In this week’s Closer Report, Félix Bautista is returning to his All-Star form coming off Tommy John surgery. Justin Martinez could be in danger of missing time amid shoulder concerns. And David Bednar is getting comfortable back in the ninth-inning role with the Pirates. All that and more as we cover the last week in saves.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Mason Miller – Athletics
Andrés Muñoz – Seattle Mariners
Josh Hader – Houston Astros
Miller gave up his first runs of the season on a two-run homer against the White Sox on Friday before holding on for the save. He struck out the side in a non-save situation Sunday, then converted his ninth save against the Rangers on Monday. The 26-year-old right-hander has a phenomenal 22/2 K/BB ratio across 11 innings.
Muñoz still owns a clean 0.00 ERA over 15 innings after locking down three more saves this week, giving him 11 on the year with a 19/6 K/BB ratio. He’s already halfway to his career-high of 22 saves last season.
Hader converted his eighth save on Monday with two strikeouts against the Tigers before giving up two runs in a non-save situation on Tuesday. The 31-year-old left-hander has been on one of his better runs from a skills perspective, posting a 20/3 K/BB ratio across 15 innings.
Tier 2: The Elite
Robert Suarez – San Diego Padres
Tanner Scott – Los Angeles Dodgers
Jeff Hoffman – Toronto Blue Jays
Edwin Díaz – New York Mets
Suarez gave up his first run of the season in a non-save situation against the Rays on Sunday, then bounced back to close out both Tuesday and Wednesday’s contests against the Giants to give him 12 saves, most in baseball.
No saves for the back end of the Dodgers bullpen this week, but Scott did make a pair of scoreless appearances after blowing his most recent save chance. With Blake Treinen on the injured list, Kirby Yates moved up the bullpen hierarchy and pitched his way into two wins this week.
Hoffman picked up his sixth save against the Yankees on Friday as he continues pitching well as a full-time closer for the first time with Toronto. He then tossed two perfect innings with three strikeouts to fall in line for the win in extra innings Wednesday against the Red Sox.
There was some concern surrounding Díaz as he was dealing with a hip issue last week. He got the save chance on Saturday and looked healthy as he struck out the side. Díaz was then held out for another save chance on Sunday while Ryne Stanek failed to get the job done, blowing the save and taking the loss.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Félix Bautista – Baltimore Orioles
Ryan Helsley – St. Louis Cardinals
Jose Alvarado – Philadelphia Phillies
Jhoan Duran – Minnesota Twins
Emmanuel Clase – Cleveland Guardians
Luke Weaver – New York Yankees
Raisel Iglesias – Atlanta Braves
Ryan Walker – San Francisco Giants
Bautista is on a bit of a roll now. He converted three saves this week and extended his scoreless streak to seven games. The control is also coming back as he’s made four consecutive outings without allowing a walk. The 29-year-old right-hander will continue to quickly rise up the rankings if he can return to 2023 form.
Helsley picked up a save Friday against the Brewers, then blew the chance the following day with two runs allowed. His velocity has been down a tick this season and his strikeouts have disappeared over his last several outings. Just something to keep an eye on for now.
Jordan Romano picked up the only save for the Phillies this week as he closed out a game against the Cubs in extra innings on Sunday. Alvarado pitched the eighth inning against the Nationals on Tuesday, working around two hits while striking out the side. While he should still be considered the primary closer, matchup usage could lead to stretches without saves.
No save chances for the Twins this week, but Duran did make two perfect appearances. The 27-year-old right-hander has posted a 1.46 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and a 12/6 K/BB ratio across 12 1/3 innings.
Clase bounced back after getting five days off recovering from some shoulder soreness. He made two scoreless appearances, striking out two in a clean eighth inning on Saturday before picking up a win with a scoreless inning on Tuesday. Clase then got the save chance Wednesday and struck out three for his fifth save despite giving up a run on two hits. While he looks to be getting on track, his early struggles and shoulder concerns can’t be dismissed.
Devin Williams blew a save and took another loss with three runs allowed against the Blue Jays on Friday. He’ll take a step back from the closer role while he works through his struggles. Stepping in is Weaver, who ended last season as the closer and has been outstanding out of the bullpen for New York. He’s not allowed a run over 14 innings through April.
Iglesias blew a save chance Saturday against the Diamondbacks, giving up a solo homer run. It was the fifth home run allowed by the 35-year-old right-hander, already one more than the four he gave up all last season. He bounced back with a save on Monday against the Rockies, striking out one in a scoreless inning.
Walker pitched better this week after struggling over his previous outings. He struck out two batters in each of his two scoreless appearances, picking up a win Saturday against the Rangers. It’s fair to wonder if an early-season back issue might have led to Walker’s struggles, but it seems he’ll hold on to the closer role in San Francisco, for now. Camilo Doval has been a bit up-and-down himself but would be in line to step in if Walker is ineffective.
Tier 4: Here for the Saves
Kenley Jansen – Los Angeles Angels
Pete Fairbanks – Tampa Bay Rays
Trevor Megill – Milwaukee Brewers
Aroldis Chapman/Justin Slaten – Boston Red Sox
Justin Martinez – Arizona Diamondbacks
Emilio Pagan – Cincinnati Reds
Luke Jackson – Texas Rangers
Carlos Estévez – Kansas City Royals
David Bednar – Pittsburgh Pirates
Tommy Kahnle/Will Vest – Detroit Tigers
Kyle Finnegan – Washington Nationals
Ryan Pressly – Chicago Cubs
Jansen is a perfect six-for-six in save chances after picking up a save last Thursday against the Pirates. The 37-year-old right-hander has tossed eight scoreless innings with an 8/2 K/BB ratio.
Fairbanks had a busy week on the mound, converting three saves to get him to six on the season to go with a pair of wins. The 31-year-old right-hander still isn’t getting the strikeouts he was getting before last season, but he’ll continue to close as long as he can get the job done.
Megill took the loss Saturday against the Cardinals, giving up a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth. He then got a save chance Wednesday against the White Sox, his first since April 18. Megill worked around a hit and a walk, striking out two for his third save. He’s pitched only 8 1/3 innings this season, giving up four runs with an 11/5 K/BB ratio.
No save chances for the Red Sox this week. Chapman pitched a pair of clean outings and has given up just two runs with a 17/4 K/BB ratio across 11 1/3 innings.
It’s time to be concerned about Martinez. He took the loss Saturday against the Braves, then converted his third save Sunday as he worked around two walks and a hit. Martinez got the save chance Wednesday against the Mets with a three-run lead and was sitting at 95 mph, significantly lower than his average of 100 mph. He gave up a leadoff homer and walked two batters before he was pulled. Following the game, manager Torey Lovullo admitted an evaluation might be required and a stint on the injured list can’t be ruled out. Shelby Miller could be in line for save chances if it turns out Martinez needs some time off.
Pagán locked down three more saves this week for the Reds as he continues to solidify the closer role in Cincinnati. The 33-year-old right-hander is up to eight saves with a 2.51 ERA, 0.49 WHIP, and a 14/2 K/BB ratio across 14 1/3 innings.
Jackson blew the save against the Athletics on Thursday, then bounced back with a two-out save against the Giants on Friday for his eighth of the season. Jackson then took the losses on Sunday against the Giants and Wednesday against the Athletics as he entered both of the games tied. Sunday’s loss came on an error while he gave up four runs to the A’s on Wednesday.
After blowing a save last week, Estévez bounced back with four saves over four scoreless appearances this week. The 32-year-old right-hander is up to nine saves with a 2.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 13/9 K/BB ratio across 15 innings. Not the most impressive skills, but he’s getting the job done.
Bednar has worked his way back into the closer role in Pittsburgh after a successful stint in the minors where he tossed five scoreless innings with a 7/0 K/BB ratio. He struck out two in a scoreless inning against the Dodgers on Friday for the save, then shut the door on the Cubs on Wednesday for his third save of the season.
It looks like a two-man closer committee in Detroit. After Vest locked down three saves in the last week, he got the seventh and eighth inning Tuesday against the Astros and was charged with a blown save as he allowed three runs. Kahnle then got the final out in the eighth on Wednesday and converted a four-out save in Houston. Vest has displayed the best skills in that bullpen, but A.J. Hinch will continue to play the matchups in the late innings.
Finnegan was charged with two blown saves this week. He entered with two outs and the bases loaded up by two against the Mets on Friday and gave up a bases-clearing triple. He then gave up two runs against the Phillies on Tuesday for his second blown save. The 33-year-old right-hander remains at nine saves with a 3.09 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and a 13/7 K/BB ratio across 11 2/3 innings.
No saves for the Cubs this week. Pressly made one scoreless appearance, his first since having his knee drained last Tuesday. While he’s managed to give up just three runs over 12 innings, it’s come with a 5/7 K/BB ratio. Between the diminished skills and elevated injury risk, Pressly could have a hard time maintaining the closer role all season.
Tier 5: Bottom of the Barrel
Jesus Tinoco/Calvin Faucher – Miami Marlins
Seth Halvorsen/Tyler Kinley – Colorado Rockies
Jordan Leasure – Chicago White Sox
No saves for the Marlins this week. And the usage is all over the place. The same can apply to all three situations in this bottom tier. There’s not much worth chasing here if looking for saves.
Relievers On The Rise/Stash Candidates
The Diamondbacks reinstated Kevin Ginkel from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday. The 31-year-old right-hander has been recovering from right shoulder inflammation he suffered in spring training. Ginkel has been an effective reliever in Arizona over the last several seasons, at times working his way into the closer mix. He posted a 3.21 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 77 strikeouts over 70 innings while picking up five saves last season. Ginkel could be worth a dart throw as a stash in deep leagues given the velocity and injury concerns surrounding Justin Martinez. Arizona put him right into a high-leverage spot on Wednesday with a runner in scoring position and two outs in the seventh. He worked around a walk and struck out the final batter in the inning to preserve a one-run lead.
Graham Ashcraft’s time as a starter has come to an end as the Reds have moved the 27-year-old right-hander into the bullpen, where his high-velocity fastball should play up. That’s proven true through the first month. Ashcraft has produced a 0.71 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 13/7 K/BB ratio across 12 2/3 innings while his swinging-strike rate has jumped to 13%, up from about 10% as a starter over the last two seasons.
