Veteran Atlanta Braves reliever A.J. Minter figured to have an expanded role to begin the season with closer Raisel Iglesias beginning the season on the IL, and he has answered the bell through the first week. Given the current dynamic in the Braves bullpen, A.J. Minter’s fantasy baseball ranking is on the rise.
Is A.J. Minter Worth A Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickup?
A true, reliable closer may be the hardest thing to come by in fantasy baseball. And while Minter’s value may only last for as long as Iglesias remains shelved, he could certainly provide an immediate jolt to any roster.
Minter was expected to split time with Joe Jimenez to hold down the closer spot for Iglesias, but it appears Minter is the guy for the ninth inning for the time being. While Minter has just one save on the season, he also closed out the ninth in a non-save situation, and got the call in the ninth when the Braves were tied with the Padres on Wednesday.
The left-hander wiggled out of some trouble to hold the Padres off the board and ended up earning the win when Orlando Arcia delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.
Coming into the season, Braves manager Brian Snitker admitted to CBS Sports Minter would be the “obvious” candidate to hold the closer role while Iglesias recovers, but admitted some matchups might come into play.
Through seven games, Minter surely looks like the closer, and it will likely remain that way until Iglesias returns from the shoulder injury.
It was initially believed that Iglesias would only need to be on the IL for about a month or so, but reports are now surfacing that the recovery process is not going as well as the organization would have liked.
“Until he starts throwing again, we don’t know about him,” said Snitker, per SI.
Minter is coming off a strong 2022 season, going 5-4 with a 2.06 ERA in 75 appearances. Despite a shaky Spring Training, he has picked up right where he left off in 2023, and has not yet yielded a run.
The A.J. Minter fantasy baseball ownership is on the rise after the first week of the season. And with Iglesias’ status still in question, he is definitely worth a roster spot.
Those looking for more ways to capitalize from the start of the MLB season should check out OddsShopper tools to find the best betting value!
