Thus far, Kirby Yates has been the best reliever in baseball (2019 edition). It’s not actually clear whether the Padres, who are three games out of a playoff spot after enduring a sweep at the hands of the Braves, are keen on selling Yates, but if they are, and the Braves find themselves with an overwhelming urge to acquire a superlative performer, he’s out there.
What’s he done so far?
After blossoming into a dominant relief force in 2018 and finishing as a top-20 reliever, he’s kicked it up another notch in the year of the re-juiced ball, and leads MLB in fWAR and FIP-, as well as a top-10 rankings in ERA- and xFIP-.