Sleeper of the Week

So far so good for Brandon Lyon. In his debut as Arizona’s closer - and first major league action since 2003 - he went 1.2 innings to wrap up the Diamondbacks’ 5-4 victory over the Cubs, fanning one and allowing just one hit. Can he keep it up, or will he be just one more casualty of Arizona’s ever-revolving closer carousel?

The problem with Lyon has always been the high number of baserunners he has allowed. After posting a solid 1.24 WHIP as a starter for the Blue Jays in his 2001 rookie campaign, that value jumped to 1.56 in 2002 and stayed at that level when he joined Boston’s bullpen. Injuries kept him out of the big leagues in 2004, allowing him to appear in just six forgettable games for AAA Tucson (2.28 WHIP). His strikeout ratios also never seemed to suggest that the righty would be particularly suited for closing, although his 7.63 K/9 in 2003 was a marked improvement over previous seasons.

This spring, however, Lyon surprisingly beat out Greg Aquino for Arizona’s closer’s spot, and as long as he can hold down the job, he’ll have value in roto leagues. His first save is bound to provide a confidence boost, and Aquino’s disastrous April 4 outing (four earned runs in one inning of work) certainly doesn’t hurt Lyon’s prospects, either.

For now, give Lyon the benefit of the doubt and consider him a viable lower-tier closer option. Keep a very close eye on his WHIP and K/BB ratios, however. If those numbers start to worsen, it’s probably time to unload him even if he isn’t blowing saves yet.