
0.99
|
0.183
|
4. Francisco
Rodriguez – Dominant might begin
to scratch the surface of K-Rod’s 2006 effort, though it probably doesn’t
accurately describe just how brilliant he was
At one point, the Venezuelan righthander went nearly two and a half
months without allowing a run. In the
interim, he continued to strike out batters at an alarming rate, fanning more
than 12 batters per 9 innings, and led the majors with 47 saves.
FIC Spin: His
throwing motion still makes me a little nervous, and his walk rate tends to
lead to a slightly high WHIP for the position.
Apart from that, he’s a machine who could easily lead the league in
saves again in 2007 and strike out 100 batters.
2007 Projection:
|
G
|
IP
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
HLD
|
SO
|
ERA
|
H
|
BB
|
WHIP
|
BAA
|
|
72
|
74.6
|
5
|
2
|
48
|
0
|
96
|
2.40
|
54
|
32
|
1.15
|
0.197
|
5. Billy Wagner – Just
how spoiled are New York
fans? They constantly complained about
Wagner throughout the season, despite the fact that he posted his typical
low-two ERA and struck out 11.7 batters per 9 innings. While the constant complaining about Wagner
was about him blowing saves, Wags finished with an above-average conversion
rate of 88.9, closing out 40 of 45 chances.
FIC Spin: He did
all this while battling issues with a finger on his pitching hand. Though he’s 35 and approaching the twilight
of his career, Wagner is still an elite option because of his outstanding
strikeout rate and the fact that he’ll play for a team that should get him a
ton of chances.
2007 Projection:
|
G
|
IP
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
HLD
|
SO
|
ERA
|
H
|
BB
|
WHIP
|
BAA
|
|
82
|
84.0
|
4
|
0
|
45
|
1
|
102
|
2.53
|
67
|
25
|
1.10
|
0.214
|
6. Huston Street – Despite battling with a groin injury for much of the summer,
Street finished with fine numbers for a top ten closer, despite a weak
conversion rate. Street saved 37 of 48
chances for the A’s last season, but still kept a solid 3.31 ERA and an
above-average 1.09 WHIP. For the second
season in a row, he struck out just under a batter an inning, and moved himself
towards the elite at the position.
FIC Spin: Street
may have received a little too much hype entering last season after a dominant
rookie campaign, but he’s not nearly as mediocre as he looked in 2006. He won’t quite get you the strikeout+ an
inning that you’re looking for in a number one closer, but he should challenge
the forty save mark while bringing the ERA and WHIP down a bit with better
health. Perhaps more importantly, he
plays for the A’s, who tend to give their closer a little more work than most big
league clubs, so he’ll vulture some wins as well.
2007 Projection:
|
G
|
IP
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
HLD
|
SO
|
ERA
|
H
|
BB
|
WHIP
|
BAA
|
|
82
|
88.3
|
3
|
3
|
39
|
2
|
85
|
2.62
|
66
|
20
|
0.97
|
0.202
|
7. J.J. Putz – Putz
took advantage of Eddie Guardado’s early struggles to become the Seattle
closer in early May. From that point on,
he never stopped mowing down hitters.
Putz converted on 36 of his 43 save opportunities for the M’s, striking
out an outstanding 11.9 batters per 9 innings to top the century mark. He also showed incredible control on the
hill, walking just 14 batters in 78+ innings of work, and finished the year
sixth among regular closers with a 0.92 WHIP.
FIC Spin: Smack
dab in the middle of his prime, there’s little to indicate that Putz should do
anything but repeat last year’s success.
He’s a money closer who posts big strikeout numbers and keeps runners
off base.
2007 Projection:
|
G
|
IP
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
HLD
|
SO
|
ERA
|
H
|
BB
|
WHIP
|
BAA
|
|
84
|
90.0
|
2
|
4
|
38
|
0
|
97
|
2.70
|
71
|
21
|
1.02
|
0.212
|
8. Trevor Hoffman – The
old man of the closing fraternity, Hoffman arguably had his best season since
1998. Though Hoffman struggled a bit
through July, blowing three saves in twelve chances (excluding the All-Star
Game, which also ended up being a blown save), he converted 46 of his 51 save
chances on the year to finish with the second highest save total of his
illustrious career. His 2.14 ERA tied
for the second best of his career, while Hoffman also kept a WHIP under 1.00
for just the second time this decade.
FIC Spin: Oh
yeah… he also broke the all-time record for saves, which he figures to hold for
a couple of years until Mariano Rivera likely catches him. An almost certain Hall of Famer, Hoffman
re-invented the position in the early 1990’s when he became one of the first
closers to rely predominantly on his changeup as his best pitch. His strikeout totals are less than ideal for
the position, but the rest of his numbers are more than worth grabbing him as a
lower-tiered number one closer.
2007 Projection:
|
G
|
IP
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
HLD
|
SO
|
ERA
|
H
|
BB
|
WHIP
|
BAA
|
|
84
|
79.0
|
2
|
5
|
|
Fantasy Baseball 
