Pepsi MAX & Kyrie Irving Present: "Uncle Drew"

Top Fantasy baseball closers in 2012 MLB season

This is the year of the failed fantasy closer. Injuries and poor performance have jettisoned preseason guys from saves duty, or threaten to. So let’s try to chart up the relievers in the best position to be promoted.

The data suggests Aroldis Chapman could thrive as a closer. (Gett …But what are the key metrics? Fortunately, there’s no need to get fancy with relievers presently not getting saves. With starters, we must look deeper because everyone sees the stats that directly relate to fantasy categories. But most of these guys aren’t even rostered in standard Yahoo! mixed leagues and many escape notice altogether.

To make this chart, relievers must have less than three saves and also (1) have thrown 15 innings through Wednesday, (2) have a K/9 of at least 9.00 and (3) walked 4.00/9 or less. (Since 1980, only 10 closers have at least 69 saves with a rate higher than that.) But we also note other key factors – ERA (because no manager is going to go all in on a guy that has an ugly number on the scoreboard for all to see every time he’s summoned), strength of the current team closer (opinions may vary) and average fastball velocity. “Who cares about the radar gun?” you may ask considering that we have K/9. But closers generally light it up and managers are creatures of habit, which is why they want designated closers to begin with. We start with 20 guys:

Player	Team	IP	K	K/9	BB/9	HR	ERA	Team Closer	AVG FBV
Aroldis Chapman	CIN	19.1	34	15.83	2.33	0	0.00	Medium	96.7
Ernesto Frieri	SD/LAA	16.1	28	15.43	3.86	2	1.65	Weak	92.5
Boone Logan	NYY	15.2	24	13.79	3.45	1	2.30	Weak	93.7
Tim Collins	KCR	20	30	13.50	2.25	3	3.15	Medium	93.3
David Hernandez	ARI	17.1	24	12.46	2.08	2	2.08	Weak	94.4
Steve Delabar	SEA	17.2	23	11.72	2.04	5	4.08	Medium	94.8
Joel Peralta	TBR	16.2	20	10.80	3.24	4	5.40	Medium	90.3
Cory Wade	NYY	17	20	10.59	1.06	0	1.59	Weak	88.2
Tom Wilhelmsen	SEA	20	23	10.35	3.60	2	4.05	Medium	95.4
Glen Perkins	MIN	15	17	10.20	3.00	2	4.80	Medium	94.6
Mitchell Boggs	STL	16	18	10.13	3.38	0	2.81	Strong	94.4
Craig Stammen	WSN	21	23	9.86	1.71	1	1.29	Weak	90.9
Darren O'Day	BAL	18.1	20	9.82	1.96	2	1.47	Strong	84.2
Luis Perez	TOR	19.1	21	9.78	3.72	1	2.33	Weak	93.4
Alfredo Simon	CIN	15.2	17	9.77	2.30	1	2.30	Medium	93.8
Manny Parra	MIL	17.2	19	9.68	3.57	0	3.06	Medium	92.4
Alexi Ogando	TEX	20	21	9.45	0.90	0	0.45	Strong	96.6
Aaron Crow	KCR	18	18	9.00	4.00	1	2.50	Medium	94.9
Bobby Parnell	NYM	17	17	9.00	1.59	1	2.12	Weak	94.9
Vicente Padilla	BOS	15	15	9.00	2.40	2	5.40	Weak	92.6

First thing we need to do is eliminate from speculative closer consideration the guys who are on teams with strong closers. So out go Boggs, O’Day and Ogando. Next, the guys with an ugly ERA despite solid peripherals. So out go Peralta, Perkins and Padilla. I sort of like Perkins still, but rules are rules. Now we have to consider the bias against lefties, who have the platoon disadvantage most times and also are needed for situations earlier in games. Again, I personally have nothing against lefty closers and am well aware of many good ones. But they are the exception to the rule and if managers didn’t like rules, we wouldn’t have designated closers. But let’s not be crazy and just carve out a Chapman exception, okay? So now we lose Logan, Collins, Perez and Parra. Finally, the below average velocity guys get scrubbed: goodbye Stammen and Wade.

NCAA Tournament Bracket 2012: PRINTABLE March Madness Match-Ups

NCAA Tournament Bracket 2012: PRINTABLE March Madness Match-Ups

NCAA Tournament 2012 Bracket: Full List of March Madness Games

All times are US/Eastern

Note: No need to refresh page as bracket will update LIVE!


Legend:

live stats

preview

recap

more information


Print
Facebook
Twitter
RSS




Division I Men's Bracket



Round 1March 13 - 143/13

16Ms. Vall. St.
16Western Ky.


3/13

14BYU
14Iona


3/14

16Lamar
16Vermont


3/14

12California
12So. Florida





South

Atlanta
Round 2March 15 - 163/15

1Kentucky
16Round 1 #1


3/15Louisville

8Iowa St.
9Connecticut


3/15

5Wichita St.
12VCU


3/15Portland

4Indiana
13New Mex. St.


3/15

6UNLV
11Colorado


3/15Albuquerque

3Baylor
14S. Dakota St.


3/16

7Notre Dame
10Xavier


3/16Greensboro

2Duke
15Lehigh



Round 3March 17 - 183/17





3/17





3/17





3/18






Regional SemifinalsMarch 22 - 233/23





3/23






Regional FinalsMarch 24 - 253/25








East

Boston
Round 2March 15 - 163/15

1Syracuse
16NC-Asheville


3/15Pittsburgh

8Kansas St.
9Southern Miss


3/15

5Vanderbilt
12Harvard


3/15Albuquerque

4Wisconsin
13Montana


3/16

6Cincinnati
11Texas


3/16Nashville

3Florida St.
14St. Bonavent.


3/15

7Gonzaga
10West Virginia


3/15Pittsburgh

2Ohio St.
15Loyola (Md.)



Round 3March 17 - 183/17





3/17





3/18





3/17






Regional SemifinalsMarch 22 - 233/22





3/22






Regional FinalsMarch 24 - 253/24








West

Phoenix
3/16

1Michigan St.
16Long Island


3/16Columbus

8Memphis
9St. Louis


3/15

5New Mexico
12Long Beach St.


3/15Portland

4Louisville
13Davidson


3/15

6Murray St.
11Colorado St.


3/15Louisville

3Marquette
14Round 1 #2


3/16

7Florida
10Virginia


3/16Omaha

2Missouri
15Norfolk St.



3/18





3/17





3/17





3/18






3/22





3/22






3/24








Midwest

St. Louis
3/16

1North Carolina
16Round 1 #3


3/16Greensboro

8Creighton
9Alabama


3/16

5Temple
12Round 1 #4


3/16Nashville

4Michigan
13Ohio


3/16

6San Diego St.
11N.C. State


3/16Columbus

3Georgetown
14Belmont


3/16

7St. Mary's
10Purdue


3/16Omaha

2Kansas
15Detroit



3/18





3/18





3/18





3/18






3/23





3/23






3/25








Semis/Finals

National SemifinalsMarch 31National SemifinalsMarch 31












ChampionshipApril 2








Temple earned the 5 seed by virtue of an at large bid.

Here's a look at the Midwest region of the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket:

No. 1 North Carolina Tarheels vs. No. 16 Lamar/Vermont, Friday

No. 8 Creighton Bluejays vs. No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide, Friday

No. 5 Temple Owls vs. No. 13 Cal/USF, Friday

No. 4 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 13 Ohio Bobcats, Friday

No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 15 Detroit Titans, Friday

No. 7 St. Mary's Gaels vs. No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers, Friday

No. 3 Georgetown Bulldogs vs. No. 14 Belmont Bruins, Friday

No. 6 San Diego St. Aztecs vs. No. 11 NC State Wolfpack, Friday


NCAA Men's Basketball: 2012 Tournament




tweet121
Email
Print

Make Your Picks Now
Full Tournament Coverage
South
West
East
Midwest
Exclusive Analysis: Blog
Video
Get Mobile Scores
Team Ranker
.




All times EDT




South



Round of 64

March 15-16
1 Kentucky
16 MVSU/WKU

8 Iowa St.
9 Connecticut

5 Wichita St.
12 VCU

4 Indiana
13 New Mexico St.

6 UNLV
11 Colorado

3 Baylor
14 South Dakota St.

7 Notre Dame
10 Xavier

2 Duke
15 Lehigh




Round of 32

March 17-18















Reg. Semis

March 22-23









Reg. Finals

March 24-25







East



Round of 64

March 15-16
1 Syracuse
16 N.C. Asheville

8 Kansas St.
9 Southern Miss

5 Vanderbilt
12 Harvard

4 Wisconsin
13 Montana

6 Cincinnati
11 Texas

3 Florida St.
14 St. Bonaventure

7 Gonzaga
10 West Virginia

2 Ohio St.
15 Loyola (MD)




Round of 32

March 17-18















Reg. Semis

March 22-23









Reg. Finals

March 24-25







West






1 Michigan St.
16 LIU Brooklyn

8 Memphis
9 Saint Louis

5 New Mexico
12 Long Beach St.

4 Louisville
13 Davidson

6 Murray St.
11 Colorado St.

3 Marquette
14 BYU/Iona

7 Florida
10 Virginia

2 Missouri
15 Norfolk St.












































Midwest






1 North Carolina
16 Lamar/Vermont

8 Creighton
9 Alabama

5 Temple
12 Cal/USF

4 Michigan
13 Ohio

6 San Diego St.
11 N.C. State

3 Georgetown
14 Belmont

7 St. Mary's
10 Purdue

2 Kansas
15 Detroit












































Semis & Finals



Nat. Semis

March 31
&

Nat. Finals

April 2



National Semifinals









National Finals






National Champion