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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Rankings – 8/26/24 Depth Chart

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

Jake Crumpler
Fantasy 8/26/2024

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

 

  • The New York Yankees designated Michael Tonkin for assignment. Tonkin pitched to a 3.38 ERA (56 IP) in pinstripes and will be replaced by Phil Bickford on the roster and as the bulk reliever.
  • The Milwaukee Brewers placed Nick Mears on the 15-day IL with right forearm inflammation. Mears allowed five runs across his final two appearances before the transaction. Aaron Ashby was recalled from the minors in a corresponding move. Ashby pitched to an 8.24 ERA (75.1 IP) with a 17.5% BB% as a starter at Triple-A before settling in as a reliever for a 0.00 ERA (6.2 IP) and a 14/1 K/BB ratio across his final five appearances before being promoted.
  • The Detroit Tigers placed Alex Faedo on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain. Shelby Miller will enter the holds conversation in The Motor City.

 

Yesterday’s Performances

WSN 5 – ATL 1

W: Jacob Barnes (8)

L: Luke Jackson (3)

HD: Eduardo Salazar (1)

SV: Kyle Finnegan (32)

  • Kyle Finnegan may be getting back on track. He had a 7.59 ERA (10.2 IP) in July but has looked better with a 3.68 ERA (7.1 IP) in August, but his 6/4 K/BB ratio isn’t ideal. It’s been an issue all summer for Finnegan who had an 18.8% K-BB% through June but just an 8.6% rate since then. He won’t be fun to roster in September, but at least he’s getting saves.

 

ARI 7 – BOS 5

HD: Joe Mantiply (14), A.J. Puk (13)

SV: Justin Martinez (6)

  • Justin Martinez continues to be used as the outright closer in the desert. Since July 30th, he has a 1.42 ERA (12.2 IP), a 40% K%, and six saves. His lack of control, experience, and stamina as a 23-year-old flamethrower means he’ll face some bumps in the road during his ascension, but he’s proven well worth rostering this month.

 

CIN 3 – PIT 4

W: Aroldis Chapman (5)

L: Alexis Díaz (4)

HD: Emilio Pagán (5), Kyle Nicolas (7)

  • Heading into Sunday, Alexis Díaz held a 2.79 ERA (9.2 IP) since the All-Star break, but it all came crashing down as he served up a walk-off homer to Yasmani Grandal on Sunday. It’s been a rough season for Díaz who sports a 4.37 ERA (45.1 IP), 1.37 WHIP, and a 23.2%/13.6% K/BB% with ERA estimators suggesting he’s been lucky this year. I wonder if the Reds try someone else as the closer in September or 2025.

 

TEX 2 – CLE 4

HD: Cade Smith (20), Hunter Gaddis (27)

SV: Emmanuel Clase (38)

  • Emmanuel Clase, the number one closer in baseball, continues to prove why he deserves that title. His 0.60 ERA (60.1 IP) and 0.65 WHIP lead baseball (min. 60 IP) and his 38 saves lead the American League. Clase is dope and he makes you feel dope for rostering him.

 

CHC 2 – MIA 7

HD: Declan Cronin (5), Jesús Tinoco (4)

  • Calvin Faucher pitched the ninth with the Marlins leading by six after the offense tacked on four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. He worked around a run to get the job done and secure the victory. Faucher was already warming in the eighth but hadn’t pitched since last Wednesday, so he was going to pitch anyway. He has a 5.40 ERA (10 IP) and three saves since taking over as the closer after the trade deadline.

 

STL 3 – MIN 2

W: Shawn Armstrong (3)

L: Jhoan Duran (7)

SV: Ryan Helsley (40)

  • Ryan Helsley is the first closer to 40 saves this season. The last time a pitcher recorded even 45 saves was back in 2018 when Edwin Diaz secured 57 saves in a historic season. The last pitcher to do it in the National League was Jeurys Familia when he locked down 51 saves in 2016. If Helsley reaches the half-century mark, he’d be the fifth pitcher to do so in the last 15 years.
  • Jhoan Duran was failed by his defense on Sunday. With a one-run lead in the ninth, Duran struck out the first batter and allowed a single before he induced a double play ball only for it to be overthrown, resulting in two runners in scoring position. Duran struck out the next batter but a two-out single knocked both runners in to give the Cardinals the lead. It’s the only blemish on a solid August for Duran who has a 1.08 ERA (8.1 IP) and a 14/1 K/BB ratio in the month. Duran has pitched on back-to-back days, but so has Griffin Jax, so Cole Sands or Caleb Thielbar will close today depending on matchups.

 

PHI 11 – KCR 3

HD: Matt Strahm (13)

  • The Phillies turned to their high-leverage arms, José Alvarado and Carlos Estévez, in the eighth and ninth frames despite an eight-run lead. Estévez is the closer in Philly and has pitched to a 2.53 ERA (10.2 IP) since joining the club at the deadline, but he only has two saves to show for it. With so many talented relievers in that bullpen, there’s too much competition for Estévez to stand out in fantasy.

 

DET 9 – CHW 4

W: Bryan Sammons (1)

HD: Will Vest (8), Tyler Holton (11)

  • Jason Foley pitched the ninth with the Tigers up by five. Foley has not allowed a run across 9.2 innings in August but has only two saves to show for it. Foley is only worth rostering in very deep leagues because, despite the closer status and good ERA, he doesn’t strike out batters, sports a high WHIP because of his reliance on grounders, and rarely records saves (just eight since the beginning of May).

 

MIL 3 – OAK 4

HD: T.J. McFarland (16), Grant Holman (4), Tyler Ferguson (6)

SV: Mason Miller (21)

  • Following his perfect four-out save on Sunday, Mason Miller extended his scoreless streak to 12.1 innings. During that time, he has a 16/3 K/BB ratio and six saves. Will Miller still be considered a top-three closer during draft season next year?

 

NYM 2 – SDP 3

W: Robert Suarez (8)

L: Edwin Diaz (2)

  • Edwin Diaz was called upon with the game tied in the ninth and served up a walk-off dinger to Jackson Merrill to take the loss. Díaz has a 1.88 ERA (14.1 IP), a 38.9% K%, and seven saves since the beginning of July. He’s pitching well but the saves just aren’t coming at the rate you’d normally expect.
  • Robert Suarez came away with the win after pitching a perfect top half of the ninth. Suarez has a 1.72 ERA (15.2 IP) since July 10th and he’s still throwing fastballs 88% of the time. It works when your heater averages 99.5 mph with a 17.1% SwStr%.

 

SFG 3 – SEA 4

L: Sean Hjelle (4)

HD: Collin Snider (4)

SV: Andrés Muñoz (19)

  • Andrés Muñoz has not been looking like himself recently. Despite the save on Sunday, he walked two more batters, the second time he’s done that in three games after walking just two batters across his previous nine outings. The last time Muñoz walked multiple batters, it resulted in three runs and a loss, so he won’t be as lucky as he was Sunday every time out.

 

TBR 1 – LAD 3

W: Blake Treinen (6)

L: Richard Lovelady (5)

SV: Anthony Banda (2)

  • Anthony Banda has completely turned his career around in his first season with the Dodgers. Across the previous seven years, Banda recorded a 5.69 ERA (118.2 IP), a 1.63 WHIP, and a 19.9% K%, but this year, he has a 2.18 ERA (41.1 IP), a 1.16 WHIP, and a 26.9% K%. The difference has been an emphasis on a new slider that has induced swinging strikes at a 27.7% rate (97th percentile). Just for good measure, he’s also added velocity to his fastball (+1 mph to 96 mph). There’s no reason to expect him to slow down with these tangible changes.

 

HOU 6 – BAL 3

W: Héctor Neris (9)

L: Burch Smith (1)

HD: Bryan Abreu (32)

SV: Josh Hader (28)

  • Since the All-Star break, Josh Hader has yet to allow a run across 11.1 innings. The stretch has lowered his season-long ERA from 4.11 (46 IP) to 3.30 (57.1 IP). There was a moment to start the season where it looked like Hader might be washed, but he’s proven in the second half that he’s still among the elite closers in baseball.

 

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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