In this week’s Closer Report, Mason Miller is mowing batters down in his dominant start to the season. The gamble on Jeff Hoffman is working out for the Blue Jays. Injury news raises the level of concern around Emmanuel Clase. That and more as we break down the last week in saves.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Mason Miller – Athletics
Josh Hader – Houston Astros
Andrés Muñoz – Seattle Mariners
Miller worked a perfect ninth inning against the Brewers on Saturday for a save, then struck out the side Wednesday against the Rangers for his seventh save. The 26-year-old right-hander has not allowed a run over eight innings and holds a ridiculous 17/1 K/BB ratio. There’s no one in baseball pitching better.
Hader is a close second. He secured back-to-back saves against the Padres, then stranded two base runners against the Blue Jays on Wednesday for his eighth save. The 31-year-old left-hander has allowed one run with a 17/3 K/BB ratio across 13 innings of work.
Muñoz took the mound with a three-run lead in the ninth against the Red Sox on Wednesday and pitched a clean inning with one strikeout for his eighth save. The 26-year-old right-hander has posted a 15/5 K/BB ratio across 12 scoreless innings.
Tier 2: The Elite
Robert Suarez – San Diego Padres
Jeff Hoffman – Toronto Blue Jays
Edwin Díaz – New York Mets
Devin Williams – New York Yankees
Ryan Helsley – St. Louis Cardinals
Suarez keeps rolling in his dominant start to the season. He locked up two more saves for a league-leading ten on the year. The 34-year-old right-hander’s 34.2% strikeout rate over 11 games is his best stretch since 2023.
Hoffman displayed top closer skills over the last two seasons and is pitching even better in the role with Toronto. The 32-year-old right-hander picked up his fifth save Friday against the Mariners and owns an 18/1 K/BB ratio across 12 1/3 innings with two runs allowed.
Díaz looked to be getting on track, rattling off three saves this week and striking out two batters in each of his last five outings. He had an injury scare on Wednesday as he was removed from the game with what the team called a left hip cramp. The issue was downplayed later in the day, but it’s going to be something to monitor.
Williams had been pitching better of late with four straight scoreless appearances, including three saves. He then gave up four runs to blow the lead in a non-save situation against the Rays on Saturday. It was the second such outing for the 30-year-old right-hander. Williams just seems to be off as he hasn’t gotten the swing-and-miss he’s accustomed to. Still, we’ll trust the track record here and hope he overcomes this slow start.
Helsley didn’t see any save chances this week. He worked around a pair of walks in a scoreless inning of work against the Braves on Tuesday. The walks need to be corrected as he’s issued eight free passes over his last four outings.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Tanner Scott – Los Angeles Dodgers
Jose Alvarado – Philadelphia Phillies
Ryan Walker – San Francisco Giants
Raisel Iglesias – Atlanta Braves
Jhoan Duran – Minnesota Twins
Emmanuel Clase – Cleveland Guardians
Félix Bautista – Baltimore Orioles
Scott was on a roll going into Tuesday with eight consecutive scoreless outings before giving up a solo homer to blow the save against the Cubs. He’s been otherwise excellent, posting a 2.77 ERA with an 11/0 K/BB ratio while converting eight saves over 13 innings.
Alvarado is a big riser this week as the Phillies don’t seem to have any other choice than to save him for the ninth inning most days. The 29-year-old left-hander is far and away their best option to close out games as the team’s top right-handed options Orion Kerkering and Jordan Romano struggle. Alvarado picked up two saves this week and is up to five on the season with a 2.13 ERA and a 17/2 K/BB ratio across 10 2/3 innings.
Walker worked around a hit to record his fifth save Saturday, then took the loss with four runs allowed against the Angels on Sunday. With Walker getting the day off, Camilo Doval stepped in to convert Monday’s save chance against the Brewers. The 29-year-old right-hander nearly imploded again Wednesday, giving up two runs with a four-run lead before Doval relieved him to close it out for another save. Walker has been much more hittable this season while failing to generate enough whiffs to sustain success late in games. It could cost him the closer role sooner or later.
Iglesias recorded two saves with a pair of clean outings before giving up three runs in a non-save situation against the Cardinals on Monday. Home runs have been a problem for the 35-year-old right-hander as he’s given up four in nine innings.
It was shaky for Duran, but he converted his second save on Tuesday against the White Sox despite giving up a run on two walks and a hit. The walk rate is currently bloated, but the skills otherwise match last season so far for the 27-year-old right-hander. Meanwhile, top setup man Griffin Jax has struggled, giving up ten runs in ten innings.
It’s tough to know where to place Clase, but it’s time for concern given his recent health news. The 27-year-old right-hander surrendered three runs and blew the save Sunday against the Pirates. Manager Stephen Vogt stated Wednesday that Clase was dealing with some right shoulder discomfort following his most recent outing. Cade Smith stepped in to convert two saves against the Yankees and could be next in line should Clase require some time off.
Bautista had one of his best outings of the season, striking out one batter in a perfect inning against the Reds on Saturday to record his second save of the season. The Orioles haven’t seen many save chances so far, but it’s nice to see Bautista improving with each outing as the whiffs have been up in his last two appearances.
Tier 4: Here for the Saves
Kenley Jansen – Los Angeles Angels
Pete Fairbanks – Tampa Bay Rays
Trevor Megill – Milwaukee Brewers
Justin Martinez – Arizona Diamondbacks
Aroldis Chapman/Justin Slaten – Boston Red Sox
Luke Jackson – Texas Rangers
Kyle Finnegan – Washington Nationals
Carlos Estévez – Kansas City Royals
Emilio Pagan – Cincinnati Reds
Ryan Pressly – Chicago Cubs
So far so good for Jansen. The 37-year-old right-hander locked down his fifth save of the season with a clean frame against the Giants on Friday. He’s yet to allow a run over seven innings.
No save chances for the Rays this week. Fairbanks gave up two runs in a non-save situation against the Yankees on Saturday. Edwin Uceta fell in line for the win in that game, striking out three batters. Fairbanks then recorded two outs in extra innings against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday to earn a win.
In Milwaukee, Megill recorded a two-out save on five pitches Friday against the Athletics. He’s made two scoreless appearances since getting evaluated for a knee issue but has not recorded a strikeout in his last three outings.
The Diamondbacks bullpen is a bit in flux as A.J. Puk was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation. Meanwhile, Martinez was held out for a couple of days with right shoulder fatigue. Shelby Miller tossed two scoreless innings against the Cubs on Sunday while Drey Jameson recorded the save in extra innings. Martinez did pitch in a tie game against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, tossing a clean frame with one strikeout in the ninth.
Alex Cora played the matchup game in Boston this week, with Chapman getting the eighth inning against the White Sox on Monday before Slaten entered for the save in the ninth. While Chapman projects to lead the team in saves, Slaten could be rostered in deeper leagues for the occasional save chance.
Jackson worked the ninth inning to convert his seventh save Tuesday against the Athletics. While he’s gotten the job done, Jackson has struck out just one batter over his last five appearances.
Finnegan converted back-to-back saves in Colorado against the Rockies, then picked up his ninth against the Orioles on Wednesday. The 33-year-old right-hander holds a 1.69 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and a 13/6 K/BB ratio across 10 2/3 innings.
The wheels fell off for Estévez against the Rockies on Tuesday. He was charged with a blown save after giving up three runs on three walks and one hit. The 32-year-old right-hander has been otherwise solid and should continue to operate as the primary closer in Kansas City.
Pagán gave up two runs to blow the save chance last Thursday against the Mariners, then bounced back with a clean frame against the Marlins on Wednesday for his fifth save. The 33-year-old right-hander should continue to run with the closer role in Cincinnati as long as he’s effective.
No save chances for Pressly this week, but he did fall in line for a win Friday with a scoreless inning against the Diamondbacks. The 36-year-old right-hander has still only stuck out five batters over 11 innings but has made eight consecutive appearances without giving up an earned run. With a one-run lead against the Dodgers on Wednesday, it was Porter Hodge who was summoned to close it out for his first save despite Pressly not pitching the previous two days. After the game, manager Craig Cousell stated Pressly was dealing with a knee issue and hopes for him to be available Friday.
Tier 5: Bottom of the Barrel
Dennis Santana – Pittsburgh Pirates
Tommy Kahnle – Detroit Tigers
Jesus Tinoco/Calvin Faucher – Miami Marlins
Seth Halvorsen – Colorado Rockies
Jordan Leasure – Chicago White Sox
Santana is still operating as the Pirates closer despite the return of David Bednar. The 29-year-old right-hander picked up a save last Thursday against the Nationals, then locked down his third Wednesday against the Angels. Bednar has made three scoreless appearances since returning from his stint in Triple-A and could eventually work his way back into the closer role.
Kahnle converted back-to-back saves against the Royals, then blew a save chance on Sunday pitching for the third time in four days. Meanwhile, Will Vest got into the mix with two saves. He’s pitched well and should see occasional opportunities. Vest did pitch the ninth inning with a four-run lead on Wednesday while Kahle stranded two runners in the eighth in a high-leverage spot.
More mess in Miami. Tinoco got the nod this week, converting back-to-back saves. After pitching in three of four days, Tinoco had the day off Tuesday and it was Faucher who got the save against the Reds. A 2/3 K/BB ratio over 5 2/3 innings is hard to buy into with Tinoco if chasing saves in this situation.
Halvorsen blew the save chance Tuesday against the Royals, giving up a run on two hits. If the Rockies closer can’t get it done outside Coors, there’s no point looking for saves here. Meanwhile, another week, another zero in the saves column for the White Sox.
Relievers On The Rise/Stash Candidates
Fernando Cruz posted impressive strikeout numbers over the last two seasons in Cincinnati that made him a trade target for the Yankees in the offseason. The 35-year-old right-hander is pitching well in New York, posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 21/6 K/BB ratio across 13 innings. He’s already collected two saves and three holds as he establishes himself as a high-leverage option behind Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. Garrett Whitlock is in a similar position in Boston. The 28-year-old right-hander has been a versatile arm out of the bullpen, collecting three holds and a win while posting a 1.84 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 19/5 K/BB ratio across 14 2/3 innings. Long relievers could be valuable in deeper roto formats. Giants long-man Hayden Birdsong has been excellent out of the bullpen. He struck out four batters over three scoreless innings to pick up a win against the Brewers on Monday. The 23-year-old right-hander was a rotation hopeful this spring, but the team is intent on keeping him in the bullpen.
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