I’m sticking with last week’s format, providing an update on closer news by team. I’ll follow that up by ranking every pitcher for saves that is currently below 50%-rostered, and providing my top new picks for holds leagues.
No lengthy intros this time—let’s just get to it.
(stats updated through Saturday, 5/17)
Closer News (by team)
ARI
Shelby Miller made for a decent rental, netting a couple of saves this week with only a slight ding to your ratios. Justin Martinez should be back next week and immediately becomes the only Diamondback reliever worth rostering.
ATL
I was hesitant to include Raisel Iglesias as a potential job-loser last week, but his struggles persisted. Iglesias has now allowed multiple baserunners and at least one earned run in four of his last five appearances.
If the Braves do make a change here, it won’t be straightforward, but Pierce Johnson looks like the top candidate for promotion. Johnson was the only Brave besides Iglesias with a save this week, though he blew a chance of his own on Saturday. Dylan Lee would also be in the mix, particularly against lefty-heavy parts of the lineup.
CHC
Porter Hodge made for an easy call last week following Ryan Pressly’s demotion. That call was rewarded with an immediate meltdown last Sunday, as Hodge’s volatile season continued. Drew Pomeranz vultured the Cubs’ lone save this week, with Hodge coming off back-to-back outings.
If Pressly manages to stabilize, the Cubs will likely place him back in the closer role before long. For now, Hodge remains the only play for saves here.
PHI
After pointing out the impending risk last week, Jordan Romano is officially encroaching on José Alvarado’s job as Philly’s closer. Romano picked up two of their three saves this week, though on Friday pitched the eighth, as Alvarado nabbed a save of his own.
Romano is looking more like his old self of late, and it’s possible that Philly simply wants him to be their closer, given his experience in the role. For now, this may be a fairly even split. Alvarado is heavily rostered, but Romano demands a pickup everywhere that he was (rightfully) dropped. (5/18, Alvarado was suspended for 80 games).
SF
Ryan Walker continues to look shaky, and Camilo Doval continues to thrive. It’s as simple as that, really. There were no signs usage-wise that anything has changed in the Giants’ bullpen, but the ice is certainly thin. Doval remains a must-roster in all formats, even if the saves are iffy at the moment.
TEX
A messy situation got messier this week. Embattled closer Luke Jackson is day-to-day after being hit by a comebacker on Monday, though he’s likely to avoid the IL.
This should have provided some runway for Robert Garcia to try to cement himself in the ninth inning. Instead, Jacob Webb and Shawn Armstrong split up the Rangers’ three saves this week. Webb entered following Jackson’s injury after Garcia had already pitched; Armstrong’s pair of saves came on days that Garcia was unavailable. The Ranger bullpen took on a more predictive order in yesterday’s 5-1 win, going Webb – Chris Martin – Garcia to close things out.
The conclusion here is similar to last week; hold on to Jackson, and speculate on Garcia in deeper leagues. The rest can remain un-rostered in non-holds formats.
TOR
I’m not sure what to make of Jeff Hoffman’s recent performance, and neither is our own much-smarter-than-me reliever guy Rick Graham, who highlighted the whirlwind that has been Hoffman’s last couple weeks.
I’m ready to call Brendon Little the best pitcher in this bullpen, but he’s a relative newcomer with no closing experience. Yimi García and Chad Green are the other top setup options, and the only two Toronto relievers besides Hoffman with a save in the last 15 days.
To be clear, Hoffman remains the closer, and I expect a rebound. Rostering any other Jays reliever for saves is pure hope, and whether or not you’re in a league deep enough to justify it is your call.
Saves (rankings <50% rostered on Yahoo)
- Jordan Romano – PHI (45%)
- Porter Hodge – CHC (14%)
- Dennis Santana – PIT (17%)
- Luke Jackson – TEX (35%)
- Will Vest – DET (29%)
- Camilo Doval – SF (46%)
- Robert Garcia – TEX (13%)
- David Bednar – PIT (44%)
- Jesús Tinoco – MIA (4%)
- Pierce Johnson – ATL (3%)
- Tommy Kahnle – DET (31%)
- Zach Agnos – COL (2%)
The Watchlist: Dylan Lee (ATL), Yimi García (TOR), Chad Green (TOR)
Holds
Nick Mears (MIL) (1%)
Following an overdue appearance on last week’s watchlist, Brewer reliever Nick Mears earns this week’s featured status.
It’s a straightforward recommendation, really. Mears has been Milwaukee’s best reliever behind closer Trevor Megill and setup man Abner Uribe. Across 16.2 innings, Mears has allowed just one earned run and is currently on a streak of 12 straight scoreless appearances.
Need I go on? No? Well, I’m gonna anyway. While Mears may not possess dominant swing-and-miss stuff, he makes up for it by walking just about no one–just two free passes thus far–and allowing nothing but soft contact. Not a single batter has managed to put up a barrel against him this year. This aligns with Mears’ profile for a few years running, and there’s no reason to consider his performance to date a fluke.
As things stand, Mears is a top 25-ish reliever for holds leagues, and his 1% rostered rate should rise quickly in the coming weeks.
Matt Brash (SEA) (2%)
From IL stash to watchlist to feature, Matt Brash has been a Waiver Relief mainstay all season long.
As a former top prospect turned dominant reliever, Brash is a bit high on name recognition for our purposes, but his roster rate remains low given his IL status to open the season. Since his return, Brash seems like his former self, with six strikeouts and zero earned runs allowed over his 4.2 innings. He picked up his first two holds this week and should be entrenched as a high-leverage arm for Seattle.
Of course, the recommendation here has little to do with that sample and mostly his superb 2023 season, which came with a 3.06 ERA and elite 34.7% strikeout rate. There’s little reason to see Brash as anything less than a high-end option in holds leagues, and I’d rank him roughly alongside Mears for the rest of the season.
Daniel Palencia (CHC) (<1%)
I’m 0-for-the-century in recommending Cub relievers, which figures; Chicago’s bullpen has been below average by just about any metric, and near dead-last on the Guys You Can Trust count.
And so enters Daniel Palencia. Palencia picked up four of his five holds in the last week, as he skyrocketed up the Cubs’ bullpen depth chart. It’s that team context that benefits Palencia the most, and merits his spot here; the Cubs are one of the best teams in baseball, but the ‘pen leaves plenty to be desired. It doesn’t take much more than a squint at the stats to consider Palencia arguably the Cubs’ most trustworthy option in the late innings.
I try to tack on at least one higher-risk, particularly low-rostered option here, otherwise what’s the point? This week Palencia takes our sub-1% spot, and is worth a look in deeper holds leagues for some valuable counting stats.
The Watchlist: Luis Mey (CIN), Kyle Harrison (SF), Manuel Rodríguez (TB), JoJo Romero (STL), Drew Pomeranz (CHC)
