Ryan Walker DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Ryan Walker was called upon to hold a one-run lead against the New York Yankees on Sunday. It wasn't easy as Walker threw 18 pitches to earn his fourth save of the season. He didn't allow any baserunners and stuck out one batter as well. It appears the Giants have a lockdown closer on their hands. When healthy, Walker is one of the best relief pitchers in all of baseball. The Giants have been playing winning baseball which has given Walker plenty of save chances. That being said, Walker needs to be rostered in basically all fantasy formats right now.

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Ryan Walker (back) was unavailable to take the mound during Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Instead, Camilo Doval was called upon to hold a three-run lead in the ninth inning. Doval did a nice job as he tossed a scoreless inning and recorded one strikeout for his first save of the season. Manager Bob Melvin said Walker is dealing with back tightness, but it's believed to be a minor issue. The expectation is that Walker will be ready to go within the next few days. Fantasy managers should monitor this situation. Doval would be worth adding if Walker does end up missing some time.

San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said on Wednesday that right-handed reliever Ryan Walker will open the season as the team's closer. Walker took over as the Giants' closer in the second half last year and never looked back after Camilo Doval was removed from the ninth-inning role. All in all, the 29-year-old was excellent with a 1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 99 strikeouts, 18 walks, 10 wins, 10 saves and 21 holds in 80 innings pitched for San Fran. Walker's 26.9 K-BB percentage ranked 10th in the league as well. The former 31st-round pick has been rewarded for his breakout 2024 campaign and should now be considered a top-10 fantasy closer now that he's officially been named the team's primary closer entering the 2025 season. Walker's biggest threat to closing duties if he struggles will probably be Doval if he's able to bounce back.