Kyle Barraclough

Thanks to a gaudy strikeout rate during his 2016 breakout, there was reason to believe that Barraclough might be tasked with taking on the closer role after AJ Ramos was traded to the Mets in July. Although he only finished with one save, Barraclough was given other high-leverage work, appearing exclusively in the seventh inning or later from July on, and working in the eighth inning or later in each of his 11 appearance in September. Of some concern is the drop in his strikeout rate, as he fell from 36.9 percent in 2016 to 26.6 percent in 2017. Fortunately, his slider was still excellent (.147 BAA, .156 SLG against), and he showed improvement with his walk rate in the second half (10.8 percent), while pushing his strikeout rate back over 30 percent and carrying good ratios (2.13 ERA and 1.11 WHIP). Entering 2018, the Marlins could elect to make him their new closer -- he's under club control through 2022 -- depending on their plans for Brad Ziegler.

The loss of Carter Capps to Tommy John surgery thrust Barraclough immediately into a setup role for the Marlins. He started racking up colossal strikeout numbers, fanning 36.9 percent of the batters he faced, or 14 per nine innings, and those figures make sense when one sees his stuff. While pumping in mid-to-high-90s heat can make any pitcher scary, what sets Barraclough apart is a slider that batters hit just .110 against despite it being thrown 42 percent of the time. If he can rein in the walks -- he issued free passes at a 14.4 percent clip -- Barraclough will profile well as a future closer. He eventually earned enough trust to where he led the Marlins in appearances with 75, so expect him to stay in a setup role to begin 2017. There's a chance he could take over in the ninth if something were to happen to A.J. Ramos, but offseason addition Brad Ziegler figures to be first in line.

With Miami's roster depleted by injuries late in the year, Barraclaugh got the call to the major leagues despite having never pitching above Double-A. Even though it was his first taste of the majors, the 25-year-old pitched well, producing a 2.59 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 24.1 innings. These numbers were the result of an "effectively wild" approach, as he struck out 30 batters in that span, but also walked 18. The Marlins may elect to season Barraclaugh more in the minors before giving him a full-time spot in the majors, but if he can continue his strong showing from 2015, he could prove to be a major contender for high-leverage innings in the Marlins bullpen. A.J. Ramos and Carter Capps hold the back-end bullpen roles entering spring training.