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          Fantasy baseball closer stock watch: Slow and steady options save the day

          Batters may find it easier to pick the baseball up coming out of the hand of Cesar Valdez, but that doesn't mean he won't be earning enough saves to matter in fantasy. AP
          • Eric KarabellApr 27, 2021, 03:14 PM
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              Eric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments".
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          Perhaps the most glaring similarity between right-handers Mark Melancon of the San Diego Padres and Cesar Valdez of the Baltimore Orioles is that neither of these closers throws particularly hard, at least not by this era's standards. Melancon gets his fastball up to 92 mph but relies quite a bit on an effective curveball, and his ground ball rate is a ridiculous 72%. Well, that's not a lot different from Valdez! His ground ball rate is 62.1%, achieved mainly with an effective changeup. Valdez throws his fastball around 85 mph, which is not so fast.