Major League Baseball Saves Leader Prop

Making Case for Clase

We are hours away from the start of the 2023 MLB season. Let’s look at one more prop wager that you may want to ride with this season. The MLB saves leader odds gives us another chance to jump on board with some familiar names and one that may not be considered by many but is worth a shot.

Last year’s MLB statistics will help get a pool of names to consider but handicapping this prop also has an element of team handicapping because you want to make sure you bet the closer that you think will be in a position to close games more than the other betting options. Tomorrow we start handicapping MLB betting lines but before that, let’s load up on one more prop wager.

Guardians Don’t Need 90 for Clase

Last season the Cleveland Guardians hit the 92-win mark, helped by 42 saves from Emmanuel Clase. This season Cleveland is projected to win 85-89 games presenting the question of will the Guardians get Clase the opportunities he had last season.

His nearest competitor, Kenley Jansen, had 41 saves for the Braves but might give Clase some breathing room this season as Jansen is expected to have far less than his save total of a season ago with a team that is projected to finish under .500. Jansen has fallen to +1800 (11th Choice) to start the season.

Then you sprinkle in the injury to the Mets‘ Edwin Diaz who would have been at least a co-favorite with Clase. Diaz, who was hurt at the World Baseball Classic, will be out the entire season. Some sites have Clase’s save total at 35.5, so it’s clear they expect a drop in production as do we.

Romano Getting Attention From Bettors

Jordan Romano may not get the national attention that he deserves but the Toronto Blue Jays closer will have plenty of chances to improve on his 36 save total of 2022. May expect the Blue Jays to exceed their 92-win season of a year ago with fewer games against the Yankees and Rays, something we and bettors agree with.

Over the last couple of weeks, Romano (+750) went ahead of Josh Hader (+800) at most books. Not that Spring Training is something to lean your handicapping on but it was hard to not be impressed with every aspect of John Schneider’s team. The Jays’ season win total is 91.5 ( u -115) but we feel they’ll exceed that allowing Romano to close the six-save gap between him and Clase.

As we’ve mentioned in previous previews, it’s always a plus when you have a wager on a player that plays for a team with a chip on their shoulder and the Jays have exactly that after being dismissed in last year’s wild-card round against Seattle Mariners. No one is more motivated than Romano who had to live with an 8-1 blown lead that led to the Jays’ playoff demise. Expect Toronto and Roman to make a statement.

Jansen At +1800 Is Still Worth a Long Shot Wager

There was a time with the Dodgers that any time Kenley Jansen set foot on the mound it was going to be a 50/50 proposition whether the 3-time all-star would have multiple ducks on the pond. The 6-5 right hander figured it out last year with the Atlanta Braves with 41 saves.

That was his best output since having 41 in 2017 for Los Angeles. You could tell there were times when Jansen battled confidence which ultimately led to his departure from the Dodgers in 2021 after failing to come to an agreement. The Braves snatched him up five months later and Jansen was reborn.

The 2020 World Series winner was signed by the Red Sox in December for two years at $16 million per. Besides the fact that Boston will not win as many games as the Braves, thus diluting Jansen’s save opportunities, we need to keep a close eye on a problem Jansen had in Spring Training with dizziness.

It may be nothing but these small things should give bettors some pause with how much of their bankroll they’ll put behind the righty. However, as long as we know Jansen still has 40 in him, +1800 is worth a small wager.

That concluded our look at the MLB saves leader odds. Our final recommendation is to jump on Romano with a smaller wager on Clase who should have another terrific season. All the best this season, can’t wait to get started.

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