Happy Opening Day and welcome to the Fantasy Baseball Closer Report. This column will feature weekly updated closer rankings with writeups breaking down the previous week in saves. To wrap things up, I’ll highlight some relievers on the rise and try to get ahead of the game with potential stash candidates to speculate on for future saves.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Emmanuel Clase – Cleveland Guardians
Mason Miller – Athletics
Devin Williams – New York Yankees
Josh Hader – Houston Astros
Clase takes the top spot in the closer rankings to start the season. Coming off his third straight 40-plus save campaign with a 0.61 ERA and 0.66 WHIP over 74 1/3 innings, he’s been one of the game’s top closers over the last several seasons. If not for a disappointing playoff performance, Clase may be alone in this top tier. Still, there’s no better bet to lead the American League in saves once again.
Miller checks in at second to open the season. The 26-year-old right-hander was dominant in his first year in relief, converting 28 saves with a 2.49 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts over 65 innings for a league-leading 41.8% strikeout rate. He has all the tools to be the best closer in the game. Durability and team context are the biggest questions surrounding Miller, but moving to relief has been a great way to preserve his health and get the most out of his 100-mph arm. And he still saw 31 save chances on an A’s team that should improve on last season’s 69-93 record.
There was no reliever better than Williams over the final two months. After returning from a back injury, he was as dominant as ever, posting a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts over 21 2/3 innings while converting 14 saves. Now, Williams takes his skills to New York where he’ll be closing games for the Yankees. Rounding out the top tier is Hader. His susceptibility to homers has brought volatility to his ratios, but he remains among the most dominant ninth-inning relievers in baseball and should be near the top in both saves and strikeouts at the position.
Tier 2: The Elite
Ryan Helsley – St. Louis Cardinals
Edwin Díaz – New York Mets
Andrés Muñoz – Seattle Mariners
Raisel Iglesias – Atlanta Braves
Helsley bounced back from an injury-shortened 2023 to lead baseball with 49 saves in 2024. He posted an incredible 2.04 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 79 strikeouts across 66 1/3 innings. Durability concerns aside, he’s one of the game’s top closers. There is some speculation that Helsley could be traded by the Cardinals at some point this season before he hits the free-agent market this winter, but he’ll likely remain in line for saves no matter the team.
Given his track record and strikeout ability, it would be no surprise to see Díaz join the top tier. But his diminished velocity this spring gives me pause. After missing the 2023 season with a knee injury, the 31-year-old right-hander returned with a mixed season, converting 20 saves with a 3.52 ERA across 53 2/3 innings. If he can get his velocity back in line with 2022 levels, he can once again be among the best. But there’s some sneaky downside here if his reduced velocity sticks well into the regular season.
Muñoz could be in line for his best season yet as he appears ready to take on full-time save duties in Seattle. Last year, he converted 22 of the team’s 34 saves. Six of the saves from other relievers came in June when Muñoz was nursing a back injury, though he never actually hit the injured list.
Iglesias posted the best ERA of his career in 2024 despite seeing a decline in his strikeout rate, down to 26.3%, his lowest since 2016. Still, the veteran 35-year-old right-hander remains one of the safest options for saves. The upside may just be capped now as it’s difficult to see him repeat career-best ratios at his age without a rebound in his strikeout rate.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Jhoan Duran – Minnesota Twins
Ryan Walker – San Francisco Giants
Félix Bautista – Baltimore Orioles
Tanner Scott – Los Angeles Dodgers
Jeff Hoffman – Toronto Blue Jays
Robert Suarez – San Diego Padres
Duran got off to a late start last season after suffering a spring oblique injury. Despite a down season on the surface, his skills and underlying numbers remained in line with his career norms. His 3.64 ERA appears to be more the product of some bad luck. The thing holding Duran back isn’t necessarily anything in his control. The Twins are still managed by Rocco Baldelli, who seldom gives all the save chances to one reliever.
Rounding out the top ten closers is Walker, who broke out with the Giants last season, ending the year with the closer role and posting a 1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts over 80 innings. Manager Bob Melvin has given Walker his vote of confidence in naming him the team’s full-time closer to start the season.
Bautista’s 2023 was one of the most dominant seasons from a reliever we’ve seen in recent memory. The 29-year-old right-hander is ready to return to action after missing last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. There were questions surrounding his availability to open the year, but he will be included on the Opening Day roster. How much the team will lean on him, at least in the early going, remains to be seen. I wouldn’t expect him to pitch many back-to-backs to start the season, opening the door for Seranthony Domínguez or Yennier Cano to pick up the occasional save.
Scott landed in one of the best situations, joining the Dodgers on a four-year, $72 million contract. Manager Dave Roberts stated Scott would be getting “the bulk” of the team’s save chances. He got the first save opportunity against the Cubs in the two-game Tokyo Series, with Alex Vesia working the ninth inning the following day. Even if Scott isn’t getting every save chance, there should be more than enough to go around to make him well worth his draft season price.
After two excellent seasons in relief with the Phillies, Hoffman is getting an opportunity to operate as a full-time closer with the Blue Jays. The 32-year-old right-hander was one of the best setup men in 2024, posting a 2.17 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts across 66 1/3 innings. Some durability questions were raised during Hoffman’s free-agency process, but he’s shown no reason for concern since moving to relief.
Suarez got off to an incredible start before struggling over the final two months. He posted a 1.67 ERA through the All-Star break before recording a 4.28 mark in the second half. That second-half slide and trade speculation have him lower in the rankings than his 2024 season total might warrant. And the Padres seem to have plenty of options ready to step in should Suarez falter.
Tier 4: Only Here for the Saves
Trevor Megill – Milwaukee Brewers
Pete Fairbanks – Tampa Bay Rays
Kenley Jansen – Los Angeles Angels
Jordan Romano – Philadelphia Phillies
Aroldis Chapman – Boston Red Sox
Justin Martinez/A.J. Puk – Arizona Diamondbacks
David Bednar – Pittsburgh Pirates
Kyle Finnegan – Washington Nationals
Ryan Pressly – Chicago Cubs
Carlos Estévez – Kansas City Royals
Megill led the Brewers in saves last season with 21 while posting a 2.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts across 46 1/3 innings, filling in nicely in Devin Williams’ absence over the first four months. Now, Megill goes into the season as Milwaukee’s unquestioned closer. Lack of track record and durability concerns hold him down, but he has more upside than most in this tier.
Much of the same can be said for Fairbanks, who saw a sharp decline in his strikeout rate last season. The 31-year-old right-hander has yet to prove he can hold up over a full season. And he may be running out of time to prove himself as a reliable closer in Tampa Bay. Fairbanks has a club option for 2026, his final year of team control, and could be a trade candidate.
Every year brings a little more risk and a little more volatility, but Jansen just continues to get it done even as he enters his 16th season in the majors. The 37-year-old right-hander will look to add to his 447 save total with the Angels.
After back-to-back dominant 36-save seasons, Romano was limited to just 13 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays last season, converting eight saves with a 6.59 ERA as he dealt with elbow issues. He’ll look to return to form with the Phillies. José Alvarado and Orion Kerkering have impressed this spring and could step in to close if Romano struggles on the mound or misses time.
Like Jansen, Chapman’s track record continues to give him closing opportunities, even if he becomes more volatile. He was much better over the second half with the Pirates last season, ending the year with 14 saves. The 37-year-old left-hander has impressed in camp with the Red Sox, striking out 14 batters over 7 1/3 innings in spring training. Manager Alex Cora stated Chapman will begin the season in the closer role, but could pitch earlier in the game if the situation calls for the southpaw.
If either Justin Martinez or A.J. Puk were named the team’s full-time close, they’d be much higher on the list. As things stand, manager Torey Lovullo is likely to deploy them both in a matchup-based committee, with Martinez facing right-handed heavy lineups in the ninth inning and Puk getting the left-handers.
Bednar suffered a lat injury last spring and despite avoiding the injured list to start the year, stumbled out of the gate. He did land on the injured list in June with an oblique strain and never seemed to get right as he ended with a 5.77 ERA across 57 2/3 innings. This spring, manager Derek Shelton refused to name a closer after Aroldis Chapman finished 2024 in the role. Still, Bednar will likely get the first crack at saves for the Pirates as he looks to have a bounce-back season.
Finnegan returns to the Nationals, where he converted a career-high 38 saves last season. The numbers may not be pretty, but saves are saves. In Chicago, Pressly had operated as the Astros closer for four seasons before taking a step back in 2024 for Josh Hader. Now, he’ll get a chance to close games again with the Cubs. The 36-year-old right-hander will need to halt the decline in his strikeout rate he’s seen over the last two seasons to remain effective in the role, otherwise, Porter Hodge has shown he’s capable of stepping in if needed.
It’s a similar situation in Kansas City, where Carlos Estévez is set to take the higher share of save chances. Behind him, Lucas Erceg will get the occasional save chance while being used in the highest leverage situation late in games.
Tier 5: Bottom of the Barrel
Chris Martin/Luke Jackson – Texas Rangers
Beau Brieske/Tyler Holton/Tommy Kahnle – Detroit Tigers
Scott Barlow/Tony Santillan/Taylor Rogers – Cincinnati Reds
Tyler Kinley/Victor Vodnik/Seth Halvorsen – Colorado Rockies
Calvin Faucher/Jesus Tinoco – Miami Marlins
Mike Clevinger/Fraser Ellard/Jordan Leasure – Chicago White Sox
This bottom tier is full of underwhelming options and unclear situations, some of which you may not want a part of. The Rangers present the most upside. Manager Bruce Bochy stated the team could open the season mirroring a recent spring training outing in which Luke Jackson pitched in the closers’ spot. Chris Martin is expected to be in the mix. Marc Church is another name Bochy has mentioned as a candidate.
In a surprise move by the Tigers, Jason Foley was optioned to Triple-A to start the season. Beau Brieske is the first name to speculate on, though he’s had some struggles this spring. In Cincinnati, Alexis Díaz will start the year on the 15-day injured list with a hamstring injury. Tony Santillan was mentioned as a possibility to step in, but manager Terry Francona may want to use his best reliever in high-leverage situations. Emilio Pagán, Taylor Rogers, and Scott Barlow all have some previous closing experience.
Relievers On The Rise/Stash Candidates
Starting with one of the most skilled setup men in baseball, Griffin Jax is worth rostering across most formats despite pitching behind Jhoan Duran in Minnesota. He broke out in a big way last season, posting a 2.03 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 95 strikeouts across 71 innings. Cleveland’s Cade Smith is right there with Jax among the top setup men in the game and holds value regardless of format. Smith struck out 103 batters while recording a 1.91 ERA across 75 1/3 frames.
If you’re looking to leverage against some of the more risky closers and stash a potential saves candidate, Orion Kerkering has top-ten closer upside if he’s ever tasked with stepping in for Jordan Romano. The red flags in Robert Suarez’s profile make Jason Adam a stash candidate in deeper leagues. And Edwin Uceta has some intriguing upside should Pete Fairbanks struggle or be sidelined at any point after Uceta ended the 2024 season closing out games in Tampa Bay.
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