With Memorial Day looming ahead on the calendar, a check of the 2024 MLB saves leaders holds more than a few surprises for fantasy baseball managers. Emmanuel Clase, Ryan Helsley, Clay Holmes, Raisel Iglesias, David Bednar and Andres Munoz may not surprise you. But what about Kyle Finnegan, Robert Suarez, James McArthur and Jason Foley as top-ten closers?
More than three months ago, I posted a column about the seventeen top relief pitchers in fantasy baseball heading into the 2024 season. “There’s No Relief from the Closer Conundrum” put the spotlight on relief pitchers expected to make the most significant contributions to the saves category in Roto. All 17 of these were being drafted in the top 100 picks in NFBC leagues.
What has transpired in the last three months is difficult for me to wrap my mind around. Injuries and the poor performances of the “elite” closers has been devastating to the dreams of fantasy managers. If a rising tide lifts all boats, then a rising tide of relief pitcher meltdowns sinks all hopes. Just for grins, let’s look at my top 17 relief pitchers and what has happened to them.
DEVIN WILLIAMS, MILWAUKEE (ADP 37)
When Williams slipped to the fourth round of my TGFBI draft, I couldn’t resist taking him. He had saved 36 games in 2023, posting a 1.53 ERA of 1.53 and 0.92 WHIP. What could go wrong? Shortly after the Brewers opened camp in early March, it was announced that Williams has two stress fractures in his back and was expected to miss the first three months of the season.
EDWIN DIAZ, NEW YORK METS (ADP 41)
A patellar tendon tear ended Diaz’s 2023 season, but managers weren’t worried about drafting the Mets closer early and often. In my TGFBI draft, he was taken right after I selected Williams. Diaz senned okay initially, saving five games. But then came three blown saves and seven runs in his past three outings. Diaz has been removed from the closer role – at least temporarily.
JOSH HADER, HOUSTON (ADP 47)
When Houston signed Hader to a five-year, $95 million deal, managers were eager to draft him. After all, he collected 33 saves last year for San Diego, and the Astros were a better team. Then came the terrible start for both the Astros and Hader. Heading into the final days of April, Hader’s ERA was 8.38. But in the past four weeks, Hader has righted the ship and has six saves.
EMMANUEL CLASE, CLEVELAND (ADP 50)
In February, I wrote that I was fading Clase at his ADP – in spite of the fact that he led all closers with 44 saves in 2023. In addition to not missing enough bats, his ERA had increased from 1.36 in 2022 to 3.22 in 2023. Boy, was I wrong. Clase earned his 15th save Tuesday night for the Guardians. If you were fortunate enough to have drafted him, bully for you.
JHOAN DURAN, MINNESOTA (ADP 52)
Managers and pundits were bullish on Duran, who led the league with 473 pitches clocked at more than 100 mph in 2023. Then, he missed the Twins’ first 28 games with a right oblique strain. When he was finally activated from the IL on April 30th, he looked fine in his first seven appearances before giving up five earned runs in his last three. He’s collected four shaky saves.
CAMILO DOVAL, SAN FRANCISCO (ADP 56)
Camilo Doval finished last season tied for second in saves with 39 and has collected eight saves in 2024. But he’s also been shaky, evidenced by his 15.7 percent walk rate which compares unfavorably to a 9.3 percent mark in 2023. This has resulted in an inflated 1.42 WHIP. Doval managed to pitch around his mistakes until Tuesday when he blew his first save of the season.
RAISEL IGLESIAS, ATLANTA (ADP 60)
If you drafted Iglesias before the season started, you’re probably satisfied with his 11 saves, 2.45 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. But all is not right in Braves relief pitcher land. Iglesias is not missing bats like he’s done in the past. His 12 strikeouts across 18.1 innings pitched is likely a harbinger of unpleasant things to come. Iglesias’s age and injury risk may keep some managers up at night.
DAVID BEDNAR, PITTSBURGH (ADP 62)
The first month of the season was a nightmare for Bednar and his managers. After missing most of the spring with a latissimus dorsi (lats) issue, Bednar struggled to a 14.79 ERA. Fortunately, he has turned things around. In ten May appearances, Bednar has posted a 2.89 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 7:3 K:BB ratio through 9.1 innings, while coverting all five of his saves chances.
JORDAN ROMANO, TORONTO (ADP 67)
I was fading Romano in 2024 in spite of his 36 saves last year. Why? You might recall Romano leaving the All-Star game last year and later landing on the IL with a back injury. He was back on the IL at the start of 2024 with right forearm inflammation. Since being reinstated by the Blue Jays in mid-April, Romano has collected seven saves, with an ugly 4.91 ERA and 1.36 WHIP.
ALEXIS DIAZ, CINCINNATI (ADP 75)
Speaking of ratio destroyers, let’s insert Edwin Diaz’s little brother in the discussion. Everything was peaches and cream in the first part of 2023 for Alexis Diaz, but he faded badly down the stretch. Arm fatigue was the excuse given. Diaz, who finished with 37 saves in 2023, has eight in 2024 but also carries a 6.62 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. That’s a high price to pay for eight saves.
PAUL SEWALD, ARIZONA (ADP 79)
I was thrilled to get Sewald with the first pick in the seventh round of TGFBI’s draft. Then came the news before the season started that he was being placed on the IL with an oblique strain. Coming on the heels of the Williams injury, I was reeling. Sewald has been solid since his return on May 7th, collecting three saves, with a 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and six strikeouts in six innings.
ANDRES MUNOZ, SEATTLE (ADP 82)
With the flurry of injuries, I’m surprised Munoz has not been one of the victims. Since his July 2019 MLB debut, Munoz had missed 44 percent of his team’s games while on the IL. But he’s been healthy in 2024 and picked up his 10th save Tuesday against the Yankees. Munoz has now converted eight straight save chances and has allowed just one run in his last 12 outings.
PETE FAIRBANKS, TAMPA BAY (ADP 91)
With his 100 mph fastball and wipeout slider, Fairbanks overwhelmed batters in 2023 en route to 25 saves and 68 strikeouts across 45.1 innings. But Fairbanks went on the IL April 17th with nerve-related issues in his pitching hand. The injury may have accounted for for his 9.00 ERA and 2.29 WHIP before missing 19 games. He has been good since his return, so fingers crossed.
EVAN PHILLIPS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS (ADP 92)
Adding Phillips to my TGFBI team last year was a fortuitous move as he paced the Dodgers with 24 saves after taking over the job early last summer. He was off to another great start in 2024, with eight saves, a 0.66 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 13.2 innings. Then he was shut down three weeks ago with a right hamstring strain. His managers hope he returns before the end of May.
RYAN HELSLEY, ST. LOUIS (ADP 94)
Helsley has picked up right where he left off in 2023. In eleven appearances last September, he had seven saves, an 0.77 ERA and a 44.2 percent strikeout rate. This season, he leads the league with 16 saves, and also sports a 1.17 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and has struck out 25 batters across 22 innings. If Helsley can stay healthy in 2024, he can finish as the top closer in fantasy baseball.
CRAIG KIMBREL, BALTIMORE (ADP 97)
The fact that Kimbrel has struggled in 2024 doesn’t surprise me. Kimbrel, who has nine saves for the Orioles, went more than two weeks without a save before breaking the streak last Sunday. During that stretch, he posted a 16.20 ERA and 4.50 WHIP over 3.1 innings in six painful outings. If you have Kimbrel rostered, accept more damage to your ratios in the weeks to come.
TANNER SCOTT, MIAMI (ADP 99)
Wild thing, you make my heart sing. Scott has been plagued with control issues throughout his career, so it came as no surprise that he’s currently sporting a 1.43 WHIP. Scott’s walk rate was one of the worst in 2021-2022. He has also struggled to find the strike zone in 2024. A bigger problem is that he pitches for the Marlins, where saves opportunities are few and far between.
Thomas L. Seltzer, AKA Doubting Thomas, writes about baseball and football for CreativeSports. Be sure to follow Thomas on Twitter @ThomasLSeltzer1.
