We're a few weeks out from the MLB All-Star Game—roughly the midway point of the season. Let's ensure we have the best closers possible!
Arizona Diamondbacks
Since May 18th, Mark Melancon has a 3.09 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 11.2 innings with no walks and eight strikeouts while converting four of his five save chances. He is 11-for-13 in closing situations on the year, with plenty of work needed to correct his poor start to the season. Ian Kennedy only pitched two-thirds of an inning over the past week with no runs, one hit, and one walk. He has a 2.57 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over his last seven innings, with three walks and eight strikeouts. Joe Mantiply extended his shutout run to 16.1 innings with 12 hits, no walks, and 22 strikeouts.
Atlanta Braves
Kenley Jansen pitched like a stud over his previous six scoreless innings, leading to no walks, eight strikeouts, and four saves. He has 18 saves in his 21 chances while offering an edge in strikeouts (41 over 29.2 innings) and WHIP (0.91). Will Smith turned the corner over his last five innings (no runs, two hits, and five strikeouts). A.J. Minter saw his 21-inning shutout streak end on June 17th when he gave up a walk and a run over one inning.
Baltimore Orioles
Zeros continued to pile up for Jorge Lopez as he improved his run of scoreless innings to 15.1. Over this span, his command (one walk) has been well above his previous skill set, helping him secure seven saves with 14 strikeouts. Lopez failed to hold the lead in two of his 11 closing chances. Felix Bautista extended his shutout run to 13.1 innings with 13 strikeouts, three wins, and seven holds.
