This is a companion piece to our 2023 Dynasty League Rankings. The opinions below are my own and do not reflect the TDG consensus.

JOSH HADER, SAN DIEGO PADRES (AGE: 29, RANK: 3)

Josh Hader had a 5.22 ERA in 2022, but almost all the damage came during an awful stretch from July 13 to the end of August. He had just become a father for the first time after his wife had complications during pregnancy, he was the constant subject of trade rumors before finally being dealt to the Padres, and he had arm slot issues. I’m willing to give him a mulligan because of the extenuating circumstances, and because of how good he was before and after. For the first three months of the season, as well as September and the postseason, he looked like the guy who was our top-ranked reliever each of the past three years.

Hader only dropped to third in our rankings, but confidence in him has taken a hit. In a TDG dynasty mock draft, I took him with the 117^th pick. Emmanuel Clase went 49^th and Edwin Diaz 70^th. Speaking of Diaz, remember when he had a 5.59 ERA in 2019? Anyone who traded for him at the time is probably pretty happy about how it turned out. This could be a similar opportunity to deal for Hader.

BRUSDAR GRATEROL, LOS ANGELES DODGERS (AGE: 24, RANK: 48)

Name a 24-year-old relief pitcher who throws 100 MPH and has a 63 percent groundball rate. There are two correct answers – Brusdar Graterol and Emmanuel Clase. Prospect fatigue may be setting in on Graterol, who has yet to turn his impressive skillset into much fantasy production. He’s still very young for an RP though, and improved in just about every statistical category in 2022. If he can settle into a late-inning role for the perennial power Dodgers, his upside is huge. He may never be a big strikeout guy, but Clase has shown us that isn’t a necessity for a high-velocity groundball machine.

GARRETT CROCHET, CHICAGO WHITE SOX (AGE: 24, RANK: 69)

PSA: Garrett Crochet still exists. The young lefty generated a lot of buzz when he showed up in MLB in 2020 without ever pitching a minor-league game and blew triple-digit heat past hitters. The hype machine (and his fastball) slowed down during a decent but unspectacular 2021, then stopped entirely when he missed all of 2022 after having Tommy John surgery. His exact return date and long-term role aren’t clear, but he’s worth keeping an eye on. If he starts hitting 100 on the radar gun again, he could shoot right back up the rankings.