Fantasy Index

header banner img
PRESEASON CHEAT SHEETS START MONDAY JULY 29
Win here.

Fantasy Baseball Index

Bautista, Williams win Reliever of the Year honors

Major League Baseball awarded the 2023 Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award to the Baltimore Orioles' Felix Bautista and the 2023 Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year honors to the Milwaukee Brewers' Devin Williams.

In his second year in the majors, Bautista earned 33 saves and finished with an 8-2 record. The Dominican Republic native posted a 1.48 earned run average in 61 innings pitched. Bautista struck out 110 batters while giving up only 26 walks.

Those numbers earned him an All-Star nod and some votes for the AL Cy Young Award. Bautista's ERA ranks second among pitchers with at least 60 innings and 80 percent in relief mode, and his 0.92 WHIP is third-best. Meanwhile, his 16.2 strikeouts per nine innings ranks first.

Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery abruptly ended his sophomore campaign with Baltimore. However, he’s a massive reason for their 101 regular-season victories, their highest win total since 1979. It’s Bautista’s first Reliever of the Year Award and the second Orioles player to claim the honor after Zack Britton did in 2016.

Meanwhile, Devin Williams takes home his second Reliever of the Year Award after earning 36 saves and an 8-3 record. He finished the 2023 season with a 1.53 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts in 58.2 innings pitched. Like Bautista, he also earned an All-Star nod and gained votes for the NL MVP race.

Williams first won the award during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. It’s the fifth time since 2014 that a Brewers player took home the trophy, with the other three won by Josh Hader. Williams helped the Brewers clinch the NL Central with a 92-70 record.

Unfortunately, the Arizona Diamondbacks swept them during the Wild Card round. Bautista and Williams also won the Sporting News Relief Pitcher of the Year Award.

-Lance Fernandez

Fantasy Index