Typically, “Late Rounds Targets” are those going after pick 250 ADP, a reliever you can find at the very end of your 12-teamer to sure up your relief group or possibly your second closer in deeper 15+ teamers. As you’ll see, this is more of a Deeper League Late Round Targets article, as all of these relievers are currently going after pick 400 according to both NFBC and Fantasy Pro’s ADP (which accounts for NFBC, as well as Yahoo, ESPN, and CBS leagues. These are the high upside darts to throw late in your 15-teamers, especially if you missed out on an early closer run and are desperate for some saves.
Garrett Cleavinger, Tampa Bay Rays (492 ADP)
Cleavinger turned into one of the most underrated relievers in baseball last year as he finished with strong marks across the board (2.50 SIERA, 26.3% K-BB, 36.2% CSW rates) and tallied 21 holds. Cleavinger has a four-pitch mix, although he really leans on his sinker/slider now (75% usage), but his sweeper is really devastating against lefties as well (29.3% SwStr). He should return as the Rays’ top lefty to open the 2026 season and could see saves in certain situations, although as things stand right now, he is the only lefty slated to be in this bullpen opening day.
Griffin Jax ADP isn’t where it should be if we all thought he’d be the sole closer in Tampa Bay, so who is Jax splitting the role with? The best answer is Cleavinger, although Bryan Baker could also factor in to the mix, and perhaps Edwin Uceta when he returns.
Paul Sewald, Arizona Diamondbacks (555 ADP)
I wasn’t sure if Sewald would even make an MLB roster this year, but here he is now, back in Arizona and throwing 2 MPH harder! Add in the fact that there is no competition for him (Kevin Ginkel is cooked, Ryan Thompson isn’t a closer, and I don’t think they are going to push Jonathan Loáisiga into the role, at least early on, despite him looking great this spring), and he’s one of the better value picks in drafts this year. The question is, can he hold off A.J. Puk from taking the closer role back when he returns in May/June?
Robert Stephenson, Los Angeles Angels (463 ADP)
Stephenson has only been able to throw 10 innings over the past two seasons since signing with the Angels. He had issues staying healthy once again last year, but when he was on the mound, he did (at times) show the upside he brings and why the Angels gave him $33 million after the 2023 season. In his first game back last year, Stephenson was sitting 98.2 MPH with his fastball, and struck out two in a clean inning, which had me all sorts of excited. Unfortunately, he immediately went right back on the IL, and we didn’t see him again until the end of August. In his first 6 games back, he sat 96 MPH with his fastball (6 H, 1 K, 2 BB), but over his final three outings, he was at 97 MPH (1 H, 6 K, 0 BB), and while he finished the season on the IL once again with elbow inflammation, there’s still some hope he can build off those final three outings.
As long as Stephenson is healthy, I’ll take a chance on him about 100 picks later than Kirby Yates. That being said, I have a sneaky suspicion Drew Pomeranz gets more saves in this bullpen than we are anticipating.
EDIT: It unfortunately looks like Stephenson will miss significant time once again as he is dealing with more UCL damage. Yates remains the “favorite” for saves, but I wouldn’t sleep on Pomeranz here and potentially Jordan Romano, who’s had a fine spring so far.
Hogan Harris, Athletics (672 ADP)
Harris finished the year with four saves, so he may be the de facto incumbent, but there just aren’t closer traits here (10% SwStr/96 Stuff+). He did a good job suppressing hard contact, though, and his deep arsenal can still be useful as a left-handed reliever. I’d be curious to see how he’d fare with more even usage between his four-seam, curveball, and changeup, as all three graded out well last year (lots of movement on those pitches). As the team’s top (only?) left-handed reliever, it may suppress Harris from seeing all of the save chances, but there’s a path for him to stay relevant in holds leagues at least.
I really love Elvis Alvarado as well, but he’s probably not in the saves mix to start the season. Harris has seen an uptick in stuff this spring, so I’m hoping that improves his swing and miss ability as well.
Griff McGarry, Washington Nationals (748 ADP)
Taken in the Rule 5 draft in December, McGarry has the best chance to make the biggest impact this season amongst those drafted, as there is both opportunity and an intriguing skill set here. After working exclusively as a reliever in 2024, McGarry transitioned back to a starter for Philadelphia last year, but in Washington is more than likely set for the bullpen. McGarry did put up the best strikeout-minus-walk rate of his minor league career in 2025 (21.2%), but he also made 17 of his 21 starts at AA as a 26-year-old. Not too dissimilar from Beeter, the command has always been the issue for McGarry, but it was good to see him make positive strides last year, and there’s potential for two plus breakers and a good enough fastball here if McGarry can keep the walk rate close to 10%.
Clayton Beeter continues to struggle with his command, and while McGarry’s command hasn’t been great either, it’s apparent his stuff is closer-esque. This is a messy bullpen, and McGarry needs a spot so perhaps he can work his way into save chances sooner rather than later.
Ryne Stanek, St. Louis Cardinals (749 ADP)
Stanek continues to flash intriguing stuff, but has now finished with an ERA over 4 for three consecutive seasons, with last year being maybe the worst season of his career with a 5.30 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and just a 22.7% srikeout rate. However, 2025 did mark career highs for Stanek in terms of how his physical stuff graded (116 Stuff+, 5.13 PLV), so it’s easy to see why a team like the Cardinals would be interested in a “one year, let’s see what happens” type deal. Stanek still has one of the best fastballs out there, averaging 98.5 MPH with 18.1″ of iVB and 20.4″ of Total Break. He could do a better job commanding it, however, as he only had a 50% high location last year, whereas in 2021 and 2022 he was at 56%. The slider (43.8% Whiff) is an above-average secondary, one I wonder if he should throw more often, as the splitter took a step back last year. The sweeper he introduced last year is kind of interesting, though, but as is the case with all of his pitches, the command is less than ideal. There’s a potential closer skill set here, and one that can be a huge fantasy asset if he can shore up his command while throwing his breakers more, but those are also some big IF’s for a 34-year-old entering his 10th MLB season.
I still like Riley O’Brien and Matt Svanson, but those guys also have some arbitration years left, and Stanek has looked great this spring. The stuff has always been there (and still very much is), but is this finally the year Stanek breaks out?
Gregory Santos, San Francisco Giants (751 ADP)
Joel Peguero would have been my option here, but he is starting the year on the IL, which opens the door for Santos, who has looked fairly good this spring so far albeit in a small sample size. The velocity is back at least, and this bullpen is scarce of talent, so Santos should immediately be in the mix for a setup role, and just one step away from closing out games if Ryan Walker falters early.
In DEEPER Leagues or leagues that count Holds
Phil Maton, Chicago Cubs (461 ADP)
Maton had a major bounce-back campaign in 2025 (32.3% K, 34.8% CSW), and while he does not throw hard, he’s got a ton of funk in that arsenal due to his ability to spin the ball. He threw his curveball more than any other pitch last year (38%) with the pitch (like all of his pitches) being unique with 23″ of total break (97th percentile) thanks to a wild 3,180 rpm spin rate. With that type of profile it’s not surprising to see the pitch finish the year with a 23.6% swinging strike rate. His “cutter” is also unique as it’s basically his four-seamer that just has glove side break to it. Still, again the shape is incredible (12.4″ total break, 7.1′ extension, -4.4 VAA) and he does a great job locating it at the top of the zone (59.5%). The sweeper turned into something of a get-me-over offering early in counts (79.1% Early rate), with a 25% called strike rate and 52.2% Zone rate. I love this pitch mix, even if there is no elite velocity present, and would feel comfortable with him in a closer role if something happens with Palencia.
Gabe Speier, Seattle Mariners (510 ADP)
One of the more underrated relievers in baseball last season, Speier finished the year with the fourth-best SIERA (2.23) and strikeout-minus-walk rate (29.2%) amongst ALL relievers. Speier’s fastball (both four-seam and sinker) gained back the 2 MPH he had lost in 2024, and it made a world of difference, especially for the sinker that held a .480 average against in 2024 and just a .286 average last year. His slider command is also top-notch, as he just does not leave that pitch up or over the middle of the plate. As the team’s top lefty, he’s unlikely to see many, if any, save chances, but he should remain a target in hold leagues.
Dylan Lee, Atlanta Braves (554 ADP)
Lee is Atlanta’s top left-handed reliever, and he almost got a shot at closing out games last year while Raisel Iglesias struggled. Lee was the team’s most consistent reliever, finishing with an impressive 2.85 SIERA, a 23.3% strikeout-minus-walk rate, and a 33.2% CSW rate. Lee’s slider is his best pitch amongst an impressive three-pitch mix, but the slider once again was a swing and miss machine (50% O-Swing, 28% SwStr), even with a 55% usage rate. The four-seamer has come a long way for Lee also, increasing his velocity from 92 MPH over the previous two seasons to 94 MPH last year. With the 18.7″ of iVB and 20.7″ of total break and a 60.2% Zone rate, the pitch grades out as one of the best four-seamers in the game (5.49 PLV). Could he do a better job locating it up in the zone, sure (43.9% hiLoc%), but the pieces are there for the pitch to have more success if he can just command it better. The changeup is also really good, and keeps right-handed batters at bay, but it still doesn’t compare to his slider.
Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates (707 ADP)
2025 was a season to forget for Montgomery, but that being said, the stuff is still very apparent (18.3% SwStr, 125 Stuff+), and it feels like he’s just a tweak or two away from breaking out in a big way. He will also be able to put George Steinbrenner Field behind him this year, and even gets to escape the AL East as the Pirates were able to acquire him from the Rays this offseason. Montgomery’s fastball has a chance to be one of the best in baseball, at 98.7 MPH with 17.7″ of iVB and a 1.5 HAVAA from the left side, the pitch has a ton of potential. He just hasn’t been able to command it yet, as there are a lot of misses middle-middle, and he could really improve attacking the top of the zone more. The slider is a good enough secondary to keep hitters off balance from the fastball, and generates plenty of swings and misses as hitters sit on that heater. There’s a path to saves for Montgomery sooner than later now that he’s a Pirate, as no one in this bullpen comes close to this upside. The two veterans in front of him, Santana and Soto, are also free agents after the season.
Graham Ashcraft, Cincinnati Reds (725 ADP)
Ashcraft is the other veteran bullpen returner who could maybe make some noise in the closer race if it were to open up. He didn’t rack up a ton of strikeouts, and the ratios don’t look great, but he did finish with some solid numbers (3.29 xFIP, 122 Stuff+, 32.3% Hard-Hit%) that suggest his Clase-lite arsenal could make a bigger jump. The cutter, which sits at 97 MPH but can run up to 99 MPH, has a chance to be a dominant primary offering, but he’ll need to command it better (46.3% Zone rate) to get better results. The slider, on the other hand, did rack up a 22.4% swinging strike rate and is a plus, maybe plus-plus offering, one that should give Ashcraft a chance to improve his strikeout rates. Anthony Licciardi wrote about Ashcraft’s ability to determine his own luck recently, and again, it’s hard not to see some similarities to Emmanuel Clase here in that regard, as Ashcraft’s ability to limit hard contact is legit.
Feature image by Doug Carlin
