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Mark Melancon
Mark Melancon
34-Year-Old PitcherRP
Atlanta Braves
2019 Stats
W-L
5-2
ERA
3.92
WHIP
1.39
K
64
SV
11
Rest-of-Season Projections
W-L
ERA
WHIP
K
SV
Unlock Our Projections
2019 Fantasy Outlook
Melancon underwent forearm surgery in September of 2017 and hit the disabled list with an elbow flexor strain in March. After returning June 1, the righty posted his lowest K/9 since his 2009 rookie year and his highest BB/9 since 2010. During the second half his cutter velocity kicked back up, but Melancon will need to fix his walk rate to help offset his diminishing strikeout punch. At least Melancon still has the groundballs -- he has posted at least a 50% groundball rate in all but one big-league season. To no one’s surprise, the 34-year-old didn’t opt out of his albatross contract, which may force San Francisco to keep him hovering around the closer discussion, but even with the improved form from late in 2018, his skills don’t befit an endgamer. We'll bet on Will Smith taking the job, leaving Melancon to gather holds and vulture occasional wins in the middle innings. Read Past Outlooks
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RANKSFrom Preseason
#542
ADP
#Subscriber-Only
Overall
#Subscriber-Only
Reliever
Add To Watchlist
League Majors
Bats R
Throws R
40 Man Yes
Height 6'1"
Weight 214
DOB 3/28/1985
Born Wheat Ridge, CO
College Arizona
Drafted 9th Rd 2006 NYY
$Signed a four-year, $62 million contract with the Giants in December of 2016. Traded to the Braves in July of 2019.
Records 11th save
PAtlanta Braves
September 11, 2019
Melancon allowed two hits but didn't yield a run during the ninth inning to record his 11th save in a 3-1 victory against the Phillies on Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
The veteran closer is a perfect 10-for-10 in save chances since receiving his first with Atlanta on Aug. 13. There have been plenty of opportunities as well with the Braves winning 11 of the last 13. Melancon is 5-2 with 11 saves, 3.92 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 64 strikeouts in 62 innings with the Giants and Braves this season.
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Pitching Stats
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Innings Per Game Average
1.02
Last 10 Games Average
0.93
Last 5 Games Average
1.00
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
What part of the game does Mark Melancon generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
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Extra
 
 
 
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Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
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Extra
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2017
 
 
-1%
BAA vs LHP
2019
 
 
-10%
BAA vs RHP
2018
 
 
-13%
BAA vs RHP
2017
 
 
-32%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2017vs Left .290 230 53 19 61 10 2 2
Since 2017vs Right .292 338 71 19 92 16 1 7
2019vs Left .299 96 23 9 26 4 1 0
2019vs Right .269 168 41 9 42 5 0 4
2018vs Left .328 64 17 5 19 3 0 0
2018vs Right .287 110 14 9 29 6 1 2
2017vs Left .246 70 13 5 16 3 1 2
2017vs Right .362 60 16 1 21 5 0 1
More Splits→ View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2017
 
 
-50%
ERA at Home
2019
 
 
-34%
ERA at Home
2018
 
 
-54%
ERA at Home
2017
 
 
-70%
ERA at Home
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2017Home 2.64 1.28 71.2 4 2 14 9.2 2.1 0.4
Since 2017Away 5.31 1.67 59.1 3 6 11 7.7 3.2 0.9
2019Home 3.18 1.41 34.0 3 0 7 9.8 2.4 0.5
2019Away 4.82 1.36 28.0 2 2 4 8.7 2.9 0.6
2018Home 2.11 1.36 21.1 1 2 3 7.6 2.1 0.0
2018Away 4.58 1.87 17.2 0 2 0 6.6 4.6 1.0
2017Home 2.20 0.92 16.1 0 0 4 9.9 1.7 0.6
2017Away 7.24 2.05 13.2 1 2 7 7.2 2.0 1.3
More Splits→ View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Mark Melancon compare to other relievers?
This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against this season's data (min 20 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
3.56
 
K/9
9.3
 
BB/9
2.6
 
HR/9
0.6
 
Fastball
92.1 mph
 
ERA
3.92
 
WHIP
1.39
 
BABIP
.366
 
GB/FB
4.11
 
Left On Base
72.1%
 
Exit Velocity
89.0 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
2.2%
 
Spin Rate
2409 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
36.1%
 
Swinging Strike
10.4%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
Heading into the 2017 season, hopes were high that Melancon's reliable arm could cure San Francisco's bullpen woes. Unfortunately, a series of injuries shortened Melancon's season. Multiple trips to the disabled list with a recurring forearm and elbow injury limited Melancon to just 30 innings over 32 games, a significant decline after four straight seasons with at least 72 appearances. Ultimately, Melancon had season-ending pronator surgery in September to fix his elbow. When healthy, he wasn't as effective as he'd been previously as he picked up just 11 saves while blowing five opportunities and ended the season with a 4.50 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, his highest marks since 2012. However, bad luck could have played a role, as opponents posted a .374 BABIP with Melancon on the mound. Despite his down year, Melancon will serve as San Francisco's closer next season and should be fully healthy when spring training arrives, making him a prime candidate for a bounce-back season.
Melancon was once again dominant in 2016, and while his strikeout rate is no longer above 9.0 per nine innings, his elite cutter produces as much weak contact and as many easy outs as any pitch in the majors. He hasn't allowed a BABIP above .275 in three seasons, and a HR/9 rate above 0.47 in four. The 32-year-old right-hander didn't miss a beat after being dealt to the Nationals at the deadline, and his 98 saves over the last two seasons lead the majors. The Giants signed him to a four-year contract in the offseason, and while his lack of an overpowering fastball does cause him to get overlooked when the league's best closers get named, Melancon's track record of success is a match for anyone's. Expect him to continue his exceptional run in San Francisco.
Melancon led the majors with 51 saves in 2015, recovering from a shaky April when his fastball didn’t touch 90 mph. The 31-year-old set a club record with 35 straight saves — he blew only two save opportunities all season — courtesy of a devastating cutter. His finished with a 7.28 K/9 rate, his lowest in seven years, but the results were never better. Neither Melancon nor the team ever stated what led to his diminished velocity, but he regained speed as the season went along. So long as the reliever demonstrates impeccable command — he boasts a 203:33 K:BB ratio in three years with Pittsburgh — there’s reason to believe he’ll remain one of the top closers in the majors.
Melancon finally took over for an ineffective Jason Grilli as Pittsburgh's closer in early May and never looked back. Armed with a cutter learned from former teammate, Mariano Rivera, the 28-year-old right-hander converted 33 of 37 save opportunities and added 14 holds. The Pirates seem to like Melancon more as a setup man but really have no one better to close out games. He allowed 51 hits in 71 innings and fashioned an impressive 71:11 K:BB ratio, compiling a 1.90 ERA and career-low 0.87 WHIP. He remains ahead of lefty Tony Watson in the bullpen pecking order and the team is still finding out how to use newcomer John Holdzkom, making it likely Melancon closes again for Pittsburgh in 2015.
Melancon is expected to serve as Pittsburgh's primary setup man for closer Jason Grilli again in 2014. He collected 26 holds during the first four months before a Grilli injury gave him a chance to close, where the cut-fastball extraordinaire saved 16 games. Melancon's numbers -- 1.39 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 70:8 K:BB ratio -- show his dominance. Right-handed batters seemed to figure him out late in the year, taking his pitches opposite field to the tune of a .286 OBA. Lefties hit just .148/.168/.189 against the right-hander. Fantasy owners wonder whether Melancon's 4.22 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in September was a blip on the radar or a sign of future performance in 2014.
Melancon flamed out spectacularly in April last season and was sent to Triple-A Pawtucket before the month was over. He pitched better in his stay with the PawSox, and was eventually recalled to Boston in June. He had a sneaky good September, while closer Andrew Bailey finished poorly. Making things more interesting, Melancon was sent to Pittsburgh in December as part of the Joel Hanrahan deal. It's expected that Melancon will be the next in line for saves if Jason Grilli is unable to handle the ninth-inning role for the Bucs.
An injury to Brandon Lyon opened the door for Melancon to take over the closing duties for the Astros last season. He doesn't have overpowering stuff, but Melancon responded to the opportunity with a strong 2.78 ERA and 1.224 WHIP, while racking up eight wins and 20 saves. Melancon is an extreme groundball pitcher, posting the fourth highest groundball rate for a reliever pitching at least 70 innings in the National League last year. It's no wonder he's able to keep the ball in the park. The Astros traded Melancon to the Red Sox in December, where he'll set up for Andrew Bailey.
Melancon came over to the Astros in the deal that sent Lance Berkman to the Bronx. He has a live arm and a good mentality for the bullpen. Control has often been a problem, but continued success at making batters miss mitigates the impact. With Matt Lindstrom traded to Colorado, Melancon is one step closer to getting save chances should anything happen to Brandon Lyon this season.
Melancon carried over his 2008 success into 2009, posting a 2.89 ERA and 54:11 K:BB ratio in 32 Triple-A relief appearances. He was adequate in 16.1 innings with the Yankees, and the team still views him as a potential closer down the road because of his temperament and pitching arsenal, highlighted by a sinking fastball that can touch 95 mph and a power curve. He’ll compete for a bullpen spot with the Yankees this season.
Returning from a missed season in 2007 due to Tommy John surgery, Melancon actually came back very strong last season while starting the year at High-A Tampa and eventually finishing at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. Melancon racked up 96 innings of relief over three levels and managed to improve his strikeout rate at each stop. In his arsenal, Melancon has a low-90s fastball that can still touch 95 mph along with a power curveball and a tough changeup. A set-up role at some point in 2009 isn't out of the question and he could win an Opening Day spot in the bullpen. Long term, Melancon profiles as a potential successor to Mariano Rivera as the team's closer.
More Fantasy News
Notches 10th save
PAtlanta Braves
September 8, 2019
Melancon struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his 10th save of the season in a 5-4 win over the Nationals.
ANALYSIS
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Strikes out side in save
PAtlanta Braves
September 2, 2019
Melancon struck out the side in the ninth to nail down a 6-3 victory and earn his ninth save against the Blue Jays.
ANALYSIS
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Notches eighth save
PAtlanta Braves
September 1, 2019
Melancon struck out one batter in a perfect ninth inning Sunday, earning the save over the White Sox.
ANALYSIS
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Picks up sixth save
PAtlanta Braves
August 25, 2019
Melancon notched the save Sunday against the Mets after allowing one run on three hits over one inning of work.
ANALYSIS
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Records fifth save
PAtlanta Braves
August 23, 2019
Melancon picked up the save by striking out one in a scoreless 14th inning Friday against the Mets.
ANALYSIS
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