These rankings were updated March 25th, 2013
| Rank | Name | Team | SV | SO | ERA | WHIP |
| 1 | Craig Kimbrel | ATL | 45 | 122 | 1.56 | 0.81 |
| 2 | Aroldis Chapman | CIN | 43 | 125 | 1.62 | 0.97 |
| 3 | Sergio Romo | SF | 44 | 77 | 1.63 | 0.82 |
| 4 | Fernando Rodney | TAM | 43 | 80 | 2.33 | 1.17 |
| 5 | Rafael Soriano | WAS | 45 | 73 | 2.41 | 1.18 |
| 6 | Jonathan Papelbon | PHI | 41 | 88 | 2.66 | 1.01 |
| 7 | Jim Johnson | BAL | 42 | 47 | 2.56 | 1.06 |
| 8 | Joel Hanrahan | BOS | 42 | 66 | 2.65 | 1.21 |
| 9 | Greg Holland | KC | 41 | 86 | 2.58 | 1.23 |
| 10 | Mariano Rivera | NYY | 39 | 48 | 2.31 | 1.03 |
| 11 | Brandon League | LAD | 39 | 64 | 2.86 | 1.15 |
| 12 | Addison Reed | CHW | 40 | 69 | 3.59 | 1.42 |
| 13 | J.J. Putz | ARI | 39 | 66 | 2.91 | 1.05 |
| 14 | Joe Nathan | TEX | 38 | 80 | 3.12 | 1.11 |
| 15 | Casey Janssen | TOR | 35 | 76 | 2.48 | 1.08 |
| 16 | Mitchell Boggs | STL | 23 | 56 | 2.39 | 1.06 |
| 17 | John Axford | MIL | 36 | 88 | 3.81 | 1.27 |
| 18 | Chris Perez | CLE | 38 | 60 | 3.42 | 1.16 |
| 19 | Jason Grilli | PIT | 36 | 82 | 2.61 | 1.17 |
| 20 | Tom Wilhelmsen | SEA | 33 | 76 | 2.55 | 1.12 |
| 21 | Ryan Madson | LAA | 26 | 58 | 2.59 | 1.12 |
| 22 | Huston Street | SD | 27 | 51 | 2.03 | 0.99 |
| 23 | Rafael Betancourt | COL | 30 | 58 | 2.87 | 1.06 |
| 24 | Glen Perkins | MIN | 29 | 67 | 2.53 | 1.07 |
| 25 | Kyuji Fujikawa | CHC | 15 | 41 | 3.30 | 1.24 |
| 26 | Jason Motte | STL | 18 | 38 | 2.33 | 0.93 |
| 27 | Bobby Parnell | NYM | 21 | 70 | 3.51 | 1.29 |
| 28 | Steve Cishek | MIA | 28 | 70 | 2.65 | 1.24 |
| 29 | Grant Balfour | OAK | 26 | 66 | 2.51 | 1.01 |
| 30 | Jose Veras | HOU | 20 | 71 | 3.71 | 1.59 |
| 31 | Bruce Rondon | DET | 11 | 55 | 2.71 | 1.15 |
| 32 | Sergio Santos | TOR | 10 | 63 | 3.38 | 1.19 |
| 33 | Frank Francisco | NYM | 10 | 38 | 4.68 | 1.51 |
| 34 | Carlos Marmol | CHC | 13 | 78 | 3.64 | 1.41 |
Closer Rankings FAQ
Where are the relief pitcher rankings?
We will be separating our draft kit into 3 unique sections this preseason. Starters, set-up men (holds), and closers. These are the 30 guys that we have as closers come opening day, and in some instances (like Jose Veras and Frank Francisco) we don’t expect them to complete the season as a closer so their save projections are limited.
Why is Craig Kimbrel #1?
Craig Kimbrel is heads and shoulders above the rest of the closers in baseball thanks to his ridiculous K/9, and obscenely low WHIP.
Jim Johnson is #9, are you guys crazy?
It is true that Jim Johnson led the AL in saves last season, but he has one of the worst K/9 rates amongst closers and very rarely does the saves leader come back the next season to lead the league again (right K-Rod?)
Closers to avoid in 2013?
Chris Perez – Cleveland Indians – Perez is excellent trade bait this season for the Cleveland Indians, and the writing is on the wall. With Matt Capps recently joining the bullpen, and closer in waiting Vinnie Pestano continuing to get better, Perez will open the season as closer but there is a healthy chance he is dealt before the deadline.
Frank Francisco – New York Mets - Francisco might not even open the season as the closer of the Mets. New York still hasn’t publicly announced a closer this season, and the closer we get to those fantasy baseball drafts, the worse it is looking for Francisco. Steer clear of him if you have an early draft, even if he wins the job out of spring training, he is unlikely to hold on to it all year.
Any questions or comments about these rankings? Feel free to post them here, I answer all of our loyal readers.
Craig Kimbrel (Photo credit: cmaybourne)
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