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Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Rankings – 9/23/24 Depth Chart

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

Jake Crumpler
Fantasy 9/23/2024

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

PIT 2 – CIN 0

HD: Colin Holderman (21), Carmen Mlodzinski (5), Dennis Santana (9)

SV: Aroldis Chapman (11)

  • Aroldis Chapman has struggled since taking over the closer role in Pittsburgh, but it’s been a clear product of unfortunate luck. In nine appearances, he has a 6.48 ERA (8.1 IP), but that comes with a 12/3 K/BB ratio, increased fastball velocity, and a BABIP north of .400. Chapman should close out the season strong given his underlying metrics suggest he’s been dominating.
  • Alexis Díaz pitched a hitless ninth with the Reds trailing by two. He hadn’t pitched since last Tuseday and the Reds are off today, so a maintenance outing was in order. The outing extended Díaz’s unexpected scoreless streak to nine innings, during which he has a 9/1 K/BB ratio.

 

DET 4 – BAL 3

W: Sean Guenther (2)

HD: Brenan Hanifee (7), Will Vest (13)

SV: Jason Foley (26)

  • Jason Foley bounced back from a bad appearance last time out with a perfect performance on Sunday. Since the beginning of August, Foley has a 1.69 ERA (21.1 IP) and 11 saves, a stark comparison to the 5.70 ERA (23.2 IP) and 6 saves he had from May through July.

 

TOR 3 – TBR 4

W Kevin Kelly (5)

HD: Colin Poche (19), Richard Lovelady (4), Hunter Bigge (1)

SV: Edwin Uceta (4)

  • Edwin Uceta is setting himself up to push Pete Fairbanks for the 2025 Rays closer job. Since being promoted on May 6th, Uceta’s 1.55 ERA (40.2 IP) and 36% strikeout rate are both in the top ten in MLB (min. 40 IP). I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rays shop Fairbanks around this offseason.

 

ATL 5 – MIA 4

W: Pierce Johnson (6)

L: Declan Cronin (4)

HD: Aaron Bummer (2), Daysbel Hernández (1)

SV: Raisel Iglesias (32)

  • Raisel Iglesias took a week off after blowing up for five runs in an outing that put an end to his impressive scoreless streak. Iglesias started a new one on Sunday and will be the Braves’ go-to option in the playoffs. His second half run suggests he should be drafted as a top five closer next year.
  • Jesús Tinoco pitched a perfect ninth with the Marlins trailing by one. He’s been lights out since joining the Marlins off waivers after the trade deadline, pitching to a 1.93 ERA (23.1 IP) while striking out a third of the batters he’s faced and taking over the closer role. It’s unclear what the Marlins’ 2025 bullpen plans are, so Tinoco is doing his best to ensure he’s factored into the future of the Fish.

 

LAA 9 – HOU 8

W: Brock Burke (2)

L: Josh Hader (8)

HD: José Quijada (6), Héctor Neris (6)

SV: Guillo Zuñiga (2)

  • José Quijada started the ninth but needed the help of Guillo Zuñiga to close out the victory. Quijada allowed four baserunners and two runs while recording two outs before Zuñiga came on and struck out the final batter of the game. Quijada is the top candidate for saves in Anaheim with Ben Joyce on the IL but Zuñiga is an intriguing option in his own right. He’s Brusdar Graterol-esque with high octane fastballs and low strikeout rates. Acquired from the Cardinals in the offseason, Zuñiga could be a dark horse holds candidate in 2025.
  • Josh Hader blew his fifth save, surrendering four runs in the ninth while recording just one out. Hader’s in a period of turmoil right now, pitching to a 6.75 ERA (9.1 IP) since August 30th. This is sort of how Hader is. He goes through rough patches when he gets fatigued or his mechanics get out of wack, but he usually gets right over time. It’ll be interesting to see if he can get back on track in time for the playoffs.

 

ARI 9 – MIL 10

W: Jared Koenig (9)

L: Justin Martinez (6)

HD: Joe Mantiply (16)

SV: Devin Williams (13)

  • It was a rough night for the DBacks bullpen as it surrendered six runs across the seventh and eighth to lose the game. Justin Martinez was a part of that mess, allowing two inherited runners and one of his own to score. Martinez’s underlying metrics are still intact, but his 4.91 ERA (14.2 IP) since August 21st has been tough to swallow. Expect him to continue to cede save opportunities to A.J. Puk.
  • Devin Williams capitalized on the DBacks blunder, recording all three of his outs via the strikeout in a hitless ninth. Williams hasn’t lost a step since returning from an extended injury absence in late July. Since then, he has a 1.37 ERA (19.2 IP) and a 46.3% K%, solidifying him as a top three closer for 2025.

 

SFG 2 – KCR 0

HD: Sean Hjelle (7), Tyler Rogers (32)

SV: Ryan Walker (9)

  • Ryan Walker has vaulted himself into the elite tier of closers with his second half run and heist of the closer role. Since the beginning of August, Walker has a 0.81 ERA (22.1 IP) and a 41% K% to go with nine saves. The numbers backup Walker being an unlikely 2025 All-Star candidate.

 

CLE 1 – STL 2

HD: Andrew Kittredge (36)

SV: Ryan Helsley (47)

  • Ryan Helsley reclaimed sole possession of the MLB lead in saves with a perfect ninth yesterday. He’s had to work hard to get there. Helsley struggled out of the gates in the second half but has settled in nicely with a 16-inning scoreless streak that comes with 12 saves and a 37.3% K%. He’s now just three saves shy of becoming the first National League closer with 50 saves in a season since Mark Melancon had 51 for the Pirates in 2015.

 

SEA 5 – TEX 6

W: Kirby Yates (7)

L: Andrés Muñoz (7)

  • Andrés Muñoz was called upon in the ninth with the score knotted up but was unable to keep it that way, surrendering a walk-off single to Marcus Semien. Muñoz has hit a wall since mid-August, posting a 6.00 ERA (12 IP) while recording just four saves. It likely stems from Muñoz approaching his career-high in innings while being heavily relied upon in Seattle with significant injuries to their top setup men Matt Brash, Gregory Santos, and Yimi García.
  • Kirby Yates was rewarded for holding the score of a tie game with a perfect ninth. What a year it’s been for the 37-year-old righty. With just one more out this year, Yates will have the second-lowest ERA (1.21, 59.2 IP) in a single season among pitchers 37-years-old or older since 1945 (min. 60 IP), trailing only Koji Uehara’s 1.09 ERA (74.1 IP) from his age-38 campaign in 2013.

 

NYY 7 – OAK 4

HD: Ian Hamilton (11), Tim Hill (4), Clay Holmes (2)

SV: Luke Weaver (4)

  • Luke Weaver has taken nicely to the closer role. Since Clay Holmes was removed the job he held all year, Weaver has pitched to a pristine ERA (10 IP) with a 61.1% K% (not a typo) and four saves. The sports world will finally learn Weaver’s name on a bigger stage during the postseason.

 

CHW 2 – SDP 4

W: Jeremiah Estrada (6)

SV: Robert Suarez (34)

  • Just when it looked like the Padres might be losing trust in Robert Suarez, he bounces back with a clean save. He had been struggling to a 6.11 ERA (17.2 IP) entering the weekend and ceded a save chance to Tanner Scott on Saturday, so there were doubts that Suarez was still the clear-cut closer. That question will truly be answered in the playoffs, but for now, his job is still safe.

 

PHI 1 – NYM 2

W: Phil Maton (3)

HD: José Buttó (4)

SV: Edwin Diaz (20)

  • Edwin Diaz is absolutely locked in right now. Since August 29th, he has a 0.68 ERA (13.1 IP), a 50% strikeout rate, and six saves. His 45.2% strikeout rate in the second half is the highest by a right-handed pitcher in baseball. If there were any concerns about his skills following his long absence, he has asuaged them since the All-Star break.

 

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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