The Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim is the first club to ride the closer carousel, promoting Jordan Walden to the close position after veteran Fernando Rodney’s shaky performance against the Royals.
Walden was drafted in the 12th round of the 2006 amateur draft after attending Grayson County College in Denison Texas. He quickly made a name for himself in the minor leagues as a hard-throwing pitcher, with a fastball that has been clocked at over 100 mph on numerous occasions.
In 16 appearances in 2010, Walden posted an impressive 2.35 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 7 walks while giving up only one home run. He brings an aura of confidence and swagger to the bullpen, and appears to be the antithesis of the visibly flustered Fernando Rodney who has struggled this season.
Walden is currently available in 44 percent of Yahoo Leagues, however that number will likely decrease as he continues to rack up saves. He is a must add in all formats and could be this year’s Matt Capps or Kevin Gregg.
This article was originally published on www.kramericasports.com, the home of free fantasy baseball news, rankings and advice.
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