Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
After 12 seasons in the major leagues it appears that Texas Rangers RP Joe Nathan is actually getting better with age. He was previously considered just a mid-level closer, but the veteran has once again proven that he can be an elite fantasy baseball closer.
Nathan has already closed out 20 games this season, compared to just one blown save. The veteran has a near invisible 0.80 WHIP, while his 1.71 ERA is the lowest that it has been in six years. Nathan has completely shutdown the competition in the ninth inning and has been one of the most consistent closers in the American League.
Nathan has only allowed one hit in his last 12 appearances, which was ironically a home run. Regardless of the one blunder in the stretch, though, Nathan has been impossible for batters to track. He is constantly confusing hitters with his fastball/ slider combination and has left several stars walking off the field muttering to themselves.
The Hot Dog Man has already walked eight batters, which isn’t too alarming, but it is if you consider that he only walked 13 batters all of last year. His WHIP is still well under 1.00 though, so he is clearly not allowing much more than the occasional base runner.
Nathan has once again anchored the closer spot for fantasy owners. He finished with 37 saves during the 2012 season and is on pace to finish with very similar numbers this year.
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
