Fantasy Baseball 2012: The Top 20 Closers on the Fantasy Market

Even though the 2012 baseball season is still over five months away, it's never too early to look at who the top closers in fantasy baseball will be.

Closers are an essential aspect of every fantasy baseball team. Not only do they pitch almost every night, but having a few solid relievers in your starting lineup can help you in every pitching category. The saves are just the cherry on top.

Here's a look at the Top 20 closers on the fantasy market in the coming 2012 season.

20. Joe Nathan

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 14/17

ERA: 4.84

WHIP: 1.16

Strikeouts: 54

Joe Nathan has the potential to be one of the steals of the draft. The Rangers are moving Neftali Feliz to the rotation, which has opened up a spot for Nathan to prove why he should still be considered one of the top closers in baseball.

Injuries have plagued Nathan for the past two years and actually forced him to miss all of 2010. If Nathan stays healthy and pitches like he did prior to to 2010, he could be a hidden gem to snag towards the end of the draft

19. Kyle Farnsworth

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 25/31

ERA: 2.18

WHIP: 0.99

Strikeouts: 51

Kyle Farnsworth isn't necessarily considered a true closer. He had a double-digit save total in 2005, but that's about all the major league experience he had at closing games going into last season.

Nonetheless, Farnsworth had a good year with the Rays in 2011 and is slated to retain his closing duties in 2012. He'll be a serviceable third closer if you're looking to dominate the saves category.

18. Sergio Santos

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 30/36

ERA: 3.55

WHIP: 1.11

Strikeouts: 92

Sergio Santos did an excellent job stepping in as the White Sox closer in 2011. He didn't allow a run in the first 20 innings he pitched, and was a perfect in his first six save opportunities.

His ERA fluctuated throughout the season, but he still ended up with a respectable 30 saves and a high strikeout total. After being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, expect Santos to have an abundance of save opportunities in 2012.

17. Chris Perez

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 36/40

ERA: 3.32

WHIP: 1.21

Strikeouts: 39

Chris Perez started off the 2011 season well. He had 21 saves in 22 opportunities with a 2.23 ERA through July 6th.

He wasn't able to finish strong, however, and his ERA inflated to 3.32 at the end of the season. A closer that isn't able to finish off a season strong is a big question mark. He doesn't strike out a lot of batters either. A 39/26 strikeout to walk ratio is not an impressive stat.

However, at the end of the day, Perez did accumulate 36 saves. That's all that really matters with closers in fantasy baseball.

16. Houston Street

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 29/33

ERA: 3.86

WHIP: 1.22

Strikeouts: 55

Houston Street was the Rookie of the Year in 2003 with the Oakland Athletics, but hasn't lived up to the hype since. He's posted an ERA under three and surpassed the 30-save mark only twice in his seven-year career.

He doesn't walk a lot of batters, but he doesn't strike out very many either. He's simply just an average closer in today's age.

15. Ryan Madson

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 32/34

ERA: 2.37

WHIP: 1.15

Strikeouts: 62

At the moment, Ryan Madson is not a closer because he is a free agent. Expect that to change soon since he emerged as one of the better closers in baseball last season. Whoever signs him eventually will certainly intend for him to close out games.

However, 2011 was Madson's first year acting as a closer. It'll be interesting to see how he builds on his success going into next season.

14. Carlos Marmol

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 34/44

ERA: 4.01

WHIP: 1.32

Strikeouts: 99

You know what you're going to get with Carlos Marmol. He's going to get you a decent amount of saves and quite a few strikeouts, but he's also going to drive you crazy.

Marmol is a loose cannon who's primed to blow any kind of lead on any given night. There is no doubting that he has some of the filthiest stuff in the game however. His fastball/curve ball combination is absolutely lethal.

For a second or third closer, Marmol would be an excellent pick. Just don't rely on him to be your No. 1 closer.

13. Jordan Walden

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 32/42

ERA: 2.98

WHIP: 1.24

Strikeouts: 67

Jonathan Walden had a solid rookie campaign for the Angels in 2011. He did convert 32 saves, but blowing 10 in the same season is nothing to write home about. I'm not saying Walden could've converted all of his saves, but the Angles did lose the AL West by 10 games...

It is, however, irrational to expect a rookie closer to pitch much better than Walden did. Craig Kimbrel blew eight saves himself, despite his incredible rookie season. Fully expect Walden to make strides in 2012.

12. Francisco Cordero

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 37/43

ERA: 2.45

WHIP: 1.02

Strikeouts: 42

Francisco Cordero's name has been swirling around the rumor mill, but it looks like he'll be staying in Cincinnati for the time being. He's been a quality closer his entire career, and has averaged 30 saves a season during a 13-year span.

Cordero isn't a sexy pick for a closer, but he's as consistent as they come.

11. Jonathan Papelbon

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 31/34

ERA: 2.94

WHIP: 0.93

Strikeouts: 87

Jonathan Papelbon has been somewhat on the decline during the past two seasons. It could be one of the reasons why the Red Sox were unwilling to sign him to a long-term contract.

After the brilliant start to his career, his ERA inflated to 3.90 in 2010 and a moderate 2.94 in 2011. Those aren't necessarily bad numbers, but it's an alarming trend for a closer on the wrong side of 30 years old.

The Phillies, however, were willing to roll the dice and gave him a four-year, $50 million contract to close out games in Philadelphia. He might not be the closer he used to be, but he'll certainly be effective.

10. Andrew Bailey

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 24/26

ERA: 3.24

WHIP: 1.10

Strikeouts: 41

In case you haven't heard, Andrew Bailey was just sent to the Boston Red Sox, directly resulting in his fantasy stock flying through the roof.

You have to worry about his injury history, however, since it's always worrisome to see a player with injury problems at a relatively young age. He's been injured the two previous years which has prevented him from eclipsing the 30-save mark each season.

However, he'll be receiving many more save opportunities than he did in Oakland. Expect Bailey, if he remains healthy, to have a big season in 2012.

9. Drew Storen

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 43/48

ERA: 2.75

WHIP: 1.02

Strikeouts: 74

Drew Storen will be a player to pay close attention to in 2012. He'll likely have a short leash due to Tyler Clippard nipping at his heels for the closer role.

Storen has impressive stuff. He's predominantly a two-pitch pitcher with his fastball and slider, but Mariano Rivera has proven to us that you only need one good pitch to be effective. Storen should have another fantastic year in 2012. Expect him to see more save opportunities due to the Nationals' improved roster.

8. J.J. Putz

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 45/49

ERA: 2.17

WHIP: 0.91

Strikeouts: 61

J.J. Putz was solid for the division champs in the NL West. He had a couple of excellent seasons with the Seattle Mariners in 2006 and 2007, and has now found a new home in Arizona. Putz has proven that he's capable of being a top-notch closer on a few separate occasions, so don't be afraid to take him early on.

7. Joel Hanrahan

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 40/44

ERA: 1.83

WHIP: 1.05

Strikeouts: 61

Many fantasy baseball owners were skeptical when drafting Joel Hanrahan last year. He always underperformed since he has some of the most electric stuff in baseball. Matt Capps was slated to be the closer in the beginning of the season, so Hanrahan was generally drafted in the later rounds.

But when Capps lost the job, Hanrahan stepped in and ran away with the job. His fastball was consistently topping out at 98 MPH, and he backed that up with his filthy slider. His ERA was the lowest out of all the closers in baseball.

You shouldn't need to worry about Hanrahan dropping off next year. He's always had the stuff to be a great closer in MLB.

6. Jose Valverde

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 49/49

ERA: 2.24

WHIP: 1.19

Strikeouts: 69

Yup, Jose Valverde was perfect last year. He converted every single save opportunity in 2011, which is truly a remarkable feat, especially since he had 49 opportunities to blow it.

It was a contract year for Valverde last year, and it'll be the same story in 2012 since the Tigers picked up his $9 million option. A pitcher during a contract year is always a dangerous thing for opponents. He did, however, pitch 72.1 innings last season which was the most in his career.

It'll be interesting to see if fatigue plays a factor in Valverde's 2012 campaign.

5. Brian Wilson

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 36/41

ERA: 3.11

WHIP: 1.47

Strikeouts: 54

Going into the 2011 season Brian Wilson was widely considered to be the best closer in baseball. He had a 1.81 ERA with 48 saves in 2010, and proved that he thrives in high-pressure situations by accumulating six saves during that postseason.

Injuries then plagued "The Beard's" 2011 campaign, but he was still effective when on the mound. He picked up 36 saves and posted a 3.11 ERA, which aren't bad numbers at all. If Wilson can manage to stay healthy in 2012, he'll be considered one of the premier closers in baseball once again.

4. Craig Kimbrel

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 46/54

ERA: 2.10

WHIP: 1.04

Strikeouts: 127

Talk about bursting onto the scene. Craig Kimbrel came out of nowhere and won the closer role over his teammate Johnny Venters, who had a fantastic season in his own right. His 127 strikeouts as a rookie reliever was the third-most all time, trailing Dick Radatz (144) and Mark Eichhorn (166).

One could be wary of the immense workload Kimbrel endured during his first full season in the big leagues. Seventy-seven innings pitched for a 23-year-old is a ton of mileage.

Plus, you have to factor in that Kimbrel could have a very short leash in 2012. The eighth-inning man, Johnny Venters, is primed to step in as the closer if Kimbrel happens to struggle. Kimbrel did blow eight saves last season.

I'm just sayin'.

3. Mariano Rivera

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 44/49

ERA: 1.91

WHIP: 0.90

Strikeouts: 60

I don't know how he does it, but Mariano Rivera continues to pitch at an elite level despite his 16 years of major league mileage. At 41 years old, Rivera managed to keep his ERA under two and his WHIP under one for the fourth straight season. He also surpassed the 30-save mark for the ninth-straight season.

Rivera is the definition of consistency, and that's exactly what you look for in a closer, fantasy or not. There's no reason to believe that this is the year that Rivera finally falls off.

2. Heath Bell

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 43/48

ERA: 2.44

WHIP: 1.15

Strikeouts: 51

Fantasy baseball owners should be salivating over the potential numbers that Heath Bell could put up in 2012. He signed a three-year deal with the Marlins: a team that will certainly score enough runs and create plenty of closing opportunities.

It does go both ways, however, considering that practically every game the Padres played in was a one or two-run game. This probably did inflate Bell's save totals in one way or another. Don't be afraid to make Bell one of the first relievers picked in the draft because his numbers won't change much while in Miami.

1. John Axford

2011 Statistics

Save/opportunities: 46/48

ERA: 1.95

WHIP: 1.14

Strikeouts: 86

John Axford is my favorite fantasy closer going into the 2012 season. In just his first season acting as the Brewers' full-time closer, he was nearly perfect converting 46 saves in 48 chances. His fast ball comes at you in the mid-90's, and his secondary pitches—curve ball and slider—keep the hitters on their toes.

If it wasn't for Brian Wilson, Axford would have the best facial hair out of all the pitchers in baseball. That intimidation factor has to count for something...