Many fantasy baseball managers had already moved on to another sport by the time Chicago Cubs RHP Adbert Alzolay made his debut during Week 2 of last year's fantasy football season. Once a promising starting pitching prospect who repeatedly struggled to stay healthy, Alzolay missed most of last season with a lat strain. The Cubs slotted him in a relief role for a few weeks of action and Alzolay looked comfortable and awesome. Anyone still paying attention could see that Alzolay, if healthy, could matter both for the Cubs and fantasy managers in 2023.
Fast forward to today and the Cubs are one of the hottest teams in baseball. Alzolay, who used his electric slider to strike out 19 out of the 52 batters he faced over the final two weeks of last season, is their thriving closer. Alzolay remains available in more than 75% of ESPN standard leagues despite ranking as one of the top-10 relief pitchers on the ESPN Player Rater over the last 30 days. He has saves in seven out of eight appearances and 12 over the past two months. The way the Cubs are playing, more are coming.
Cubs manager David Ross took his time presenting Alzolay with a high-leverage role, initially focusing on multi-inning outings and, when others in his beleaguered bullpen proved unworthy of closing, his plight adjusted. The Cubs were a bullpen most fantasy managers ignored over the first two months of the 2023 season. They weren't winning much, and the likes of veteran RHPs Michael Fulmer and Brad Boxberger were not earning many saves when the team did win. Even now, the Cubs have only 20 total saves. Only the awful Athletics and Royals have fewer.
Alzolay, 28, always had the dominant slider -- which was on full display late last season, generating a silly 70% swing-and-miss rate. Now that he doesn't need to pace himself for longer outings, he throws a harder, more effective sinker at 95 mph, which strays inside to confound right-handed hitters. Home runs were a big problem for him as a starter in 2021, especially to left-handed hitters. This season, he has permitted only four home runs, and he has not yet walked any left-handed hitters. This isn't exactly Eric Gagne in his prime, but it is a solid breakout season for a pitcher many had given up on.
Time is running out for fantasy managers looking for saves in roto leagues. For those in points formats, it is mainly about decent relief pitching (but saves and holds matter here, too). In general, look at contending teams -- those playing for something. The Cubs were not supposed to contend, but the NL wild-card race is messy, and here they are. Alzolay is piling up the saves and fantasy points, and there seems to be no end in sight.
Stock rising
Kyle Finnegan, Washington Nationals: Finnegan enters Tuesday ranked third among closers in fantasy relief points over the last 30 days, behind only Milwaukee's Devin Williams and Baltimore's Felix Bautista. He also boasts a 1.07 ERA over the last 60 days. That works. Sure, Finnegan used to have a control problem, but he has walked just one hitter over the past month. No more control problems here, apparently.
Matt Brash, Seattle Mariners: As speculated last week, the Mariners were comfortable trading closer Paul Sewald to the Diamondbacks because the younger Brash is pitching so well. He's worthy of a setup role, if not more. Brash has also done a solid job cutting down on the walks -- just keep runners off the bases, pitchers! -- and he also ranks second among all relief pitchers (behind Bautista) in strikeouts and fourth in strikeout percentage. Throw in seven relief wins and a recent save and Brash is a top-30 reliever for the season on the Player Rater... and still rising. Brash could be Seattle's closer next season, too.
Bryan Abreu, Houston Astros: Abreu ranks seventh among relief pitchers in strikeout percentage and, since he was manager Dusty Baker's choice to close out a weekend win when closer Ryan Pressly was (without notice) deemed to be unavailable, he remains interesting. Consider that the Astros win a lot and Pressly is dealing with some physical ailment that prevented him from pitching that day (and possible again in the future).
Abreu was already quite underrated in ESPN points leagues to start with, as he boasts more season points than Kenley Jansen, Yennier Cano and Evan Phillips, just to name a few highly rostered options. Plus, Abreu has outscored Pressly over the last 30 days. Abreu is currently rostered in only 13% of leagues.
Stock falling
Carlos Estevez, Los Angeles Angels: At this time last week, Estevez had a 1.88 ERA and nary a blown save to his ledger, and the Angels were contenders. Nine earned runs and two blown saves later, he seems to be in jeopardy of losing the ninth inning to newcomer Reynaldo Lopez and the Angels have more losses than wins. Estevez has actually permitted four-plus earned runs in three out of five outings. Sure, the runs were unearned in the first appearance of this span, but the overall picture is clear. The free-falling Angels have not won since the trade deadline, and Estevez, whose 2023 ERA doubled in just three games, is one reason why. Add the former White Sox right-hander Lopez in case.
David Robertson, Miami Marlins: Robertson blew saves to the Phillies on consecutive days in his second and third appearances with the contending club after coming over from the beleaguered Mets. But hey, that happens, right? Robertson allowed home runs to Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh on the first two days of August. Move on. Perhaps the bigger problem is that Robertson entered play today having not pitched since then. Robertson remains Miami's closer, but if the surprise team cannot play better and provide him with save chances, fantasy managers should look elsewhere.
Liam Hendriks, Chicago White Sox: The gallant Hendriks fought all season to beat non-Hodgkin lymphoma and succeeded, only to have the UCL in his throwing elbow tear shortly after returning. Hendriks, 34, underwent Tommy John surgery and may not pitch again until 2025, if he returns at all. We thank one of the top relief pitchers in baseball from 2019-22 for the memories. For those wondering about the White Sox and if they have any fight left in them, RHP Gregory Santos appears to be the closer.