The final three outs of a ballgame - while it cannot be proven that they are the most difficult to get - are certainly the most torturous and intense for anyone watching. In the modern era, most teams delegate one pitcher on the 25-man roster with the task of retiring the side in the ninth inning of a close game.
In fantasy baseball, to be considered a dominating closer a pitcher must, above all, be receiving save opportunities. This is primarily dependent on the success of the team they play on, as a “save situation” ensues that the team be leading by three runs or less heading into the final inning. Cubs closer Kevin Gregg has enjoyed a resurgent 2013, but has not been given the opportunities of ninth-inning guys on higher-performing teams. A dominant fantasy closer must limit baserunners - both hits and walks, and is most valuable to your team if the batters he retires come courtesy of the strikeout. Without the same priority as a starting pitcher to conserve stamina, a dominant closer can pitch for strikeouts - and the greatest fantasy closers often fan far greater than one batter per inning.
The margin for error among closers is low. With a limited overall number of innings pitched, a poor outing or two can inflate a reliever's numbers very quickly, as fantasy owners have recently seen in the cases of Jim Johnson and Craig Kimbrel. Two consecutive appearances in which Johnson blew the save opportunity and allowed two and five earned runs, respectively, sent his season earned run average and WHIP soaring.
The following four closers have met all the criteria on the list to be part of an exclusive club of dominating fantasy closers thus far in 2013.
Jason Grilli, Pittsburgh Pirates
Grilli, in his 11th professional season and first as a full-time closer, has impressed perhaps even more than he has surprised following the offseason trade of Joel Hanrahan. He is leading the National League in both saves and games finished, and if the Pittsburgh Pirates, currently ten games above .500, avoid the second-half slide they suffered in 2012, he will continue to get opportunities. The 36-year-old fanned an incredible 90 batters in 58.2 innings last season - a 13.8 K/9 ratio - and has continued the trend into 2013.
Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Rivera, after tearing his ACL in early May of last season, had unfinished business with the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball. At age 43, arguably the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history looks every bit the ageless wonder in the early part of 2013. Rivera’s cutter - one of the only true incarnations of this pitch that exists the game - may have lost a few ticks in the Miles Per Hour column, but according to Pitch F/X data, it has actually gained both vertical and horizontal movement. He has appeared in 19 games for the first-place New York Yankees, and leads the league in saves with 17. Rivera’s strikeouts per nine innings ratio has hovered around 9 his entire career, as he is equally likely to make opponents look foolish on whiffs or weak, broken-bat ground balls.
Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
It seems that entering every season, fantasy owners and Reds fans alike wonder whether they’ll see Chapman starting games every fifth day, or blazing his 100-plus MPH heater by batters in the ninth. To date, the 25-year-old Cuban native has yet to start a game for Cincinnati, and there is reason to believe that the Dusty Baker and the Reds staff have settled on a relief role for their prodigy. To begin the 2013 season, the struggling Reds didn’t give Chapman many opportunities for a save. With the team’s return to form, expect Chapman’s total to rise, while he continues to embarrass opposing batters - as noted by his 34 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. Dominating is the first word that comes to mind when Chapman’s name is spoken, and the young closer is both an imposing figure to step into the box against and a force on your fantasy roster.
Tom Wilhelmsen, Seattle Mariners
How the 29-year-old Wilhelmsen reached the major leagues can certainly be filed under the atypical, but “The Bartender” has made success look second nature in his first two seasons as closer for the Mariners. With a repertoire that includes both high-90’s heat and a knee-buckling 12-to-6 curveball, Wilhelmsen has looked nearly unhittable in 2013. His microscopic 0.45 earned run average, as well as 11 saves for a Seattle team nestled in the middle of the American League West division standings, are testament to his dominance. Wilhelmsen’s future value as a fantasy closer rides on his team’s ability to score runs, and on the heels of a six-game losing streak, the Mariners appear to be making organizational moves to improve their offense.