The Closer Report: April 23, 2010

CLOSER NEWS:
N/A
SAVES:
Brian Wilson (3) Wilson finally recorded a save.  It was his first save since April 6, and he went out there with a vengeance.  Besides a simple single, Wilson struck out the side for his third save of the season.  His ERA remains at 0.00.

Jonathan Papelbon (4) - Paps had another tough outing.  He did get the save, but in the process looked wild walking two batters and giving up a hit.  To put a positive spin on the save, he did intentionally walk Wiggington and he struck out Lugo to end the game.  That is how expereinced closers do it.

Francisco Rodriguez (2) - Recorded his second save in as many days.  He is still lacking his trademark sharpness that we haven't sen in awhile.  He needed 22 pitches to close he game and gave up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. His WHIP rose to 1.27, but his ERA lowered to an impressive 1.04.

Kevin Gregg (5) - Gregg was needed for 1.1 innings, but got a clean save. He looked great giving up a hit and striking out two.

Matt Lindstrom (5) - Another 12 pitch save for Lindstrom.  No hits and a strikeout.  Lindstrom has clearly found his closer niche.

Briean Fuentes (2) - Fuentes was back in the closer role and frankly it was a shocker.  When I saw Fernando Rodney coming into the eighth inning I was thinking someone got screwed.  I did assume that since the Yankee lineup is loaded with lefties and switch hitters that maybe Scioscia went with his lefty.  Thames did pitch hit for Johnson and Fuentes turned Teixeira around.  Will see what he does next.

Chad Qualls (3) - Qualls had a hefty three run lead to work with and he didn't even need it.  Why?  He only needed one out.  It was 7-3 going into the ninth and after Heilman gave up a run, Qualls entered the game with two outs and a runner on second.  He dispatched of Polanco on five pitches.

BLOWN SAVES:
Neftali Feliz (1-0 BS1) - Feliz got rocked tonight and badly.  Well, maybe not that badly, but he gave up three hits, including a wacky shallow double to Johnny Damon.  He couldn't close the deal on Magglio Ordonez who with two outs got the big hit to tie the game at 4-4 and blow the game for Feliz.  He did manage to get the win, so it wasn't all bad.
APPEARANCES:
Carlos Marmol - Pitched 1.1 innings for some odd reason in a blowout.  Still, he struck out three out of the four batters he retured.
Jim Johnson - Gave up a hit in 1/3 of an inning against the Red Sox.
Rafeal Soriano - Got some work in against the Blue Jays.  Struck out two in an inning of work. His WHIP has gone down to 1.14 and his ERA is loking much better at 2.57.

To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.

Wrighting The Ship

David Wright is just 26 years old, yet has the weight of the world on his shoulders. With a plethora of injuries plaguing the Mets, Wright not only has to pick up the slack on the field, but also in the clubhouse. The Mets are in turmoil, and Wright is one the few players who can turn things around. Sure, Johan Santana is a great figure, but the Mets need an everyday player to step up and lead the team. With players like Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Delgado on the DL, the Mets have been forced to call up many players from the minors, some of which are just not quite ready for the big show. Wright needs to lead by example on the field and off. He needs to take these youngsters in and show them the way.

So what does all of this have to do with fantasy baseball? The answer, It has EVERYTHING to do with fantasy baseball, and not just in regards to David Wright. So far, Wright has posted an impressive .340 batting average, with 20 stolen bases, however his power numbers are quite pedestrian, with just five home runs and 42 RBI. 54 players currently have more RBI that David Wright, including names like Cody Ross and Casey Blake. On top of this, a staggering 161 players have more HR than Wright. What's the deal? Obviously the lack of protection around him has something to do with it. When you combine this with the apparent pitcher friendly Citi Field, you're headed for disaster. Even with a healthy roster, Wright's power numbers would mostly likely be down considerably. From the outside looking in, Wright's lack of power might scare some fantasy owners, but taking a closer look, Wright has merely adjusted his game to adapt to the new ballpark. He's spraying the ball around and looking for a base hit, taking advantage of the spacious dimensions of Citi Field, hence his .340 batting average.

This brings me to my next point. It's not just David Wright who is being affected, the pitching staff is suffering from lack of run support and poor defense. Johan Santana, currently with 9 wins has been a bit shaky of late. On top of poor run support, the Mets defense has been a highlight reel of errors. Misjudging a fly ball, throwing the ball away when there is no chance to get the out, and missing third base, it's like watching a bad little league instructional video on what NOT to do. In Santana's last start, he was clearly rattled after a number of errors and brain farts, as he too joined in on the circus, and blatantly airmailed a ball over the third baseman's head. After the inning, his discontent was clear in the dugout. I believe his words were something to the tune of, "I've had enough of this bleep, let's go!" That sounds about right.

The bottom line is that Wright is still a very valuable fantasy player, but his power numbers are just not there this season. Normally with a player of his caliber, I'd say that he's bound to turn the corner and start mashing. Sadly, I'm afraid I'm on the other side of the fence on this one. Citi Field isn't going to change, and Beltran, Reyes, and Delgado are still huge question marks. Even with a healthy lineup, I'm convinced that Wright's power number would still be down enough for one to take notice. Wright is currently on pace for 11 home runs, while he's hit 63 the past two seasons.

If you're looking for help with stolen bases and batting average, I would recommend keeping Wright on your roster. However, if you're in need of some pop and could use some extra power, you're better off trading Wright. Despite the poor power numbers, his exceptional average and stolen base numbers combined with name recognition will fetch a solid player in return. So don't panic yet, Wright is still an asset to your team, but in the long run if power is what you need, you're going to need to look elsewhere.