Top 25 Relief Pitchers

2012 Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings – Top 25 Relief Pitchers

Drafting some great relief pitchers in the late rounds is very likely, but this year, if you want to draft Brian Wilson be prepared to use one of your early-round picks for this stud RP

1. Craig Kimbrel, ATL 48 Saves, 1.92 ERA, 94 K’s – Kimbrel exploded on the scene last year for the Braves with electric stuff as evidenced by his ridiculous strikeout total (100). The sky is the limit for this guy in terms of fantasy production.

2. Jonathan Papelbon, PHI 45 Saves, 2.51 ERA, 84 K’s – The Phillies got one of the best closers in the game when they signed Papelbon this offseason. He should plenty of chances to close games for Philly’s high-powered rotation.

3. John Axford, MIL 43 Saves, 2.34 ERA, 77 K’s – Axford was extremely effective last year and got better as the season grew old. He should continue to get better with more game experience having to close out tough games.

4. Mariano Rivera, NYY 42 Saves, 1.97 ERA, 59 K’s – The Yankee great continues to produce at a high level at age 42, working on his fifth consecutive season with sub-2 ERA. His fantasy valued is slightly hindered because he won’t pitch as many innings in comparison to others.

5. Drew Storen, WSH 40 Saves, 2.50 ERA, 75 K’s – Look out for the Nationals this year with the young talent they possess. Storen will relied heavily upon to nail down the late innings which he proved to be very good at last season, his rookie year.

6. Heath Bell, FLA 41 Saves, 2.69 ERA, 70 K’s – Bell is taking his talents to South Beach and should be able to record his fourth consecutive season with at least 40 saves. Expect him to fit right in with Ozzie Guillen’s ball club.

7. Brian Wilson, SF 40 Saves, 2.87 ERA, 78 K’s – Wilson only pitched in 55 games last season because of injury problems with his elbow and still recorded 36 saves. Wilson is an elite closer when at his best, but that is cause for concern for fantasy owners. Stay tuned.

8. Joel Hanrahan, PIT 40 Saves, 2.76 ERA, 78 K’s – In his first season as the closer, Hanrahan was very sharp with 40 saves out of 44 chances to go along with a 1.83 ERA. The 30-year-old will likely to run with his opportunity to finish games for the Bucs.

9. Ryan Madson, CIN 39 Saves, 2.51 ERA, 65 K’s – The Reds will get a great pitcher in Madson, who will undoubtedly get the ball in the ninth inning. The 31-year-old is primed to have a big season for his new team.

10. Jose Valverde, DET 38 Saves, 2.76 ERA, 66 K’s – The hard-throwing righty had a huge season last year converting on all 49 save opportunities with a 2.24 ERA. Those numbers will be hard to replicate and owners can expect to see lesser numbers, but still a very productive season.

11. Jason Motte, STL 37 Saves, 2.68 ERA, 62 K’s – After his brilliant performance last postseason which helped win the World Series, Motte will get his chance to be the full-time closer in 2012. He should respond with a solid season with above average fantasy value.

12. Joakim Soria, KC 36 Saves, 2.87 ERA, 63 K’s – Soria had a down year in 2011 with seven blown saves, five losses and a 4.03 ERA. With that being said, he’s a lot better than that and should have a much better season in 12’.

13. Sergio Santos 37 Saves, 3.13 ERA, 84 K’s – The 28-year-old right was traded from the White Sox to the Blue Jays this offseason after posting 30 saves and 92 punch-outs in 63 innings. Santos has great stuff and is in a good position to produce well again this year.

14. J.J. Putz, ARI 35 Saves, 2.92 ERA, 68 K’s – Putz was back in a closing role last season, this time with the Diamondbacks, notching 45 saves in 49 chances. His health has been an issue in the past and the only concern in drafting him because David Hernandez is waiting in the lobby.

15. Carlos Marmol, CHI 35 Saves, 3.30 ERA, 96 K’s – The 29-year-old Dominican blew ten saves last year along with a 4.01 ERA, which is unacceptable. Marmol will be better this year and can probably be found in the mid to late rounds.

16. Brandon League, SEA 34 Saves, 3.10 ERA, 50 K’s – Last year was League’s breakout season with 37 saves to go along with a 2.79 ERA. At age 28, look for League to continue to pitch well featuring a sinker that compliments Safeco Field nicely.

17. Huston Street, SD 33 Saves, 3.22 ERA, 59 K’s – Street gets a fresh start in San Diego now playing his home games at Petco Park after playing at Coors Field for the past three seasons. He isn’t overpowering and gets hit hard sometimes, but doesn’t walk many batters.

18. Jordan Walden, ANA 30 Saves, 3.01 ERA, 71 K’s – As it stands now, Walden has the closer’s job to lose. He blew ten saves last year in his first as the closer but still managed to close out 32 games. He has talent and an opportunity.

19. Joe Nathan, TEX 32 Saves, 3.25 ERA, 63 K’s – The save opportunities are reportedly going to Nathan, as of now. We’ll keep an eye on the situation and if the veteran gets the first crack during Spring Training and beyond. If he does and remains healthy, Nathan could very well be an asset to your fantasy term.

20. Andrew Bailey, BOS 30 Saves, 2.92 ERA, 67 K’s – The Red Sox acquired Bailey from the Athletics to replace Papelbon as the team’s close with good reason. Bailey has proven to be a very valuable when he can stay healthy and should be ready to go to start the season.

21. Brandon League, SEA 29 Saves, 2.88 ERA, 52 K’s – League pitches to contact often and uses a sinker to induce a good amount of double plays. His 37 saves in 2011 were very impressive in his first season as the team’s closer.

22. Chris Perez, CLE 30 Saves, 3.15 ERA, 46 K’s – The former Miami Hurricane won’t strikeout many hitters, but Perez has been reliable in converting saves the past couple years. He has converted 59 saves in 67 chances combined in 2010-11.

23. Kyle Farnsworth, TB 28 Saves, 2.93 ERA, 61 K’s – Farnsworth’s fantasy value has risen from the dead after he notched 25 saves a year ago with the cutter being one of his new favorite pitches. Look for similar success from this season.

24. Rafael Betancourt, COL 26 Saves, 3.03 ERA, 71 K’s – The 36-year-old veteran will get his first chance at being a full-time closer in 2012. He should do nicely once he gets the mindset of closing games and will be helpful to fantasy owners.

25. Javy Guerra, LAD 25 Saves, 2.83 ERA, 64 K’s – There is uncertainty as to who will be the primary option to finish games for the Dodgers, Guerra or Kenley Jansen. Both pitchers are young and talented, but Guerra should have the inside track based on his performance last season.