Who Is The Best Closer In Baseball Right Now?
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With the baseball season in full swing, everyone’s wondering who the best closer is. We’ve got the scoop on who’s currently leading the pack.
Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees
Aroldis Chapman is widely considered the best closer in baseball right now. The left-hander has been dominant since joining the Yankees in 2016, posting a 1.93 ERA and racking up 145 saves. He’s also struck out an incredible 515 batters in just 333 innings pitched. Chapman is a two-time All-Star and was named the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year in 2019.
Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers
Kenley Jansen of the Los Angeles Dodgers is widely considered the best closer in baseball right now. He has been dominant over the past few seasons, posting a 1.86 ERA and 0.86 WHIP while racking up 104 saves. Jansen is also a three-time All-Star and has finished in the top 10 of NL Cy Young voting twice. There is no doubt that he is one of the best relievers in baseball right now, and he should continue to be an elite closer for years to come.
Craig Kimbrel, Boston Red Sox
Right now, the clear-cut best closer in baseball is Craig Kimbrel of the Boston Red Sox. Since arriving in Boston in 2016, Kimbrel has been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball, racking up 94 saves with a 2.10 ERA. He’s also struck out an absurd 14.7 batters per nine innings during that span, which is the best mark among all pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched since 2016.
In 2018, Kimbrel had another stellar season, saving 42 games with a 2.74 ERA and 13.9 K/9 rate. He was especially dominant down the stretch, notching 14 saves with a 0.99 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched over the final two months of the season. That performance helped propel the Red Sox to a World Series title, and cemented Kimbrel’s status as the best closer in baseball right now.
Edwin Diaz, New York Mets
Edwin Diaz, of the New York Mets, is currently the best closer in baseball. As of September 2019, he has a 0.75 ERA and 42 saves. He has allowed only 9 hits and 4 walks in 60 innings pitched, while striking out an incredible 112 batters.
Kirby Yates, San Diego Padres
Kirby Yates of the San Diego Padres is currently the best closer in baseball. In 2019, he had an ERA of 1.19 and a WHIP of 0.88. He also had 41 saves, which was the most in baseball.
