Baseball - Position Rankings

Relief Pitchers

Easily the most volatile position in fantasy baseball, relief pitchers can be a challenge when draft day rolls around.

A few of these guys are valuable picks worth looking at in the second half of your draft, but don't take a reliever so early that you miss a solid offensive player.

Remember that many of the players putting up big save numbers fall off the following year and are replaced by guys that were unknowns the year before.

Tier 1

Joe Nathan-35

UPDATE 3-11-2010 Nathan may undergo Tommy John surgery due to a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. It is unlikely that he will play before the All-Star break. Draft him at your own risk.

Joe Nathan-Consistency, safety, the anti-Brad Lidge, these are just a few ways to describe Nathan. Since becoming the closer back in 2004 he has never fallen below 36 saves, never had an ERA over 2.70, and never had more than 6 blown saves in a season. His consistent play at a position known for inconsistency makes him worthy of being the first RP off the board. (Nathan did have off-season surgery to remove two bone chips but has recovered nicely and shouldn’t be bothered by it heading in to 2010.)

Jonathan Broxton-25

Broxton became well known to fantasy owners in 2009 when he completed 36 saves to go along with 7 wins and the number one K/9 ratio among relief pitchers. While repeating 7 wins might not be realistic in 2010 he does get enough chances in multiple inning appearances to finish with as many wins and strikeouts as any other closer. The fact that his ERA has remained low for several consecutive seasons is another reason to believe that 2009 was not an anomaly.

Mariano Rivera-40

Mariano Rivera-This guy just doesn’t slow down. Rivera had another phenomenal season at the age of 39 and there is no indication that he won’t do the same at 40. His K/9 ratio and WHIP are as impressive as you could hope for a closer to have and the fact that he has somehow only blown 3 saves in the last 2 years is nothing short of amazing. Another top 5 fantasy season for closers is well within his reach.

Andrew Bailey-25

I have Bailey ranked slightly higher than most but with the way he finished 2009, and his incredible strikeout/walk ratio I believe he is worth one of the top picks among closers. You won’t find many pitchers past this point with a sub 2.00 ERA and a sub 1.00 WHIP.

Jonathan Papelbon-29

Jonathan Papelbon-Another solid year in 2009 for Papelbon as he kept his ERA very low but was unable to keep his WHIP from rising for the second straight season. The good news is that he will continue to see plenty of save opportunities and as long as he pitches the way he has over the last 3 years he will be one of the most valuable closers in fantasy baseball.

Heath Bell-32

Heath Bell-Bell came out of nowhere in 2009 to save 42 games while posting great strikeout and ERA numbers. Pitching in a park made for pitchers and playing with earned confidence should make Bell one of the most productive fantasy pitchers of 2010.

Tier 2

Joakim Soria-25

Only 25 and improving each year, Soria could be primed for a repeat of the season he enjoyed in 2008. He did miss time due to a shoulder injury last season but seemed unaffected by the injury when he returned later in the season.

Huston Street-26

If Street pitched somewhere other than Coors field I would have him rated among the top 5 closers, since he does pitch at Coors somewhere between 9-12 is more realistic. Street converted 35 of 37 save opportunities in 2009 while posting a WHIP of less than 1.00 for the second time in the last 3 years.

Francisco Cordero-34

Cordero was probably a little overrated going in to 2009 and as a result seems to be a bit underrated going in to 2010. His job with the Reds should be secure and he will be worth a pick somewhere around the 9^th to 12^th RP spot.

Jose Valverde-32

Valverde turned in a phenomenal second half of the season and seems to be on the verge of gaining top 10 status as a closer.  His move to Detroit shouldn’t have much of an effect on his numbers.

Tier 3

Brian Wilson-28

This is where the waters start to muddy a bit for picking a closer. Wilson should be able to snag a good number of saves but his command is suspect at times and he occasionally relies too much on velocity to get out of trouble. All things considered you could do much worse than getting Wilson between the 10^th and 13^th RP pick.

Trevor Hoffman-42

Hoffman was great in 2009 as he finished the season with an amazing 1.83 ERA. Don’t count on a repeat from the 42 year old closer, but a solid season in which he puts up good save numbers is a pretty safe bet.

Neftali Feliz-21 *Sleeper

Feliz is a guy who many of us considered a top-tier prospect going in to 2009; his performance lived up to that hype. He pitched very well last season, keeping his walks to a minimum while throwing a lot of Ks and managing a low ERA. He will most likely get a shot as a starter or possibly even as the closer before this season ends and will see a huge jump in his value when that happens.

Francisco Rodriguez-28

Rodriguez was unimpressive after the All-Star break and didn’t finish the season on a high note. He may be considered a sleeper by some because of the save opportunities that will come his way in 2010 but his ERA and WHIP will keep him lower on my draft board.

Tier 4

J. P. Howell-26 *Sleeper

Carlos Marmol-27

Ryan Franklin-37

David Aardsma-28

Chad Qualls-31 *Sleeper