We’ve had quite a busy offseason when it comes to reliever movement, with many deals going down in just the past month or so that have shaken things up in the closer ranks. We are now about six weeks out from opening day, and there are still plenty of questions regarding potential closers and possible closer committees around the league. I think for now there are ten closers I feel mostly comfortable with rostering as actual “closers” and then there are a bunch of “well if they are closing and healthy…” options, so you are probably going to want to take one of those first ten closers if you are in a save only league. We will have more information to work within about a month, but for now, this is how I’d go about ranking the top 50 closers.
• Notes are from my 2025 Closer Preview back in October, with some February updates added below
Notes
Tier 1 (The Elite, Full Package Closer)
1. Emmanuel Clase (CLE) – Clase is coming off a historic year that saw him finish the season with a ridiculous 0.61 ERA (2.81 xFIP), 0.66 WHIP, and 47 saves. The only real complaint we can make about Clase is his lack of strikeouts, but then you see his 146 Stuff+, 5.63 PLV (first in baseball), and 36.8% Chase rate, it demonstrates that he CAN be amongst the strikeout leaderboards, he just doesn’t need to be in order to dominate (kind of like how Ichiro could have hit more home runs).
His cutter’s induced vertical break (iVB, 10.7″), total break (11.5″), and height-adjusted vertical attack angle (HAVAA, 0.8°) are all 90th percentile or better, and oh yeah, he averages 99.5 MPH with it, which all considered makes Clase’s cutter one of the most dominant pitches in baseball. His 29.7% hard-hit, 57.8% ground-ball, and 3.7% walk rates give him an exceptionally high floor and make Clase maybe the only closer I am willing to declare as a safe draft pick in 2025.
2025 UPDATE: He is the closest thing we have to a “safe closer”, and probably the only one I’d feel comfortable spending a top 50 pick on.
2. Edwin Díaz (NYM) – Díaz finished the year with “just” a 38.9% strikeout rate, which is the second lowest strikeout rate for him since 2017, although his 38.9% strikeout rate was the fifth highest amongst relievers this season. That is just how good Díaz has been throughout his career and while he did get off to a slow start as he was returning from missing all of the 2023 season, he was able to pick things up in the second half. Díaz held a 44.3% strikeout rate (35% K-BB rate) in the second half, best amongst closers, along with a 1.82 SIERA that trailed only Jhoan Duran’s 1.74.
Díaz’s fastball has a fantastic 1.9° HAVAA, which in turn normally leads to high whiff rates on his slider, however, his whiff rate was down this season as he struggled with some diminished velocity early on. The velocity did come back in the second half though, and I think it’s safe to say Díaz is primed to be a top-five closer once again next season in what could be a contract year for himself.
2025 UPDATE: Diaz was so good in the second half, I trust him a little bit more than the rest of this tier with Williams moving to a new team and Bautista coming back from TJS.
3. Josh Hader (HOU) – Hader had a bit of a tumultuous first season in Houston as he finished with a 3.80 ERA on the year but I’m optimistic that number will improve in 2025. The stuff is still electric and continues to fool hitters at an elite rate with a 31.9% Z-O rate, 22% swinging-strike rate, and 5.49 PLV. His “sinker” isn’t overpowering velocity-wise but it gets elite iVB (18.7″) and HAVAA (1.5°) which his slider (60.2% whiff rate) can play off of nicely.
Hader has never been one to suppress hard contact at a high level (10.2% barrel rate) and he doesn’t do a great job keeping the ball on the ground (29.9% ground-ball rate) so his move to Minute Maid Park will likely result in seasons closer to the 3.80 ERA than his 1.28 mark in 2023. With some better luck next year, that ERA should easily be lowered and we aren’t complaining about the WHIP or strikeouts.
2025 UPDATE: Hader is working on fixing his mechanics, and maybe we finally see that changeup this year. All good news.
4. Devin Williams (NYY) – While Clase lacks in strikeouts, Williams excels as his 43.2% strikeout rate in 2024 would have been the best in baseball if he qualified. However, that bat-missing ability did come with a 12.5% walk rate, which is actually pretty consistent for Williams, who has finished with a walk rate in the 12% range every year since 2021. His “Airbender” changeup remains one of the best pitches in the game with 19.7″ induced horizontal break (iHB) and somehow a 2720 rpm spin rate, so it constantly gets whiffs. Williams gets elite extension (7.3′) and the extreme movement from his changeup really keeps hitters off balance, leading to great hard-hit metrics as well (32.4% hard-hit rate).
Williams also finished with an impressive 2.62 xFIP and 2.31 SIERA this past season, both of which would have been top 10 amongst relievers. Williams did throw his changeup less this year, (down 13%) and ideally, I’d prefer him around a 50/50 split with his fastball and changeup (similar to Edwin Díaz with his fastball and slider) but thats nitpicking. There’s more volatility here than Clase (especially if traded), but I don’t think it would surprise anyone if Williams finished as the top closer given his upside.
2025 UPDATE: Williams was indeed traded, winding up with the Yankees back in December. I don’t think the move should hurt Williams too much despite moving to a new environment in a tougher ballpark within a more talented division.
5. Félix Bautista (BAL) – Bautista missed all of 2024 as he rehabbed from Tommy John, but he is expected to be ready for spring training, and let’s quickly just remember his otherwordly 2023. Bautista led all relievers with a 46.4% strikeout rate and was second in swinging-strike rate with a 22.7% mark. When healthy, he is just a bat-missing machine as his fastball sits at 99.5 MPH with 19.9 iVB while his splitter holds a 60.2% whiff rate.
While Bautista arguably has the best stuff of any closer, he will be coming off a major surgery and he already had some command issues to begin with so a slow start wouldn’t be shocking to see in 2025. That said, there really is no ceiling with him, so just like with Williams (and anyone in this tier really), I would not be shocked if Bautista finishes the year as the top fantasy closer.
2025 UPDATE: While Bautista is expected to be ready by opening day, the team will play things slow with him to start, so we may not see him on back to backs until May/June. That shouldn’t be too big of an issue.
6. Mason Miller (A’s) – Miller finished his rookie season with a 1.91 SIERA, 33.3% strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 21% swinging-strike rate which were all top three among qualified relievers. Miller was much better in the first half however as he posted a 38.5% CSW (29.6% 2nd half), 1.80 xFIP (2.86 2nd half), and a 46.7% strikeout rate (34.3% 2nd-half strikeout rate). Those obviously aren’t terrible numbers in the second half, but it is a trend going the wrong way, and for Miller to provide top-five value, he’ll likely need those first-half numbers as the A’s may make it hard for him to break the 30 save mark.
We’re also still a little unsure of what Miller’s role will be long-term, but I’d imagine we see him in the closer role for at least one more season perhaps before moving into the rotation. No matter the role, we’d still be lucky to have Miller pitching on our fantasy teams as his upside remains through the roof.
2025 UPDATE: The A’s have actually improved their roster this offseason and Miller is locked into the closer role. Now if we can just get 2024 1st half Mason Miller for a full season…
Tier 2 (Great, mostly Trustworthy Closers)
7. Andrés Muñoz (SEA) – Muñoz put together another great season, his first as Mariners closer, and while he still hasn’t quite hit that ceiling we once pictured, he’s still one of the best relievers around. He remained a bat-missing machine in 2024 with a 35.3% CSW, which now makes it three straight seasons for Muñoz with a CSW over 35%. He was even better in the second half of the season, finishing with a 38.8% strikeout rate, and 2.44 xFIP. Muñoz finished with a 56% ground-ball rate this season too, so despite some hard-hit concerns, he’s at least able to keep the ball on the ground the majority of the time.
While the slider is the dominant pitch here, it finished with a 48.5% whiff rate this year (three seasons in a row now at 48%+), the fastball ain’t too shabby either averaging 98.4 MPH with a 1.6° HAVAA. With Scott Servais out as manager, perhaps Muñoz will finally be able to run free as he did pick up all of the saves for the Mariners after Servais was fired (Troy Taylor had one during the last series of the year with Muñoz shut down).
8. Jhoan Duran (MIN) – Duran was in a similar situation as Muñoz, as he too shared the closer role with others and as a result, wound up south of 25 saves this season. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t (mostly) dominant, as Duran finished the year with a 2.67 xFIP and 132 Stuff+ while finishing the second half especially strong as well (30% K-BB rate). The 3.64 ERA and 1.16 WHIP are career highs for Duran but we can chalk a lot of that up to bad luck as he still did a fantastic job limiting hard contact (30.5% ICR%) and continues to be a groundball machine (61.2%) when not missing bats.
The fastball velo came down to 100.5 MPH this year, which is obviously an absurd statement, but even despite the velo dip, Duran still finished with a 36.1% whiff rate on the pitch, which was third best amongst relievers behind Edwin Díaz and Mason Miller. Rocco Baldelli is still at the helm in Minnesota, so Duran’s usage next season could continue to be shaky, but the Twins should really consider using him strictly as the closer, as the numbers prove he’s much more reliable in save situations.
9. Raisel Iglesias (ATL) – The elder statesman of the top 10, Iglesias turned in the best season of his career at age 34 as he finished with a 1.95 ERA and 0.74 WHIP, and even held a 35.1 innings pitched scoreless streak from mid-June to mid-September. A big reason for that scoreless streak was the return of his prime fastball velocity in the second half, which led to a 33.6% CSW over the past two months.
The overall numbers for the season were impressive across the board, with a 2.78 pCRA (Predictive Classified Run Average), and 39.4% Z-O rate as standouts, Iglesias showed he isn’t slowing down anytime soon. With 4 quality offerings, Iglesias should be able to weather another downtick in velocity as he ages, just as he did at the beginning of this past season.
10. Ryan Helsley (STL) – Helsley finished the season as the league leader in saves with 49, but that number means nothing as far as his 2025 season is concerned. We should still be interested in Helsley since he’s coming off a season where he posted a 19.1% swinging-strike rate, and led all relievers with a 147 Stuff+. A big reason for his success this past year can be attributed to a pitch usage change, as he went from 56.2% fastball and 36.7% slider to 48.3% slider (+11.6%) and 45.5% fastball (-10.7).
The slider continues to be Helsley’s best offering with a 51% whiff rate last year, but the fastball holds its own too as he averages 99.6 MPH with 17″ of iVB on it. Helsley does give up some loud contact (39.6% ICR%) and holds a low groundball rate (37.2%) so it wouldn’t be shocking to see his home-run rate jump closer to his 2021-22 numbers, but even still, Helsley should bring enough value to warrant being one of the top 10 relievers off the board.
2025 UPDATE: Helsley is still a fine RP1 target, but you need to know that the save total will not be nearly the same as last year, partly in fact because he is likely to be traded, so we don’t know what role he will have all season long. Too much uncertainty to draft him in the first six rounds.
Tier 3 (Most Likely Closers, with upside)
11. Ryan Walker (SFG) – Walker was the Giants’ best reliever from start to finish this season, and showed some upside I frankly didn’t expect to see from him. Walker ended the year as the team’s closer, finishing with a 1.94 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 2.45 SIERA, and 34.4% CSW. We’ve talked about a lot of plus fastballs so far, but Walker’s best offering is his slider, which is truly elite with 16″ of total break, a 38% whiff rate, and a 5.47 PLV.
The sinker is more or less fine, as it does provide plenty of groundballs and overall Walker does a great job suppressing hard contact (30.2% hard-hit rate). What his role will be next March remains to be seen, as Camilo Doval and his 89 saves over the past three seasons are still around for now (and I’m definitely not giving up on him yet), but a trade could help clear things up for Walker, Doval, and the Giants.
2025 UPDATE: Melvin and Posey have spent the offseason hyping up Doval, which could be to bolster his trade value, or perhaps Posey wants to give his former teammate a chance to close out games again? This should still be Walker’s job to lose.
12. Trevor Megill (MIL) – With Devin Williams missing the first half of the season, Megill led the Brewers in saves this year with 21 total, despite not being as dominant as he was at the end of last season. Still, Megill finished with a 1.01 WHIP, 15.6% swinging-strike rate, 140 Stuff+, and 5.28 PLV, so the stuff hasn’t exactly fallen off drastically.
Megills best offering remains his 98.8 MPH fastball that has 17.2″ iVB and a 2455 rpm spin rate. The curve plays off this quite nicely, as Megill held a superb 55% whiff rate in 2024. Megill is slated to open the season as a setup man in Milwaukee but if Williams happens to get traded, Megill should be next in line for save chances and provides huge upside.
2025 UPDATE: With Williams now in New York, Megill should have the closer role all to himself to start the season. I like his odds at cracking 30 saves as long as he can stay healthy for 50+ innings.
13. Tanner Scott (LAD) – Scott is hitting free agency at the right time as he is coming off one of his best seasons to date as he finished with a 1.75 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, and his arsenal graded out as one of the best in baseball with a 145 Stuff+ and 5.46 PLV (both top 10). These numbers come after a rough 8-10 game stretch to open up the season, but from about late April on, he was lights out, finishing with a 38.3% Z-O rate over his last 59 innings pitch.
Scott’s best pitch is his fastball, which comes in from the left side at 97 MPH with a 1.9° HAVAA, and 2540 rpm spin rate, so it’s no surprise to see the usage up 12% this year. The slider is still a solid secondary, and ideally, we’d probably want him to have a 50/50 split between the two (closer to last season). Scott continues to do a great job limiting hard contact as well (27.5 Hard Hit%, 84.3 Avg. Exit Velo) and I’d expect him to get the biggest contract of any reliever this offseason, but that doesn’t guarantee him the closer role.
2025 UPDATE: I liked Scott to still provide top 200 value even in a part time closer role, but with Dave Roberts already anointing him the teams closer to start the season, Scott could be in for a huge year. That said, there are plenty of fallback options here, especially if Scott gets off to a slow start again. The upside is worth the risk though.
14. A.J. Puk (ARZ) – After making four starts at the beginning of the season in which he allowed 14 earned runs over 13.2 innings, Puk moved back into a bullpen role in May and only got better as the season went on. Over 57.2 innings as a reliever, Puk finished with a 1.72 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 2.12 pCRA, and 30% K-BB rate. He was the best reliever in baseball over the second half of the season, where he held a 1.50 SIERA, 37.6% K-BB, and 36.7% CSW rate.
At 6’7″ with a 7.1′ extension, Puk’s fastball (which averaged 96.3 MPH as an reliever) plays up big time, and the slider had a ton of success too with a 47.8% whiff rate. I have more faith in him than the other options currently in the Diamondbacks bullpen for next year, but it’s certainly no guarantee Puk will open the year as the closer. He did end the season as the de facto “closer” and if he were able to secure the role before opening day, he would probably move into the top 10.
2025 UPDATE: Puk remains in the top 15 following Torey Lovullo’s comments that “If you had me trapped in a corner and I had to fight you by telling you one name [to close], I’d probably say A.J. right now, but it’s a wide open situation”. That quote is not nothing, and Puk’s upside makes him well worth the gamble in this range.
15. Jeff Hoffman (TOR) – Hoffman was able to back up last season’s surprise success with a true breakout campaign that saw him finish the year with a 0.96 WHIP, 27.6% K-BB rate, 2.39 SIERA, and 18.4% swinging-strike rate. Hoffman is a spin rate master, finishing in the top 96th percentile in both slider and fastball spin, with the fastball getting elite arm side run, and the slider racking up a ton of whiffs (44.7%). ‘
What next season has in store for Hoffman is up in the air, but he should get a contract similar to if not better than what Robert Stephenson received last season. The landing spot will determine what Hoffman’s role will be, but I’d lean toward him signing with a team that has an established closer to be their top setup/high-leverage reliever. Still, the chance that Hoffman does land a closer role next season is too enticing to pass up in the top 20.
2025 UPDATE: Despite failing two physicals with the Orioles and Braves (who probably wanted him as a starter), Hoffman winds up in Toronto where he is likely to open the year as the team’s closer. I’m not sure if that’s the best role for him, as he was dominant as the high-leverage stopper in Philadelphia, and the team brought back Yimi García…but Hoffman is getting paid like a closer and it sounds like they will let him start in the role.
Tier 4 (Most Likely Closers, with Questionmarks)
16. David Bednar (PIT) – Bednar could just not get things going this season, as every time it looked like he may be turning a corner, he’d go prove us otherwise with a dud (or series of duds). The strikeouts went way down and he even struggled with his command (11.5% K-BB rate) and unfortunately, a 4.87 xFIP doesn’t exactly disprove his 5.77 ERA was a fluke. The curveball really let him down this year, finishing with a 4.72 PLV and 6.2% swinging-strike rate, and he’ll need to improve on that to have more success against right-handed hitters.
Overall though, I’m certainly not counting out a comeback season from Bednar next year as the stuff, for the most part, appears to still be there as he was able to finish with solid 44.1% Z-O and 14.1% swinging-strike rates while having a 128 Stuff+. If the injuries he was dealing with are truly behind him (oblique/back), the fastball and splitter can still be very good, and I also can’t see the Pirates spending a lot of money on a potential closer this offseason, so I’m willing to buy back in on Bednar as long as the cost reflects his 2024 struggles.
2025 UPDATE: Bednar “is noticeably trimmer” this offseason, and hopefully a full, healthy spring will have him ready to bounce back this year.
17. Pete Fairbanks (TBR) – What a disappointing season it was for Fairbanks who just couldn’t build off last year’s second-half momentum and take that next step forward we’ve been waiting for. Fairbanks wound up finishing 2024 with just a 23.8% strikeout, 9.8% swinging-strike, and a 60.3% Z-O rate as well as a pedestrian 3.75 SIERA. Once again, Fairbanks failed to make it past 46 innings, as he had two IL stints on the year, one of which ended his season in August.
There is some hope left here as the fastball is still good (97.3 MPH, 17.5″ iVB, 2340 rpm spin rate) but unless it gets back to 2022-23 levels (99 MPH, with almost 19″ iVB, and a 2500 rpm spin rate) we likely won’t be seeing Fairbanks as a top 10-12 closer option. There’s also a chance, maybe even a good chance knowing the Rays, Fairbanks is dealt at some point between now and next July, and mostly likely he’d be looking at some sort of setup role with his new team.
2025 UPDATE: It’s been quiet on the Fairbanks trade front, so for now, he is locked in as the teams returning closer. A team that looks very competitive on paper so perhaps Fairbanks sticks with them all year long. Which is great for his value, but will he be able to crack the 50 innings mark for the first time in his career?
18. Kenley Jansen (LAA) – Jansen was mostly solid across the board for fantasy purposes this year, finishing with a 1.06 WHIP, 28.4% strikeout rate, and 31.1% CSW as he still has the ability to miss bats at an above-average clip. That being said, the stuff is trending in the wrong direction, with a 53.7% Z-O rate, and 5.01 PLV, plus rough ERA indicators as shown by a 4.04 xFIP, and 4.65 pCRA.
The cutter is still a very good pitch though and he surely will want to close next year as he tries to surpass Lee Smith for third most saves all-time. If he is able to land in a pitcher-friendly park he should be alright, but I don’t think he is someone you want to target in the top 10-12 rounds anymore.
2025 UPDATE: We still don’t know where it will be, but Jansen will be closing somewhere this season after turning down the Mets because he wants to chase the 500 save mark. He still has some left in the tank. EDIT: Jansen signed a one year deal with the Angels as this article was being published, so now we have the answer as to where he closes.
19. Jordan Romano (PHI) – Romano only appeared in 15 games this season, where he mostly struggled to the tune of a 6.59 ERA before being shut down with an elbow injury that eventually required arthroscopic surgery. In the small sample size, Romano held mostly poor numbers across the board with 14.5% K-BB, 11.6% swinging-strike, and 28.8% CSW rates, as well as a 50% ICR%, and 3.93 SIERA.
Even as things were trending in the wrong direction for Romano in 2023, he was still able to finish with a 2.90 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and 36 saves. If healthy and closing again (Jays could decide to move on from him), Romano could still be an RP2 target as a potential bounce-back candidate, but ideally, we’d get a chance to see him this spring first before moving him up the board.
2025 UPDATE: After being released by the Jays in November, Romano was quick to latch on to a new team, signing a one-year deal with the Phillies. His experience should give him the first crack at the closer role, if healthy, which is a big if. This spring will be huge for Romano.
20. Ryan Pressly (CHC) – 2025 UPDATE: After being upset last year by the Josh Hader signing, Pressly gets a new chance to close out games as the Cubs will give him every chance to win the role this spring. He still held a solid 5.28 PLV and 3.43 xFIP mark in 2024, but the bat missing ability tumbled last season as Pressly finished with just a 28.4% CSW, while also allowing too many baserunners as seen by his 1.34 WHIP. That said, he was brought to Chicago to close out games and the physical stuff hasn’t declined all that much yet, so perhaps he has one more good year in him at least.
21. Robert Suarez (SDP) – Despite a rocky September, Suarez still finished the postseason as the Padres closer and should be back in the role to begin next year. Even at 33 years old, the stuff has not lost a beat, as he finished the season with a 137 Stuff+, and 5.30 PLV, thanks in large part to his fastball, which he happens to throw a whopping 87% of the time. It’s a good offering too, so I don’t blame him for it, as it averaged 99 MPH this season with 17.2″ iVB. Will he be able to sustain that type of usage and have success moving forward though?
The changeup has been good for him in the past, but also, please develop the cutter or maybe some type of slider? As much as I am worried about him being a one-pitch pitcher, this is still a potentially great spot for him as a closer, with a good lineup, solid rotation, and great bullpen arms in front of him in Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada. That last part also means if Suarez struggles out of the gate, he has Adam and Estrada right behind him as potential fallback closer options.
2025 UPDATE: Not only are there concerns about Suarez’s effectiveness moving forward, but we also have no idea where he will be pitching for the entirety of the season as dealing Robert Suarez seems to be “the move that appears most probable” for a Padres team desperately looking to shed payroll. Stay tuned, but for now, he is not nearly worth the risk of a top 100 pick.
22. Alexis Díaz (CIN) – We all had our doubts about Díaz entering the 2024 season after a rough finish to his 2023. Unfortunately, we were not proven wrong here as Díaz struggled mightily for most of the year, finishing with just a 9.9% K-BB rate, and 5.06 xFIP on the season. The overall 3.99 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, plus 28 saves, isn’t exactly terrible, but it’s not what we were hoping for when drafting Díaz in the top 100 picks. Díaz was particularly bad against left-handed hitters with just a 5.3% K-BB rate, 1.56 WHIP, and 6.00 xFIP, which isn’t surprising given his fastball/slider approach from a low arm slot.
However, there may be some hope here still after all, as things were slightly improved in the second half, where he had a 13.5% swinging-strike rate and 1.00 WHIP. The stuff is not necessarily bad, he does get an elite 7.7″ extension, a 98th percentile HAVAA, and 2600+ rpm spin rates on his fastball and slider, he’s just more suited towards being a right-handed specialist. The bat-missing ability just has not been there since June of 2023 (25.5% CSW over his past 102.1 IP). If I can get him for basically free in drafts, I’d like to take a chance on Díaz, but I’m staying away inside the top 200 for now.
2025 UPDATE: With Terry Francona taking over as manager, I’m not sure he will be as patient with Díaz as David Bell was. We should have a better read on this bullpen in a month or so.
Tier 5 (Great Relievers, Stuck in a Potential Committee)
23. Lucas Erceg (KC) – Erceg opened up the season setting up for Mason Miller before a trade mid-season landed him in the Royals closer role. Overall, it was a good season for Erceg, who finished with a 2.83 SIERA and we saw him get his walk rate down to 6.3% after finishing last year at 14.3%. The stuff got better in the second half with the Royals as well, finishing with a 27% K-BB rate, and 2.68 xFIP post All-Star break.
Erceg doesn’t have one truly elite offering, but more so keeps hitters off balance with a starter-like repertoire, featuring a good sinker and slider, as well as a promising changeup. That said he still threw more four-seamers than any other pitch this season, so I’d be interested to see what he could do if he brought the four-seam rate down closer to 20%. Despite the starter’s repertoire, I doubt we see Erceg moving into the rotation anytime soon, as he’s clearly needed in this bullpen at the moment and he should open the season as the closer barring a big free agent splash or trade.
2025 UPDATE: For now, the Royals are declining to name a closer with both Erceg and Carlos Estévez acting as co-closers, but if we are following the money here, Estevez is the one getting paid like a closer. Even if Estevez does start out as the closer, Erceg has significantly better stuff and a higher upside, but perhaps the team just prefers him in that “high leverage role” (which makes sense).
24. Aroldis Chapman (BOS) – Chapman finished 2024 with his highest save total since 2021 (14) and while the ERA (3.79) and WHIP (1.35) aren’t exactly enticing, the stuff is still missing bats at a high rate with a 37.1% strikeout rate, 33% CSW, and 5.19 PLV. Chapman was even more dominant in the second half after taking over as closer, finishing with a 32.7% K-BB rate and 1.84 xFIP post-All-Star break.
Even at 36 years old, the stuff is showing no signs of decline yet (fastball/sinker still sitting 98-100 MPH), and I’m sure he could find a chance to close somewhere if he wants it, but he may get more suitors in the form of “win now” clubs looking for him to join in a setup role.
2025 UPDATE: All we know in Boston right now is that the closer will be one of Chapman, Hendriks or Slaten…which is what we’ve known since December. Unless they are serious about Slaten closing out games (they weren’t last year when Jansen missed time), Chapman is likely the best option opening day unless Hendriks stuff comes back to him this spring.
25. Justin Martinez (AZ) – Martinez took over as the Diamondbacks closer in the second half of the season after Paul Sewald was removed from the role, with Martinez going on to finish the year with a 2.48 ERA and nine saves. He also finished with a 2.88 xFIP, 2.92 pCRA, and 5.34 PLV, as the stuff has never been in question here, as shown by his 100.2 velo fastball, 54% whiff rate splitter, and 45% whiff rate slider. He also did a great job limiting hard contact and keeping the ball on the ground with a 31.8% ICR%, and 60.1% ground-ball rate.
Paul Sewald is a free agent but A.J. Puk and Kevin Ginkel will still be stiff competition and while the sky is the limit for 23-year-old, Martinez likely needs to keep the control issues in check (11.7% walk rate last year) and be more consistent first before taking over as the long-term closer. That said, if Matinez is named the closer, he moves up at least 10 spots on this list.
2025 UPDATE: Puk is currently the favorite to open the year as the closer (as he should be) but Martinez does have the Stuff to push him in that role if he can just get more consistent with his command and control. For now, his control issues make for more of a headache, although he has made positive strides year to year. The upside is tantalizing, but also risky.
Tier 6 (Good Relievers, Probably Closing out Games?)
26. Chris Martin (TEX) – (From SV+HLD article) Martin is more of a command specialist with great walk rates (1.7% walk rate), but also finished with an impressive 2.61 xFIP, and 47.9% Z-O rate at 38 years old.
2025 UPDATE: As of now, Martin is the favorite for saves in Texas but the question still remains, will they add anyone else? They may not be able to add financially, so Martin could prove to be a nice bargain later on in drafts…as long as Jon Gray remains in the rotation.
27. Jorge López (WAS) – (From SV+HLD article) López obviously had a tumultuous experience with the Mets last year but he was a completely different pitcher with the Cubs, finishing with 34.8% strikeout and 36.7% CSW rates plus a 2.47 xFIP over his final 22 innings of the season in Chicago.
2025 UPDATE: The Nationals are kind of in the same boat as the Rangers here with López, so as of now, assuming no one else is added to the roster, I like Lopez as a late round closer option.
28. Carlos Estévez (KC) – While Estévez finished the season with an impressive 2.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and even a 5.27 PLV, there are enough question marks under the hood to be skeptical about what’s in store for him next season. While Estévez was pretty consistent throughout, his 24.4% CSW, 23.6% strikeout rate, and 4.09 xFIP in the second half show a decline in bat-missing ability.
Estévez also allows a ton of hard contact (bottom 20 percentile in average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate), and with only 32.2% ground ball and 24.4% chase rates, he’s leaving a lot up to chance. With a lack of bat-missing ability, and the propensity to allow loud contact, I’m fully out on Estévez for next season unless he somehow winds up closing out games for say, the Tigers or Royals.
2025 UPDATE: Despite that last sentence above and the fact that Estévez will probably gets more saves than Erceg, I’m afraid the two may wash each other out for fantasy purposes. Now if Estévez is actually named THE closer, that does change things…
29. Liam Hendriks (BOS) – Hendriks is one of if not the toughest closer to rank right now, as we’ve seen him be a top-five closer option not all that long ago in 2022 where he averaged 97.6 MPH on his fastball (he also gets 17.8″ iVB on the pitch) and his slider held a 67% whiff rate. He then began the 2023 season on the IL while undergoing cancer treatments, but unfortunately was only able to throw five innings that year before it was announced he would need Tommy John Surgery. It was a small sample size and clearly, his elbow was not right, but his stuff was not the same then as he was only able to to average 95.4 MPH on his fastball in those five innings.
Fast forward 12 months later with Hendriks attempting to make it back from surgery in record time, but it was pretty clear that he rushed back too quickly. In Hendriks’ last outing for Worcester this year he threw only one fastball and it was 91.6 MPH. The outing before that he threw 6 fastballs averaging 92.8 MPH, and the outing before that he threw seven fastballs averaging 94 MPH. The slider was also down to 84 MPH. Perhaps by March, he will be closer to 96 MPH and the slider will come back to life, which might be all that he needs to be effective. The Red Sox are unlikely to make a splash in the reliever market this year, so I believe they are counting on Hendriks getting back to normal and being their closer, but it feels awfully risky to put that kind of confidence into a 36-year-old with five innings pitched since 2022.
2025 UPDATE: We will know more in a month or so once we see some of Hendriks’ spring training numbers, and I’m hoping we see 96 MPH with good command.
Tier 7 (The Next in Line Group…and Miami)
30. Orion Kerkering (PHI) – Kerkering put together a phenomenal first full season at the MLB level, finishing with a 2.36 ERA, 2.89 xFIP, 22.2% K-BB rate, and 5.38 PLV. We got a glimpse of the stuff late last season, with his 2900 rpm spin rate sweeper and 97.6 MPH fastball potentially being a wicked combo at the end of games. That duo also helped lead him to a 54.8% ground-ball rate, and there’s really no reason to think he couldn’t be the closer in Philadelphia next season.
However, I’m skeptical that happens because the Phillies will almost certainly add at least one impact reliever this offseason with Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman scheduled to be free agents. This team’s win-now window is closing after all. Kerkering could easily be a top-15 closer option heading into next season if given the job, but I just can’t imagine this team not adding some legitimate competition for him at the very least.
2025 UPDATE: Romano could sink or swim early on here, so Kerkering is worth the late-round stash. If Romano looks great in March, we can probably go ahead and push Kerkering down.
31. Kirby Yates (LAD) – Yates turned back the clock this year and put together his best season since 2019 with a 1.17 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. This season also saw Yates with his best stuff since 2019 as he finished with a 36% strikeout and 36.5% Z-O rate, plus a 2.51 pCRA. Yates was consistent all year round, allowing no more than three runs in a single month.
While the strikeout rate was great, his 24.8% ICR% was truly elite, and a number so low I just can’t see him flirting with it ever again. Yates will also be 38 to start next season and while he should get a chance to close out games again, it’s certainly not a guarantee, especially if he prefers to sign with a contender.
2025 UPDATE: With Scott being named the closer to start the season, it puts Yates role in question, although I can still picture him with 10+ saves as I’d imagine he is next in line.
32. Porter Hodge (CHC) – Hodge finished his impressive rookie season with nine saves, and wound up with some great numbers across the board: a 1.88 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 2.95 pCRA, 31.7% strikeout rate, 31.9% CSW, and 30.4% ICR%. Even with all those positive numbers, I have some long-term concerns here. He finished with a 56% Z-O rate and 5.10 PLV, both underwhelming and largely due to his below-average (at best) fastball.
The slider is great, but relying on a closer with a bad fastball is not exactly something I want to invest heavily in. The other concern here would be his role for next season. While he should be the favorite for saves as of now, I would be shocked if the Cubs didn’t bring in a veteran with closer experience who could open the season in the role.
2025 UPDATE: Pressly will get everychance to close here, but he is also on the decline so we shouldn’t forget about Hodge just yet.
33. Edwin Uceta (TB) – Uceta was one of the biggest breakout relievers in 2023, finishing the season with a 30.8% K-BB rate, 2.10 SIERA, and 2.02 pCRA, which were all second-best amongst relievers with 40+ innings pitched. While his unique changeup, with 17.8″ iHB and a 2172 rpm spin rate, is probably his best offering, the sinker held a 2.0 HAVAA while his brand-new cutter was at 1.2 (96th percentile).
The pitch mix helped Uceta do a great job limiting hard contact with just a 3.8% barrel rate allowed and a 32.3% ICR%. With three plus pitches and great command of the zone, Uceta could certainly make a case to close out games for the Rays next season (or potentially start games?), no matter where Pete Fairbanks spends the majority of the season.
34. Jesús Tinoco (MIA) – Tinoco was a pleasant surprise for the Marlins in 2024, as he ran away with the closer role after Calvin Faucher landed on the IL in early September. For the season, Tinoco held a 0.96 WHIP, and 47.4% Z-O rate, but he was even more impressive in the second half with a 25% K-BB rate and 2.63 SIERA.
The stuff is not overpowering, but his sinker is a solid pitch that gets good movement (18″ iHB, 1.0° HAVAA), while the slider gets most of the whiffs (37.6% whiff rate). As of now, I see Tinoco as the favorite to close out games for the Marlins in 2025, but there are plenty of veteran closers out on the market the Marlins could bring in for competition.
35. Calvin Faucher (MIA) – 2025 UPDATE: Faucher will certainly be a factor in the Marlins closer contest, as he did have 6 saves last season before missing the final month of the season. Despite the saves and a 3.19 ERA, Faucher did struggle to the tune of a 1.40 WHIP, 60.8% Z-O%, 10.4% SwStr%, and 28.5 CSW% rates. Tinoco is the better closer option here, but Faucher may have the inside track at the moment.
36. Yimi García (TOR) –2025 UPDATE: García has more closer experience than Hoffman, and was great in Toronto last season (2.36 SIERA, 0.80 WHIP, 29.6% K-BB), so could they use Hoffman in that “high leverage role” with García holding down the ninth? We shall see, but the expectation is that Hoffman opens the year as THE closer.
37. Justin Slaten (BOS) – As things stand now, Slaten should be the favorite for holds in the Red Sox bullpen with Liam Hendriks as the team’s closer, but as mentioned earlier, we really don’t have any clue what we are going to get with Hendriks. Slaten finished his rookie year with an impressive 3.01 xFIP, and 5.46 PLV, and his three-pitch mix looks good enough to be closer ready. The Red Sox have made indications in the not-too-distant past that they’d like to cut payroll rather than add, so that could leave Slaten as a real possibility to be the closer next April.
2025 UPDATE: The Sox have only added Chapman to the closer mix, so Slaten could get a real shot to close out games this season. I’d still expect the veterans Chapman and Hendriks to be the favorites if healthy.
38. Jeremiah Estrada (SD) – The Estrada breakout happened a couple of years after it was predicted, unfortunate for the Cubs, but fortunate for the Padres who now have themselves a future closer. Estrada finished 2024 with a 37.3% strikeout rate, a 19.2% swinging-strike rate, and 2.50 pCRA as a new splitter helped him turn things around. I’m not sure Estrada gets a chance to close out games next year, but Suarez is certainly a regression candidate so I think he’s is worth a flier in deeper leagues.
2025 UPDATE: I’ll take the upside in Estrada over Jason Adam for now, who could also wind up traded.
39. Jason Adam (SD) – Adam is in a similar boat to Estrada, as he could see some saves this season if Suarez struggles but the two (Adam and Estrada) will still be up against each other for save chances in that scenario. Adam was fantastic last year, finishing with a 41.8% Z-O rate, 19.3% swinging-strike rate, and 0.86 WHIP, so whoever it would be that gets the closer role in this hypothetical would still carry immense upside.
Tier 8 (The Who Knows?, Late Round Dart Throw Group)
40. Griffin Jax (MIN) – Jax may have a locked-in closer ahead of him but that didn’t stop him from having 10 saves this season, as Jhoan Duran missed the first couple of weeks of the season with an injury. Jax was arguably the best non-closer reliever in baseball last year, finishing with a 2.32 xFIP, 36.9% CSW, and 5.58 PLV, so there’s value here even if he isn’t closing out games as he was still the 63rd-best player in standard Yahoo leagues last year despite just the 10 saves.
41. Jason Foley (DET) – It may be surprising to see Foley this low coming off a 3.15 ERA (4.09 SIERA), 1.18 WHIP, and 28 save season, but the fact is that Foley is still miscast as a closer and the Tigers should have some options, both in-house and outside the organization, that just makes more sense. Foley is a sinkerballer who really struggles to miss bats as seen by his 18.4% strikeout, and 10.9% swinging-strike rates, but even his groundball rate took a hit this season (47.8%), down 10% from the past two seasons.
Foley is still a fine reliever in most bullpens, but he’s not someone you really want as your closer (a poor man’s Clay Holmes perhaps?). With better options in this Tigers bullpen as well as a chance the team goes out and adds a veteran closer this offseason, Foley feels like a safe avoid in early drafts this winter.
42. Beau Brieske (DET) – 2025 UPDATE: I’m not sure what the upside is with Brieske after a blah regular season but he looked great in October (much better than Foley), and has a better closer profile than Foley. Brieske has a good changeup and passable slider, and while the fastball doesn’t grade out well (because he lives at the bottom of the zone for some reason), he can be 96-97 with it, plus it gets great iVB (17.5″) and spin rates (2500+) At the end of the day though, I think I’d just rather avoid this Tiger bullpen until someone emerges.
43. Camilo Doval (SF) – Despite losing the closer role, being demoted mid-season, and finishing with a 4.88 ERA and 1.58 WHIP, 2024 shouldn’t be considered the beginning of the end for Doval whose stuff is clearly still top-notch. Doval finished with a 32.3% CSW rate, and his 99 MPH cutter still has immense potential with a 12.3″ total break, and a 1.3° HAVAA. His slider isn’t too shabby as well, finishing with a 45% whiff rate plus his 29.6% ICR% and 61.5% ground-ball rates were actually both better than Emmanuel Clase’s who has a similar pitch mix.
Still, the best-case scenario here for Doval is likely a trade, as Ryan Walker was dominant in the closer role once taking over and should be considered the favorite to open in the role next March. If Doval can land a closer role somewhere, I love the bounce-back potential here, especially at what should be a no-risk cost.
2025 UPDATE: Does Posey have a soft spot for Doval? Maybe, but this should still be Walker’s role to lose (and he’s good enough to not lose it).
44. Prelander Berroa (CWS) –I have no idea who will be the White Sox closer on opening day, but if they are looking at talented in-house candidates, Berroa should be at the top of the list. It was only 18 innings, but Berroa finished the season with a 31.3% strikeout rate, a 15.5% swinging-strike rate, and a 3.39 pCRA. Similar to Justin Martinez, the swing-and-miss ability has always been there for Berroa, it’s just going to come down to being able to find the strike zone consistently (and winning the closer job of course).
45. Seth Halvorsen (COL) – If there’s anyone to take a chance on in Colorado, it has to be Seth Halvorsen right? Halvorsen had really good numbers in just 12.1 IP last year (2.75 SIERA, 23.9% strikeout-minus-walk, and 5.42 PLV) and likely has the best repertoire to succeed in Coors.
46. Ben Joyce (LAA) – It was only 32.2 innings but I think we should be happy with how Joyce finished this season, with a 2.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 15% swinging-strike rate, and 46.5% Z-O, mostly due to his ability to limit contact in the zone (75%). Obviously with Joyce the big weapon is his fastball velocity (102.1 MPH on average) but it also held a 1.9° HAVAA, so the pitch can be quite deceptive as well. He still needs to find a secondary he can trust, but his high spin slider feels pretty close to becoming a great secondary with some tweaks maybe (and will the splinker return?).
As long as he is healthy, Joyce should have a very sturdy floor with his fastball and high ground-ball rate (62.6%) and as of now, there is no competition for him to be the Angels closer. I think there’s still some untapped potential here and will be happy to take a chance on Joyce as my #2 closer in leagues next year, as long as they are not looking to add a veteran closer to the mix.
2025 UPDATE: Obviously health is the concern with Joyce first and foremost, but I also worry they add some sort of stop gap veteran closer (Kenley Jansen?) as that bullpen has not been addressed this off season. There’s also Robert Stephenson returning in the second half, but thats not much of a concern to Joyce at the moment.
EDIT: Welp, it will indeed be Jansen as the stop gap veteran closer but it doesn’t totally rule Joyce out from some saves this year, as Jansen has had health problems the past two seasons.
47. Matt Strahm (PHI) – Matt Strahm remains consistent, but 2024 was still a career year for him. After finishing with a 28.7% strikeout-minus-walk rate and 2.37 SIERA and with the Phillies only adding Jordan Romano so far this offseason, there’s a chance we see Strahm enter the save mix at some point this year.
48. Jose A. Ferrer (WAS) – 2025 UPDATE: Sure, Ferrer is a lefty who basically only has a fastball (the changeup is ok I guess) but let’s also remember that Sean Doolittle (a lefty with only a fastball) had 54 saves under Dave Martinez in Washington. Ferrer throws hard and has a really good sinker, and in a way is kind of a left-handed Jason Foley although I think Ferrer’s stuff is better. The problem is he held a strikeout rate under 20% last year, which is in large part due to his lacking secondaries but also the fact that he lives in the strikezone (54% Zone rate with a 95th percentile middle middle rate).
49. Robert Garcia (TEX) – Unlucky in 2024, new Rangers reliever Robert Garcia, not only held a .329 BABIP but also a 57.2% left-on-base rate, the second lowest amongst 169 qualified relievers. The Rangers bullpen is not cemented in stone yet, but I’d imagine Garcia will have better pitchers coming in after him on his new team. Either that, or Garcia himself will be closing out games as right now he is far and away the best reliever in that Texas bullpen as he finished 2024 with 2.77 xFIP, 2.65 pCRA, and 23.5% strikeout-minus-walk rate.
2025 UPDATE: It might be harder to close out games in Texas, but then again Garcia only has Chris Martin in front of him at the moment. If the Rangers don’t add any bullpen pieces, Garcia will assuredly get some save chances eventually this season. Garcia, like Ferrer (both teammates last season) also struggles with too many middle middle fastballs.
50. Taylor Rogers (CIN) – 2025 UPDATE: Rogers was fine last season, finishing with a 2.40 ERA, 25.7% K rate and 32% CSW, but the stuff is falling off here (25.7% K and 9.9% SwStr rates lowest since 2017) and a move to Cincinnati isn’t exactly ideal. But considering the other options here, could Rogers be Terry Francona’s new “Brad Hand” in Cincinnati, as that veteran lefty with closer experience brought in via trade? Probably not to be honest, as Hand was MUCH better when he came to Cleveland from San Diego back in 2018. Tony Santillan and even Emilio Pagán might be better closer options to chase here.
| Rank | Pitcher | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emmanuel ClaseT1 | - |
| 2 | Edwin Díaz | +3 |
| 3 | Josh Hader | +1 |
| 4 | Devin Williams | -2 |
| 5 | Félix Bautista | -2 |
| 6 | Mason Miller | - |
| 7 | Andrés MuñozT2 | - |
| 8 | Jhoan Duran | +1 |
| 9 | Raisel Iglesias | +1 |
| 10 | Ryan Helsley | -2 |
| 11 | Ryan WalkerT3 | +4 |
| 12 | Trevor Megill | +24 |
| 13 | Tanner Scott | -2 |
| 14 | A.J. Puk | -1 |
| 15 | Jeff Hoffman | +3 |
| 16 | David BednarT4 | +7 |
| 17 | Pete Fairbanks | +9 |
| 18 | Kenley Jansen | +6 |
| 19 | Jordan Romano | +8 |
| 20 | Ryan Pressly | +UR |
| 21 | Robert Suarez | -1 |
| 22 | Alexis Díaz | +7 |
| 23 | Lucas ErcegT5 | -6 |
| 24 | Aroldis Chapman | +1 |
| 25 | Justin Martinez | +8 |
| 26 | Chris MartinT6 | +UR |
| 27 | Jorge López | +UR |
| 28 | Carlos Estévez | +11 |
| 29 | Liam Hendriks | -1 |
| 30 | Orion KerkeringT7 | +2 |
| 31 | Kirby Yates | -19 |
| 32 | Porter Hodge | -11 |
| 33 | Edwin Uceta | -2 |
| 34 | Jesús Tinoco | +3 |
| 35 | Calvin Faucher | +UR |
| 36 | Yimi García | +UR |
| 37 | Justin Slaten | +8 |
| 38 | Jeremiah Estrada | +4 |
| 39 | Jason Adam | +5 |
| 40 | Griffin JaxT8 | +1 |
| 41 | Beau Brieske | +UR |
| 42 | Jason Foley | -2 |
| 43 | Camilo Doval | -9 |
| 44 | Prelander Berroa | +4 |
| 45 | Seth Halvorsen | +UR |
| 46 | Ben Joyce | -27 |
| 47 | Matt Strahm | +UR |
| 48 | Jose A. Ferrer | +UR |
| 49 | Robert Garcia | +UR |
| 50 | Taylor Rogers | +UR |
lol Kenley was mostly solid. He was great as always. As always, metrics are worthless when trying to understand the best closer of his generation and one of the best of all-time.
Does Luke Weaver really drop completely out of the top 50? Williams has enough durability concerns to think there’s going to be more than a handful of saves left out there in the Bronx. And down the stretch Weaver as dominant as anyone named in T6 onward.
I was wondering Rick if you will update your list before Opening Day.