Thirteen -- count em, 13!!! -- of the 30 big league teams have had their closer roles change hands since the All-Star break, with five of those switches happening since Monday alone. Six of those 13 changed as a result of significant trades, and weve already seen three closers who have saved 20-plus games this season -- Jeremy Jeffress (27), Cody Allen (20) and Brad Ziegler (20) -- traded into situations where they stand little chance at padding those totals.Thats why its not a surprise that nine of the most-added players in ESPN leagues (as of Wednesday morning) are closers, while no other position absorbed as much change in the Going Forward Rankings as the relief pitchers. Simply handing a talented relief arm a potential 16 saves -- that was the average number accrued by the top 10 in the category from Aug. 3 forward last season -- swings a ranking as rapidly as anything, and this past week, a lot of very talented arms fell into that opportunity.To put into perspective what a closers job means -- and Im borrowing this concept here, I admit, though its one that has become more commonplace in the fantasy industry -- lets play a little game of Blind Résumés. ?The following stats have been accrued since (and including) Mothers Day (May 8):Player A: 35 G, 1.59 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 36.2 K%, .154 BAAPlayer B: 33 G, 2.12 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 43.2 K%, .179 BAAPlayer C: 36 G, 2.41 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 42.3 K%, .193 BAAPlayer D: 33 G, 1.74 ERA, 1.06 ERA, 37.3 K%, .209 BAAMost likely, youd have picked either Player A or B. Player A,?Kenley Jansen, is ranked No.1 among relief pitchers on the Player Rater.?Player B? Hes Andrew Miller, who will probably notch almost all of the Cleveland Indians saves going forward. Chances are, though, that you also took long looks at Players C and D, which is the point of this exercise: Theyre Dellin Betances?(C)?and Ken Giles?(D), the New York Yankees and Houston Astros new respective closers.Now add 16 saves to each of those stat lines. Not only are they remarkably similar players, but cant compelling cases be made that they should comprise four of the top five relief pitcher rankings spots? As is, Jansen (first), Miller (fourth) and Betances (sixth) made the top six, with the only reasons for Giles slotting in at 16th (15th if you remove relief-eligible starter Danny Duffy) being his early-season struggles coupled with more limited overall big league experience than the other three. Still, a compelling case could be made that Giles belongs as high as eighth, between Mark Melancon and Roberto Osuna.If were willing to ignore big league experience, incidentally, a fifth résumé could easily be added to the list:Player E: 25 G, 1.73 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 46.0 K%, .243 BAAThats the stat line of new Seattle Mariners closer Edwin Diaz, who could easily make a top-10 reliever case right now.And, as an aside, Zach Britton has a 0.00 ERA in his 33 games during that same time span.Here are some quick thoughts about a few starting pitchers...Clayton Kershaw is this weeks toughest to rank. Hes a former No. 1 overall player who is now a pitcher with a range of outcomes as wide as his not throwing another pitch in 2016 to making as many as nine more starts. Granted, the latter is much less likely than the former, but ranking -- nay, valuing for trade purposes -- Kershaw right now comes down to your risk aversity. My ranking below bakes in a seven-start projection, but also one that docks him slightly in the performance department (2.15 ERA and 1.01 WHIP). You might feel he wont pitch that effectively if/when he returns, or you might anticipate a different number of starts, so to give a sense of where hed slot in my rankings based on starts with those ratios:Nine more starts: No. 17 overall, No. 3 starting pitcher. Eight: No. 35 overall, No. 11 starting pitcher. Six: No. 52 overall, No. 15 starting pitcher. Five: No. 87 overall, No. 22 starting pitcher. Four: No. 168 overall, No. 45 starting pitcher. Three: No. 259 overall, No. 69 starting pitcher. With fewer than three starts, Kershaw wouldnt generate a meaningful ranking.From a scheduling standpoint, consider that, as of the games scheduled for Aug. 3, 13 is the most starts any individual could make for the rest of the season, barring a pitcher working on three-day rest at any point. The average team has 51.1 remaining games, which works out to 11.2 average starts per pitcher. Chances are, I might be somewhat optimistic about Kershaws rest-of-2016 prospects, but hes also earned that optimism.Ive been asked about my Noah Syndergaard ranking recently, especially in light of his decent performances in his past two starts. Its picking and choosing samples, but the statistical difference before and after the post-June 22 report that he was pitching through a bone spur in his elbow is stark:Before: 14 GS, 1 GR, 8 W, 12 QS, 2.08 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 30.8 K%After: 6 GS, 1 W, 3 QS, 3.62 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 28.4 K%Rankings arent entirely about projections; theres also a bit of feel involved. Gerrit Cole is such an example -- a far more talented starting pitcher than what he has shown in Player Rater terms over the past year and a half. Hes more capable of missing bats than this, and I wonder whether he might lean more on his breaking pitches (curveball and slider) knowing now that he needs to carry this Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff going forward. Since the beginning of 2014, and among pitchers with at least 50 starts, Coles 39.3 percent miss rate on swings against his breaking pitches ranked 14th out of 114, and only 22 pitchers induced more than Coles 199 whiffs with breaking balls during that time span, despite the fact that 39 pitchers went to the breaking ball more often with two strikes.New ESPN position eligibilityThe following players added new position eligibility within the past two weeks. As a reminder, position players need to appear 10 times at a new position to gain in-season eligibility, while pitchers need to make three starts to earn starting-pitching eligibility or five relief appearances to earn relief-pitching eligibility.Mike Aviles (2B), Joel De La Cruz (SP), Brandon Drury (2B), Carson Fulmer (RP), Matt Holliday (1B), Edwin Jackson (SP), Seth Lugo (RP), Jonathon Niese (RP), Jace Peterson (OF), Miguel Rojas (3B).The following players are within two games of earning new eligibility, with their total games played noted at the listed position.Cristhian Adames (2B, 9 games), Emilio Bonifacio (OF, 8 games), Daniel Castro (3B, 9 games), Ji-Man Choi (OF, 9 games), Christian Colon (3B, 8 games), Chase dArnaud (2B, 9 games), Ivan De Jesus (3B, 8 games), Daniel Descalso (1B, 9 games), Nick Franklin (OF, 8 games), Adam Frazier (2B, 9 games), Paul Janish (3B, 9 games), Raul Mondesi (2B, 8 games), Daniel Murphy (1B, 8 games), Gregorio Petit (3B, 8 games), Tyler Saladino (2B, 8 games), Ronald Torreyes (SS, 8 games), Kennys Vargas (1B, 8 games).Going-forward rankings: Week 17Listed below are my updated, going-forward rankings. 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Isco Jersey . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. The past three days have been a whirlwind for Brittany Lang. Since Sunday, after winning the U.S. Womens Open in Cordevalle Golf Club in California in a playoff, she has done countless interviews, responded to hundreds of congratulatory texts and found herself in Toledo, Ohio, for the next stop on the LPGA Tour.In her 10-year career on the LPGA Tour, she has played steadily and represented the U.S. four times in Solheim Cup. Her best finishes in majors have also come at past U.S. Opens with a second-, fifth- and seventh-place finish. So it should be no surprise that her first major win took place at the U.S. Womens Open.I spoke with Lang and her husband Kevin Spann, who nervously watched her during the final round. The couple famously got engaged at the North Texas Shootout in Dallas when Spann proposed to Lang as she walked off the green after missing the cut. Exactly how did he ask? He said, Can I watch you play golf the rest of our lives?Needless to say, he will continue to watch her in a lot more majors:espnW: I have to start with this: you were the first player to come up to me during my rookie year on the Tour and say, Hey, if you need anything, let me know. Ill show you the ropes. That moment with you in the locker room in Hawaii was actually one of the highlights of my year because I felt so welcomed, like I belonged. I became a forever fan of yours from then on out.Brittany Lang: Well, I knew you were from Oklahoma, so I thought, Im going to like this chick, because I love people from there (Langs husband is from Oklahoma).espnW: Youve been playing well the last few weeks prior to the big win. What was your feeling going into the U.S. Open? Did you have in the back of your mind, I could this win this?Lang: You know, I always thought I would win a U.S. Open. I knew I had the physical ability, so Ive been working hard on my mental ability. Ive gotten mentally stronger, Ive played well all year, and when I played in Arkansas a couple weeks ago I thought, Man, Im playing so good. Im hitting it long. Im putting the best Ive ever putted. Then I played a round back in Texas with my husband right before the Open and I said, I dont say this very often, but I love where my game is right now.Kevin Spann: You know, people were texting me during the tournament when they were watching it on TV and kept saying, She looks so calm and confident and so sure of herself. Ive kept telling her that shes playing good golf and to keep doing what shes doing and that it would eventually pay off. She was really comfortable with all the clubs in her bag, too, which I think played a huge part in her success during the week.espnW: Brittany, why do you think you havent felt that great about your game before?Lang: I know Ive always had so much physical ability, but it has come down to working on my confidence. I did not believe in my ability, which held me back. I committed during the tournament to be in my process no matter what happens. I focused on hitting my targets, not worrying about the crowds or the TV cameras, and specifically on what I was doing in that moment. To know that I went through with it, and committed to my process -- that has given me so much confidence.espnW: When you knew you were going to be in a playoff against Anna Nordqvist, did you feel calm or nervous? She shot the low round of the day at 5 under, so did that come into your mind at all?Lang: I wasnt nervous. Judging by the crowds, it kind of felt like I was winning, and I thought I had gotten it done. Then I heard I had to be in a playoff, I was kind of like, Oh my god. More golf? I also know what a great player Anna is, and I knew it was going to be a tough task, so I knew I had to stay committed to my process. But to be honest with you, I was pretty tired, which I think worked out in my favor becaause I didnt have the energy to be super nervous.ddddddddddddespnW: Kevin, you looked pretty nervous during the playoff. It was like I could feel the tension through the television.Spann: It was so nerve-wracking.espnW: Brittany, I?know Anna is a really good friend of yours. When she was assessed a two-stroke penalty for grounding the club in the sand on your second playoff hole, did that change your strategy?Lang: First of all, Anna is a really great of friend of mine and a great player. It was really sad for it to happen the way it did. As Ive said before, you want to win because you birdie a hole, not because someone gets a penalty. But when I heard she was penalized, I put my lob wedge back in the bag and my brother [and caddie] said, We gotta hit the sand wedge out to the right and avoid all trouble on the left. It was the right thing to do in a situation like that.espnW: What did winning the U.S. Open mean to you?Lang: Number one, Im an American and this is my countrys Open. Ive always had a huge respect for the USGA ever since I played my first Open at Cherry Hills. I love how they set the courses up. They make it tough but fair. Also, its every American girl golfers dream to win the U.S. Open. When we grow up playing we say, This putt is to win the U.S. Open. We never say, This putt is to win the British Open.espnW: Kevin, whats been the best moment for you on the golf course with Brittany? Her accepting your marriage proposal or her winning the U.S. Open?Spann: When I asked her to marry me, I knew she was going to say yes. We had talked about it before and I knew where we were headed, which was exciting. On Sunday, I didnt know that she was going to win the U.S. Open. There was this element of accomplishment because shes always told me, Look, if I could win any tournament on this planet, its a lifelong dream of mine to win the U.S. Open. For her to literally accomplish her lifelong dream, and to realize she actually did it, that was the most exciting moment for me. You know, she called me Tuesday morning and said, Hey babe, Im the U.S. Open champion. And she kept saying it over and over again, and Im like, I know you are. But shes just so excited, and she deserves to be.espnW: During the trophy presentation, the president of the USGA, Diana Murphy, accidentally called you Bethany four times. You looked a little uncertain as to whether you should go up and accept your trophy. Do you think a lot of the girls are going to start calling you Bethany now?Lang: Oh, they already have. I feel so bad for Diana, though, because its so not a big deal to me. But Ill admit, I was confused because I didnt know if I should go up there.espnW: What are your post-celebration plans?Lang: Im so excited to get back to McKinney, Texas, and see everyone who has supported me over the years. I wont get my trophy back for a few weeks, but when I get it, we are definitely going to have some parties and everyone will get to see it. When I won my first tournament on the LPGA at Manulife, so many people came out and said, Weve been following you since you were a little girl, and its like, really? It just amazes me that people care that much and its really cool.espnW: Do you think youre going to use the fact that youre a U.S. Open champion to win arguments with your husband?Lang: I think if I do anything, it will be when were playing golf together. If I tell Kevin, Hey, that breaks right, and he says, No, it breaks left, Ill probably say, Excuse me, but are you a U.S. Open champion?Spann: Actually, I think if shes wanting to get her way with something Ill be more likely to say, Alright, alright. Whatever you want, cause youre the U.S. Open champion. White NFL Jerseys Cheap Cheap Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Hoodies Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys ' ' '