Fantasy Baseball Saves + Holds Rankings & Waiver Wire Targets (Week 6)

We haven’t had many bullpen developments this week, but there will be periods like that throughout the year. What’s funny about MLB is that we can go a month with nothing changing, and then, in one week, we’ll have five teams change closer.

That’s the nature of these volatile bullpens, but it’s critical to keep up with all of them to stumble into diamonds in the rough. That’s how we got Kirby Yates and James McArthur for nothing. We hope to find a few more gems along the way.

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Saves + Holds Rankings & Waiver Wire Targets (Week 6)

Closer Situations to Watch

These are bullpens we need to monitor.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Paul Sewald was set to return this week, but a setback has altered Arizona’s plans. The closer had some soreness after his most recent rehab appearance but was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. It’s unclear if he’ll go on another rehab assignment, but Kevin Ginkel will resume his role as the closer for at least one more week.

Baltimore Orioles

Craig Kimbrel was one of the best closers through the opening weeks, but a back issue has hurt his numbers. He’s blown two saves in his two most recent appearances despite recording seven saves across his previous 10 outings. He didn’t allow a run in that 10-game span and should resume his role as closer once he’s healthy. If that doesn’t happen soon, Yennier Cano will likely take over as the closer.

Chicago Cubs

Adbert Alzolay lost this job last week and surrendered another three runs a few days ago. He won’t get this job back anytime soon with Hector Neris recording five saves in his last five appearances. Another week like that and we’ll remove Chicago from this section altogether.

Chicago White Sox

If you want to pick up a random reliever for the worst team in baseball, have fun. This team might struggle to reach 50 wins, and we don’t even know who the closer is. Michael Kopech looked like the guy early on but hasn’t picked up a save since April 9, posting a 7.71 ERA and 1.43 WHIP across his last seven outings. He’s our bet for the next save chance, but a veteran like John Brebbia could get the next opportunity.

Colorado Rockies

The White Sox and Rockies are in the same boat. We do have a little more clarity with the Rockies, though, with Justin Lawrence recording a win and two saves in his last four appearances. He also had a blown save in the other outing and now has a 7.20 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. If you’re feeling lucky, he’s the guy, but know that some blow-ups will come with the few saves you get.

Los Angeles Angels

Carlos Estevez is probably still the closer, but this week’s meltdown has us worried. He’s allowed six runs over his last four outings and has just two saves since April 6. That’s more due to how bad the Angels have been, but a few more duds could remove him from this role altogether. Matt Moore is next in line, totaling a 2.35 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over the last three years.

Milwaukee Brewers

This has been an annoying situation. I started the season by drafting Joel Payamps but quickly dropped him after Abner Uribe picked up the first three saves. Uribe has been terrible since then, generating a 7.83 ERA and 2.14 WHIP since his last save on April 2. The Brewers went back to Payamps, who has recorded three saves in his previous five appearances while picking up a scoreless outing in all but one game. Trevor Megill is also creeping up, amassing a 1.35 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while accruing a save. Look for Payamps to be the guy, but don’t forget about Megill.

Philadelphia Phillies

This bullpen is frustrating, too. Jose Alvarado will finish the season with the most saves, but this is a committee. Alvarado leads the club with five saves, but Gregory Soto and Jeff Hoffman have two saves each. We’ve also seen Orion Kerkering pitch 6.2 scoreless innings with his sensational stuff.  It’s impossible to know who will get the next chance. We’ve also seen Alvarado pitch the eighth inning in two straight games, so it’s a situation we need to monitor.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle decided to use Andres Munoz in high-leverage situations to start the year, but they’ve recently gone back to using him as a traditional closer. The righty has three saves in his last three appearances and has some of the nastiest stuff out there. If he keeps getting the ninth inning we will remove Seattle from this section. If they return him to high-leverage situations, look for Ryne Stanek to build off his two saves as the complementary guy.

Tampa Bay Rays

With Pete Fairbanks on the IL, Jason Adam will likely take over. He had 21 combined saves and holds last year, recording double-digits in each category. He has a 2.12 ERA and 0.85 WHIP over the previous three years. He is a must-roster player in every format even when Fairbanks returns. With all that said, Garrett Cleavinger has two saves over the last two weeks and could get more chances behind his 2.45 ERA.

My Saves/Holds Rankings

Relievers on the Rise

Reed Garrett (NYM)

Reed Garrett won’t get any saves for the Mets, but he has been elite in a set-up role. He’s allowed just one run this season, providing a 0.57 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 16.1 K/9 rate. The 5-0 record is also ridiculous, but the pristine peripherals are enough reason to pick him up.

Yennier Cano (BAL)

With Kimbrel struggling with a back issue, Yennier Cano could stumble into some saves. He had 31 holds and eight saves in a sparkling 2023 season, generating a 2.13 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. He’s one of the best bets for holds, but an IL stint for Kimbrel would make Cano one of the best closers in baseball.

Potential Closers on the IL

Felix Bautista (BAL): The O’s closer is out for the year after Tommy John surgery.

Devin Williams (MIL): Williams stated he wants to return shortly before the All-Star break. That’s still a long way away.

Paul Sewald (ARI): Sewald suffered a minor setback in his rehabilitation from an oblique injury and will likely miss at least another week.

Pete Fairbanks (TB): Fairbanks was fortunate to land a clean MRI with his nerve issue, but there has not been much news since then. There’s no timetable, so don’t expect him to return anytime soon.

Craig Kimbrel (BAL): Kimbrel is dealing with back issues but isn’t on the IL yet. We’ll include him here anyway because that would be a considerable development.

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.