RPs w/ Rosterable Ratios (+ Two NL Hitters)
Relief pitching is a combustible commodity (they're the RBs of fantasy baseball) but using late picks on the proper RPs can help to fortify your pitching. RPs with high SwStr%* and K/9 can add helpful 2x a week dominance. A Rosterable Ratio RP may not provide many saves, but they can add surprisingly high strikeout totals and sneaky wins here and there to go along with the Holds if you play in a SV+HLD league. Ride the Ratios but keep in mind most of these RPs are late-round picks, albeit ones of potential solid value.
*SwStr%: Swinging Strike Rate. Percentage of balls thrown that a batter swung and missed. A sign of dominance. League average for top 120 pitchers is 11.1%. Also expressed in Percentile.
Robert Stephenson RP, LAA
When Fantistics' brass hired me to provide fantasy baseball analysis, they lit cigars, sat behind their magnificent mahogany desks and chortled: "Can't wait for the Robert Stephenson feature!" Well, with a SwStr% (Swinging Strike Rate) of 25% backed by a sprightly 2.8% Walk/9 in 2023, stashing Stephenson could bolster your pitching ratios. He stayed out of the zone yet was able to entice chase, to the tune of an outrageous Out of Zone Swing & Miss rate of 71%. Throw in 13 K/9 and 0.88 WHIP and you've got rosterable relief for a late-late round pick.
Jeff Hoffman RP, PHI
The only two RPs allowing a lower batting average in 2023 than Jeff Hoffman aren't even real people: they're The Airbender and The Mountain. Yep, only Devin Williams and Felix Bautista forced opposing hitters to do less than Jeff (0.155). Less than Jeff, that's a good nickname. The Philly RP is loaded with ratio relievers and Hoffman is a great sleeper for Holds, occasional saves, vulture wins and a top-13 RP K rate of 33% in 2023. Less than Jeff may not reach the pantheon of nicknamed natural wonders in the RP world, but he's worth a last pick in 12-team mixed leagues and a late RP grab in NL-Only could be perfectly cromulent.
DL Hall RP, MIL
Does left-hander DL Hall belong on your fantasy team? Only if you like strikeouts and weak contact induced. Will he be a SP or RP on the Brewers in 2024? This is unknown. What we do know is that although he failed to qualify for the IP minimum in 2023, Hall demonstrated massive upside with 95.6 MPH fastball average while inducing weak 84.3 MPH average exit velocity. While Hall does not present as an anchor SP, he could provide outstanding ratios (12.6 K/9 over 386 IP in minors/majors combined) for P and prove useful in SV+HLDS leagues. Worth a late, late round look in NL-Only leagues, a $1 bid in any auction. Keep a keen eye in any league if Devin Williams is moved as Hall could slide into high-leverage RP usage.
Brock Stewart RP, MIN
A building block of strong pitching ratios resides in Twin RP Brock Stewart. Though his name sounds like a 1980s preppy protagonist, his Swinging Strike rate of 20% is more hero than villain. Given his 2023 GB Rate of 37% and 41% whiff rate, Stewart should start to climb the RP charts for those seeking sweet ratios. In AL-Only Brock is a lock to be a late-round RP pickup and even in 12-Team Mixed Leagues, he's worth a late-late pick to provide relieving ratios.
AJ Puk SP/RP, MIA
Will he start this year? Regardless, pick Puk up for ratio goodness: 6.0 K/BB is unbelievable (top for RP in 2023) backed by a top 13 walk rate of 5.4%. AJ in the strike zone swing and miss is 26% (top 20 for all pitchers) and his overall strikeout rate of 32% is near elite. Never mind starts (though they may come), pluck Puk late in mixed 12-team leagues to sustain strikeouts and perhaps pick up the stray Win.
Tanner Scott RP, MIA
Great Scott? Perhaps hyperbole. Very valuable Scott? I say yes, thanks to radical ratios. Top 10 hard hit rate of only 26.4% and an eye-catching Swinging Strike Rate of 17% make Tanner trustable as RP1 in both 12-Team Mixed leagues and NL-Only. Saves remain volatile, but his arbitration triumph points to more counting stats for 2024. His greatness may reside in his GB Rate of 51%, indicating homers are a longshot vs. Scott.
Matt Brash RP, SEA
UPDATE: Matt Brash has been shut down from pitching while the team evaluates discomfort in his right throwing arm. Monitor the situation as this injury may render him undraftable. If he returns with clean bill of health, prioritize Brash on the waiver wire in your League.
In 2023, Brash was just that when it comes to getting Ks and outlandish ratios. Let's keep it simple: 107 Ks in just 68 IP in 2023. One word: Yowza (a new stat developed by Bill James understudy Excel Rows). Where do we go now? If you needed more convincing to bring Brash onboard to your team in a mid-late round steal, how about a better than Hader 13.63 K/9 along with a 4.8% barrel rate (91st percentile)? If you can't get Muñoz, Don't Cry: Matt Brash is a steal in AL-Only mid-late (before you throw darts) and a solid late pick in 12-team mixed leagues.
Bryan Abreu RP, HOU
Hader, Schmader. Abreu has got ratios worth drafting late in Mixed 12-Leagues and even mid-late in AL-Only. Despite his looming and laughable 2-game suspension for plunking all-world Adolis in the ALCS, Abreu's SwStr% of 17% and 40% overall Whiff Rate is no laughing matter. If you happen to enjoy round numbers, he struck out 100 in just 71 IP, putting him in rare company among relievers in the triple-digit strikeout club.
Matt Strahm RP, PHI
Strahm remains RP ratio royalty. The versatile southpaw's K rate was a robust 30.8%, and his stellar 1.01 WHIP was helped by a healthy 6% BB rate. He is a vulturing Win waiting to happen, a perpetual hold and save candidate and an inning-eater extraordinaire who can generate good counting stats for Head-to-Head leagues looking for swingman action (don't Google that phrase). His SwStr% is lucky 13 and he struck out 108 in 87 innings during 2023. The long-haired lefty pitches for a good team and the wins will slip to him with semi-regularity, so draft confidently in the latest of rounds in 12-Team Mixed Leagues and snag late in NL-Only.
Andre Pallante RP, STL
Let's say extreme groundball relief pitching is your thing. Pass the Pallante. The Cardinal right-hander may not strike out too many, but his GB Rate: 0.78 (78% ground ball rate) is absurd for the new Redbird reliever. Could be useful in head-to-head leagues for vulture wins and occasional holds. If nothing else, put a dollar on him late in an NL-Only Auction just to unnerve your opponents...then see if Pallante holds on for Holds and decent ratios.
Ryan Yarbrough RP, LAD
Let's say extreme control relief pitching AND suppressing hard contact are your thing. I have one question for you: Are you going to Yarbrough fair? The price will likely be fair and with a microscopic 3.5 BB% (top 5 in 2023), a minimal 85.4 MPH average exit velocity allowed. Ryan is ripe for your RP draft, easily available later than late in 12-Team mixed leagues and worth mid-late snag for ratios in NL-Only as he will be keeping the ball in the park for LAD in 2024. Parsley, sage, rosemary and it's time to pack up to Yarbrough fair for fine RP ratios. Apologies to those unfamiliar with the reference (see Simon, Garfunkel).
Jose Alverado RP, PHI
No matter how often Philly juggles their closers, Alverado always comes back striking people out. He's K'd 374 over 280 IP in his brief career and there's reason to believe his relief ratios will continue to strike fantasy gold: SwStr%: 15% and a GB Rate of 54% say there's gold in them there pitches of his, gold I tell ya! His WHIP has improved every season, as well. Draft with confidence in NL Only and later in 12-team mixed leagues for real ratios and plenty of bonus saves along with potential for him to be number one closer on a pennant-contending Phillie team.
Tom Cosgrove RP, SD
If there's a bustle in your Cosgrove, don't be alarmed now. It's just a sprinkling of ratios for your fantasy baseball team. Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the RPs you own...fine, maybe the SD RP has yet to go over like a Led Zeppelin, but he did climb the charts in '23: he gave up a BA of 0.171 and a WHIP at 0.97, both Top 11 among all RPs. This Padre may frown upon Jimmy Page's interest in black magic, but his home park will help suppress HRs, as will Cosgrove's miniscule 25.5% hard hit rate (top 4). I'm gonna draft this guy late in mixed leagues to chortles and gasps and will pay $5 in NL Only auction to stunned silence. And I'm buy-y-ing a stairway...to RP hea-ven.
Two NL Hitters
Sean Murphy C, ATL
Should Sean Murphy be one of the first catchers off the board? Yes. The Brave backstop slots into a loaded lineup with rock-solid ratios to maintain his already high floor, including .395 xwOBA and .537xSLG along with a bashing 16% barrel rate. Entering his age 29 year season, his defense remains dominant and his hitting appears to be peaking. If you enjoy home runs backed by top max exit velocity of 114.7 MPH and a workable walk rate of 10%, put Murphy as a top 3 Catcher in NL Only and top 5 in 12-team mixed leagues.
Nico Hoerner 2B/SS, CHC
Northsider Nico Hoerner's surge in steals and runs scored in 2023 shows signs of repeatability. Due to his discretion on the base paths (safe in 43 of 50 SB attempts), assurance of ABs due to elite defense and absurdly low 12% K and Whiff rate, plating 85+ runs and hitting .280 BA both appear repeatable. New skipper Counsell's history indicates an allowance for trusted players to take bases (Yelich & Turang stole 28 & 26 respectively in 2023) so Hoerner's likely to continue getting the green light to run. His combo of runs scored, SB, batting average floor and dual position eligibility make Hoerner a top 10 choice at MI in 12-team mixed and a top 5 MI in NL-Only leagues.
