Baltimore Orioles RHPs Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano were fantasy baseball's most notable 1-2 punch among relief pitchers for the first half of the season, each producing significant statistics and earning inclusion on the AL All-Star team. An NL version has finally surpassed them, as Milwaukee Brewers RHPs Devin Williams and Joel Payamps rank 1-2 on the ESPN's 30-day Player Rater. The fact that Williams is thriving comes as no surprise, but Payamps -- a five-year MLB veteran of little distinction now with his fifth team -- sure is.
Williams, armed with a ridiculous changeup working off his four-seam fastball, was expected to be one of the top closers in the sport, and he has recorded 12 of his 23 saves over the past 30 days. April was slow, with only five saves and fewer than 10 innings pitched (but that's hardly his fault) and some fantasy managers grumbled at low usage. Ah, such volatility for relievers, not only for performance but in volume as well. Now things are excellent, as every Williams outing seems to end in a save. He has pitched 15 times since June 16, earning a win and 13 saves over that stretch with a 1.27 ERA.
Payamps, 29 and a forgotten but valuable part of the Sean Murphy/William Contreras/Esteury Ruiz three-team trade in December, has suddenly become one of the top setup men in the sport. He has not permitted an earned run since June 8 -- a 15-appearance span in which Payamps boasts a win, two saves (when Williams was unavailable) and nine holds. His work in that span has vaulted him into the No. 9 RP spot on the full-season Player Rater, which is quite a stunning feat.
Yes, Cano still has greater full-season numbers and remains rostered in 36% of ESPN standard leagues, but he has a 3.72 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP over the past 30 days. Payamps is rostered in only 10% of leagues. You know what you should do, fantasy managers. Recent trends matter more than anything that occurred back in April. If you miss out on Payamps, also take a look at Milwaukee's seventh-inning option, RHP Elvis Peguero. He is the No. 12 reliever over the past 30 days, with eight of his 13 holds in that span.
The Brewers swept the Cincinnati Reds this past weekend to take over first place in the NL Central, and pitching is the main reason. Williams saved each win, striking out five of the nine hitters he faced, with nary a baserunner. Payamps earned a pair of holds, striking out four out of six hitters, also without any base traffic. Brewers manager Craig Counsell boasts an effective, set hierarchy after his starters leave the game, and Reds manager David Bell has ... well, All-Star Alexis Diaz, mainly.
Invest in the top bullpens behind the top rotations in fantasy, whenever possible.
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Ryan Pressly, Houston Astros: Pressly's most recent appearance went quite awry, as Shohei Ohtani homered and the BABIP gods got him back for a month of success with four other base hits. Prior to that, Pressly had permitted nary a base hit over 11 outings and 12 innings -- a dominant stretch in which he fanned 14 hitters against only two baserunners. Williams is the lone relief pitcher (and Atlanta's Spencer Strider, still with his RP eligibility) with more fantasy points over the past month. Pressly soon should sail past last season's innings, and is pacing toward 35-plus saves, which would become a new career high.
Nick Pivetta, Boston Red Sox: OK, so this is an odd one and a bit hard to believe (especially for this Phillies fan), but fantasy managers are earning valuable points from Pivetta sans saves and holds. Good innings matter! Multi-inning option Pivetta boasts more fantasy points than San Francisco's dominant Camilo Doval, Philadelphia's Craig Kimbrel and all but four relief pitchers over the past month thanks to a 2.08 ERA, an 0.65 WHIP and 38 strikeouts (including 13 on Monday!) over 21⅔ innings. Pivetta last started a game in May. This role clearly suits him.
Joe Jimenez/Kirby Yates, Atlanta Braves: Someone or some combination of pitchers needs to bridge leads to closer Raisel Iglesias now that LHP A.J. Minter and RHP Nick Anderson are both out because of shoulder injuries, and Jimenez and Yates seem most likely to do so. Both boast significant late-game experience and have avoided walks lately. Remember, this is the best team in baseball, and it ranks second to the Orioles in holds. Minter may not be out long. Anderson may be done, as he went right to the 60-day IL. This organization will be adding bullpen help soon.
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Jordan Romano, Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays claim Romano is fine after he left the All-Star game because of lower back tightness after facing just one batter, with a clean MRI acting as evidence. Perhaps all is well but when your lower back is tight, can you throw a baseball 96 mph? Romano, who sat out this weekend but remains active, has permitted runs in three of his past seven appearances, two coming on home runs. His 3.06 FIP is certainly high for a top closer and his ground ball rate is considerably down. He may sail past 40 saves, but there are definite warning signs here.
Hunter Harvey, Washington Nationals: Well, it was a good run. Harvey saved six wins over the past month with a 2.53 ERA and an 0.75 WHIP, but his elbow started barking and now he may be looking at a long-term absence. RHP Kyle Finnegan saved Monday's win and -- trivia time! -- he actually boasts double-digit saves in three consecutive seasons. Still, it doesn't make him a good pitcher. Add Finnegan if you need every last save, but also be aware this is not a good team, and he is not a notable pitcher.
Scott McGough, Arizona Diamondbacks: Fantasy managers have quickly made him the most-dropped relief pitcher after he permitted six runs over two weekend games in Toronto, retiring only four hitters. Does this mean another Diamondback gets the next save chance? Not at all. This slumping team has seen only one save over the past three-plus weeks, and McGough got it. A rough weekend after a long break may hurt his value a bit, sure, but try to be patient.