2009's Best Fantasy Baseball Closers

A look at the Best Closers Available in Fantasy Baseball This Year.

Jan 22, 2009

Getting a top notch closer (or two) can really define a fantasy baseball team, and making sure to have reliable closers is more important than a lot of owners realize.

One of the corner stones to building a great fantasy baseball team is ensuring that two really good closers find their way on to the staff. In deeper leagues three can sometimes be even more beneficial, but it is always important to go deeper into the stats, and look past just the saves category. Closers that rack up the innings and strikeouts while presenting a low ERA and WHIP can be a very valuable commodity, and it is important to realize which closers will see the most action.

This past off-season in Major League Baseball has seen a shift of several big name closers that cannot be relied upon in the 2009 season, and should be avoided in 2009 fantasy baseball drafts. These land mines include J.J. Putz who will be a set-up man for the Mets, Takashi Saito who will be a middle reliever for the Red Sox, and Billy Wagner whose status has become unknown at this time. Several other closers are going to become more valuable because they are on teams that should use them even more wisely.

The 6 Best Closers in Fantasy Baseball for 2009

#1 Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets (62 saves, 2.24 ERA, 77 K's)

When the Mets were able to sign away Rodriguez from the Angels they got themselves a closer that can shut the door on just about anyone. He racked up the saves for the Angels, but should see even more opportunities with the Mets and their potent offense. With J.J. Putz setting him up, Rodriguez looks to have another monster season.

#2 Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox (41 saves, 2.34 ERA, 77 K's)

Papelbon now has a nice big contract to go with his high reaching statistics, and should see quite a few save chances in the 2009 campaign. He has become very reliable and is one of the best in the game. His low WHIP (0.95) and high number of strikeouts make him very valuable.

Nathan performed very well for a struggling Minnesota Twins team, and brings with him an extremely impressive ERA and WHIP that could make him a very valuable stopper to draft in the first 5 rounds of any fantasy draft.

#4 Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies (41 saves, 1.95 ERA, 92 K's)

Lidge went the entire 2008 regular season without blowing a save, and owners shouldn't expect that same kind of dominance in 2009. He should still rack up quite a few saves though, and pitching for the defending World Series champions guarantees quite a few opportunities.

#5 Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees (39 saves, 1.40 ERA, 77 K's)

Rivera pitches for the Yankees, and is guaranteed to get 40+ save opportunities. With the influx of great starting pitching for 2009, the Yankees could see even more opportunities, with the only thing working against Rivera right now being his age. If he can stay healthy again, he could be a steal.

#6 Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians (34 saves, 3.26 ERA, 84 K's)

In his first full season as a closer, Wood showed the Cubs and MLB exactly what he could do. With a few altered pitches in his arsenal now, Wood is one of the premiere closers, and could see his opportunities rise in Cleveland this season. Wood doesn't come without risk, but he looks healthy enough to repeat 2008 statistics.

Best Sleeper in 2009 Fantasy Drafts

Keep an eye on Seattle’s Brandon Murrow, who could possibly become the full-time closer, and has awesome stuff.

The copyright of the article 2009's Best Fantasy Baseball Closers in Fantasy Baseball is owned by Ryan Gamble. Permission to republish 2009's Best Fantasy Baseball Closers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.