Here we will break down some closers going in the early to middle rounds that I don’t see living up to their current price/ADP. The names on this list range greatly from ADP near 40 in Hader all the way to about 120 in Alzolay. This is definitely a talented group, but I have some concerns about all of them that make them a fade for me at their current ADPs. These rankings and player notes are from the Top 50 Closers list with the purpose of this article just to identify closer fades this season.
List
8. Josh Hader (HOU) – Hader was easily the highest-paid free agent reliever in baseball this offseason, and while that’s not exactly shocking, landing in Houston was a bit of a surprise. The strikeouts were still there last year (36.8% but just a 30% CSW rate) but he is still allowing a lot of hard contact, continues to have command issues, and his secondaries are still lagging behind his fastball. If he stays healthy, he should be productive in Houston, but I do have my concerns.
PLV Projection: 3.43 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 34.4% K
13. Camilo Doval (SF) – Doval took a step forward from his first full season in 2022 this year as he too fell just one save short of the 40-save mark. I wonder if there is another gear for Doval to hit or if he’s actually closer to his ceiling than previously thought. He held impressive marks with a 2.96 pCRA, 79.86 speX, and 31% K rate last year and should still be viewed as a Top 15 closer in 2024.
PLV Projection: 3.82 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 27.5% K
20. Clay Holmes (NYY) – Holmes took a small step back last season but still set a career-high in saves (24) and continues to be an above-average reliever (.307 xwOBAcon, 2.88 xFIP) who relies on groundballs to get outs (70.1% GB rate). He should be the Yankees closer again in 2024 unless they make a significant move.
PLV Projection: 3.98 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 24.1% K
21. Alexis Díaz (CIN) – 2023 was a tale of two halves for Díaz which makes him a boom or bust closer target for 2024. He was one of the worst closers in baseball over the second half (5.78 xFIP, 6.5% K-BB rate) so I’d probably stay away from him unless you are getting a big discount. It may not look like he has any competition to close out games, but I wonder if the Reds turn a starter into a full-time reliever at some point (Graham Ashcraft could be Emmanuel Clase, just saying).
PLV Projection: 3.93 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 29.9% K
22. Adbert Alzolay (CHC) – Alzolay wound up taking over the Cubs’ closer role halfway through the year and never looked back, securing 22 saves and also providing fantasy managers solid ratios along the way (2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP). The strikeout ability isn’t exactly top-tier, but Alzolay provides some stability as a potential second closer in save-only leagues if he can hold on to the job.
PLV Projection: 3.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 23.7% K