9 Bold Fantasy Baseball Predictions for 2019
Jose Leclerc Will Finish as a Top-3 Closer
NFBC ADP: 118.14
Position Rank: 12
| Projections | IP | Saves | ERA | WHIP | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Season | 57.7 | 12 | 1.56 | 0.85 | 38.1% |
| THE BAT | 65 | -- | 3.34 | 1.31 | -- |
| Steamer | 65 | 21 | 3.64 | 1.32 | 30.7% |
| numberFire | 58 | 28 | 2.94 | 1.07 | -- |
Many folks may still be unsure of Jose Leclerc, the Texas Rangers closer who surged down the back half of the 2018 season. Ignore him at your own peril.
After the All-Star Break, Leclerc tied for seventh in the league with 12 saves and ranked sixth with a whopping 40.7% strikeout rate, posting a 0.73 ERA (third). Leclerc's previous issues have all stemmed around his command -- he's consistently posted a double-digit walk rate, and he owned a 11.2% walk rate in 2018.
If Leclerc, Texas' newly-affirmed closer, can harness that command, the sky's the limit. His miniscule 26.4% hard-hit rate last year shows he's pretty tough to square up, giving further credence to his 19.5% swinging-strike rate in the back half of the year. Take the discount on this premium closer who should rack up a good amount of saves even on a weaker Rangers team.
