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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Rankings – 6/10/24 Depth Chart

Breakdowns of key bullpen usage from yesterday's slate of games.

Jake Crumpler
Fantasy 6/10/2024

Welcome back to the latest edition of our Reliever Ranks series! This will bring you up-to-date bullpen depth charts every morning for the day’s games and makes for an excellent tool for those looking to stream saves or wins. This series runs seven days a week, so check in every morning to get your daily bullpen fix!

 

Notes

 

Transactions and Schedule

 

 

Yesterday’s Performances

 

NYM 6 – PHI 5

W: Reed Garrett (6)

L: José Alvarado (3)

SV: Drew Smith (2)

  • With Edwin Diaz still on the IL, the Mets have had to piece together a closer committee. Drew Smith got the call on Sunday and got the job done, working around a pair of baserunners to secure the final two outs. Smith might be the Mets’ best option right now. Adam Ottavino has struggled to a 9.24 ERA (12.2 IP) since the beginning of May, Reed Garrett has a 9.00 ERA (10 IP) since mid-May, and Jake Diekman doesn’t seem to be closer material. Meanwhile, Smith has a 2.53 ERA (11.1 IP) and has been a trusted option for a few years. I’d still expect the Mets to spread around the saves until Diaz returns at the end of the week.
  • José Alvarado couldn’t handle the pressure of pitching in front of fans in London. He blew a one-run lead in the ninth and was saddled with his third loss. With Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm having elite seasons, I’m not sure why the Phillies keep turning to Alvarado, but I wouldn’t expect this poor showing to limit his save chances going forward.

 

SFG 2 – TEX 7

  • Kirby Yates doesn’t get to pitch much. He’s thrown just 6.1 innings since May 8th and has allowed just one run during that time. Saves have been hard to come by, as he’s only recorded one save during that same month-long timeframe. That’s why the Rangers turned to Yates with a five-run lead. They have to find a way to keep him fresh for when that next save opportunity inevitably arrives.

 

MIN 11 – PIT 5 (F/10)

W: Jhoan Duran (1)

L: Ben Heller (1)

HD: Kyle Nicolas (1)

  • Looking to bounce back from a poor outing on Saturday, Jhoan Duran pitched a perfect ninth, forcing extras and earning a win when his offense took the lead in the tenth. Duran has not been himself this year, but his stuff is undeniable, giving me the confidence to keep sticking with him. He’s pitched on back-to-back days, so expect Griffin Jax or Caleb Thielbar to get the ninth today depending on matchups.

 

ATL 5 – WSN 8

W: Jacob Barnes (3)

SV: Kyle Finnegan (18)

  • Despite trailing by six, the Braves turned to Raisel Iglesias in the eighth to keep the score where it was. It almost worked as Iglesias came through with a perfect frame and the offense tallied three runs but ran out of outs. This can be considered a maintenance outing as Iglesias had Friday and Saturday off and the Braves are headed for an off day on Monday. That means that Iglesias would have gone four straight days without pitching if he didn’t appear on Sunday. Now he’ll be fresh and game-ready for the Braves’ series in Baltimore starting Tuesday.
  • Kyle Finnegan continues to get the job done, but don’t let him fool you. He currently has a 1.73 ERA (26 IP) and the second-most saves in the National League and you should be selling high. He did this last year, pitching to a 1.42 ERA (50.2 IP) during a stretch that lasted from early April to mid-August. Finnegan carried a 3.34 xFIP and saw his season-long ERA land at 3.76 (69.1 IP) after pitching to a 7.71 ERA (16.1 IP) the rest of the season. We don’t know when Finnegan will come back to earth, but he will and it’s best to get something for him now before he begins falling apart. If you need any more convincing, Finnegan is on the short list of closers expected to be dealt at the deadline and there’s no way he will hold onto a closer role when he leaves Washington.

 

CHC 4 – CIN 2

HD: Mark Leiter Jr. (9)

SV: Héctor Neris (9)

  • Héctor Neris is a ticking time bomb right now. He continues to lock down saves despite sporting a 1.46 WHIP, a 21.4% K%, and an xFIP over five. The main issue with Neris this season has been an increase in walks to a career-high 16.5% BB%. That’s completely unsustainable and it’s only a matter of time before Neris starts to face the consequences of his plethora of free passes. I’d suggest selling high while he still has the closer role and an ERA south of 3.00.

 

BAL 9 – TBR 2

HD: Dillon Tate (1), Cionel Pérez (6)

  • Pete Fairbanks received a maintenance outing after not pitching for three consecutive days. He pitched a scoreless ninth, holding the Rays’ deficit at seven. That makes 13 consecutive scoreless innings for Fairbanks since returning from the IL and he’s looking like the top-five closer we drafted him to be.

 

CLE 6 – MIA 3

W: Nick Sandlin (5)

L: A.J. Puk (7)

HD: Sam Hentges (4), Hunter Gaddis (13)

  • Emmanuel Clase was handed the ninth with a four-run lead after the Guardians tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth. The non-save situation led to Clase surrendering his second earned run of the season and his first since April 14th. His 0.57 ERA (31.1 IP) is still the best in baseball (min. 25 IP).

 

SEA 6 – KCR 5 (F/10)

W: Mike Baumann (3)

L: James McArthur (3)

HD: Andrés Muñoz (5), Austin Voth (4)

SV: Tayler Saucedo (3)

  • Having not pitched in four days due to a back injury, Andrés Muñoz was eased into action on Sunday, pitching a perfect eighth inning. The outing could also be framed in a different light as the Royals’ 9-1-2 hitters were due up that inning, so Muñoz could be considered the high-leverage reliever in that situation. In any case, we can expect Muñoz not to be held back or affected by his injury moving forward. Tayler Saucedo was lucky enough to vulture a save after back-and-forth ninth and tenth innings.
  • During the latter of those back-and-forth frames, James McArthur gave the Mariners the lead in the top of the tenth, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks. His ERA now sits at 5.57 (27.1 IP) and this poor outing marks a continuation of underperformance. Since the beginning of May, McArthur has a 7.90 ERA (13.2 IP) and has struck out just 14.1% of the batters he’s faced. I’m going to assume the Royals remove him from the closer role until he gets things right and I will start speculating on John Schreiber and Nick Anderson fantasy. I expect McArthur to turn things around given his 3.16 xFIP, .357 BABIP, 20% HR/FB%, and 66.9% LOB%, but this rough patch may open the opportunity for someone else to shine. Heck, maybe Will Klein gets a shot as the pitcher with the highest upside in the bullpen. McArthur has pitched on back-to-back days and in three of the past four, so we may get a glimpse into the Royals’ plans on Monday.

 

BOS 6 – CHW 4 (F/10)

W: Kenley Jansen (2)

L: Michael Soroka (7)

HD: Sammy Peralta (1), John Brebbia (7)

SV: Cam Booser (1)

  • My weekly check-in with Kenley Jansen left me impressed as he dominated the final six outs of regulation, allowing just one hit across two scoreless innings with five of his six outs coming via the strikeout. His trademark cutter went for 7/29 whiffs and earned 41% CSW. The pitch hasn’t looked this good all season and it speaks to Jansen being in a groove as he sports his best ERA (2.61 ERA, 20.2 IP) since 2021, his last season with the Dodgers. His 33.7% K% is also his best since 2017. This is why he’s a future Hall of Famer.

 

HOU 7 – LAA 9

W: Carlos Estévez (1)

L: Josh Hader (4)

HD: Seth Martinez (3), Rafael Montero (8), Bryan Abreu (14)

  • It’s been a rough first season in Houston for Josh Hader, and it hurts the Astros even more that Ryan Pressly has taken a huge step back at the same time. What was once expected to be one of the best late-inning combos in baseball has turned out to be a failure thus far. Hader’s struggles with the long ball have been magnified this year and Pressly has a .429 BABIP. I wonder if the team turns to Bryan Abreu more often in the final two innings, though I know respecting Hader’s role is important after they signed him to a record-setting contract in the offseason.
  • Carlos Estévez is weird. He lives in the zone a lot and has dropped his walk rate to 3.8% (career 9.3% BB% entering 2024), which, combined with his 24.4% K%, surprisingly makes him elite in the K/BB department. I don’t think that means he’s going to enter elite fantasy territory, though I do think it means we can believe in his current production. He won’t be ceding the closer role any time soon.

 

TOR 6 – OAK 4 (F/10)

W: Yimi García (3)

L: Austin Adams (2)

HD: Nate Pearson (3)

SV: Génesis Cabrera (1)

  • As expected, Yimi García pitched the ninth, except the game was tied and Génesis Cabrera would go on to vulture his first save of the season. If Garcia continues to pitch well in the closer role, he could remain there when Jordan Romano returns. It would be the perfect way to pump his value before he’s possibly dealt at the trade deadline ahead of his impending free agency.
  • It’s always a treat when Mason Miller pitches. He pitched a perfect ninth to keep the game tied and topped out at 102.2 mph, the fastest pitch in the league on Sunday. In a similar vein to García, I wonder how real the Miller trade talk is. The A’s could get a massive haul if they dealt him and it makes sense given his reduced impact as a reliever, his lengthy injury history, and the team’s contention timeline. I don’t expect it to materialize during the season.

 

LAD 4 – NYY 6

W: Caleb Ferguson (1)

HD: Luke Weaver (8)

SV: Clay Holmes (19)

  • This is what Clay Holmes does. Pitching for a 46-win Yankees club, Holmes is tied for the American League lead in saves, owns a 1.23 ERA (29.1 IP), leads baseball with a 74.1% groundball rate, and has yet to give up a home run. This is exactly what fantasy managers signed up for because while Holmes lacks in the strikeout department (23.4% K%) he makes up for it by getting weak contact and limiting free passes at a career-low rate of 6.5%. Holmes has pitched in three of the past four days and may get Monday off with a seven-game week ahead for the Yankees.

 

Bullpen Depth Charts

 

 

Also, if you’re looking for a detailed list or ranking of RPs, check out Rick Graham’s weekly pieces:

The Hold Up: Ranking the Top 100 Relievers for Holds Every Thursday

Closing Time: Ranking the Top 30 Closers

Top 100 Relievers for Save+Hold Leagues

 

Jake Crumpler

A Bay Area sports fan and lover of baseball, Jake is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in English Literature. He currently writes fantasy articles for Pitcher List, is the lead baseball writer at The Athletes Hub, and does playing time analysis at BaseballHQ. Some consider his knowledge of the sport to be encyclopedic.

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