It saddens me to say this, but this is our final article of the season. Tracking these bullpens has been chaotic, but it’s something I truly love to do. It really helps me find some gems in my own leagues, and I really hope I’ve helped some of you along the way. I want to thank all of you for reading and I hope you all finish your seasons strong.
With that said, let’s get started and look at some of the developments.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Start/Sit Lineup Advice
- Rest-of-Season Rankings
- Rest-of-Season Projections
Saves + Holds Rankings & Waiver Wire Targets (Week 25)
Closer Situations to Watch
These are bullpens we need to monitor.
Colorado Rockies
This has developed into an interesting situation with Tyler Kinley closing games over the last month. He took over for the injured Victor Vodnik, but this situation is up in the air with Vodnik returning last week. We saw Kinley get the first chance, but that might’ve been because Vodnik had only appeared in one game since his reinstatement from the injured list (IL). We’ll bet on Kinley being the guy for the final 10 days, recording six saves over his last eight appearances.
Los Angeles Angels
This team has been cycling through closers since trading Carlos Estevez at the deadline. Ben Joyce took over after that move, but the hard-throwing righty is now on the IL. That has left this bullpen in flux with Hunter Strickland, Roansy Contreras and Ryan Miller looking like candidates for saves. We’ll bet on it being Miller because he came into the ninth inning with a five-run lead on Tuesday and has a 2.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.
Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s funny we haven’t known who the Dodgers’ closer has been all season. This team is the favorite to win the World Series, but they don’t have a closer, and all of their starters are on the IL. That doesn’t matter for this article. Michael Kopech looks like the best bet for saves. He has a 0.73 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 11.7 K/9 rate since July 8, picking up three wins and four saves over the last month.
New York Yankees
Clay Holmes has been removed as the team’s closer. It looks like the Yankees will go with former set-up man Luke Weaver, who has a 3.09 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He also has two wins and two saves over his last five fixtures, making him a sneaky pickup for the final two weeks of the season.
Pittsburgh Pirates
David Bednar is having the worst season of his career, forcing Pittsburgh to take him out of the closer’s role. The good news is that they have one of the greatest closers in MLB history in a set-up role in Aroldis Chapman, who has a 14.5 K/9 rate. He’s also got 330 career saves and has picked up five saves over his last seven outings. He’s going to be the closer for the final two weeks.
Tampa Bay Rays
Peter Fairbanks was just ruled out for the season earlier in the week. We haven’t had any clarity on this situation since his injury. The Rays are notorious for using platoons at every position, and that’s what they’re doing with their closer gig. Garrett Cleavinger, Edwin Uceta and Manuel Rodriguez have all recorded saves since Fairbanks’ injury. It’s impossible to predict who will get the next opportunity.
My Saves/Holds Rankings
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1. | Emmanuel Clase | CLE |
| 2. | Josh Hader | HOU |
| 3. | Raisel Iglesias | ATL |
| 4. | Ryan Helsley | STL |
| 5. | Edwin Diaz | NYM |
| 6. | Jhoan Duran | MIN |
| 7. | Robert Suarez | SD |
| 8. | Ryan Walker | SF |
| 9. | Andres Munoz | SEA |
| 10. | Alexis Diaz | CIN |
| 11. | Kirby Yates | TEX |
| 12. | Devin Williams | MIL |
| 13. | Mason Miller | OAK |
| 14. | Kenley Jansen | BOS |
| 15. | Seranthony Dominguez | BAL |
| 16. | Justin Martinez | ARI |
| 17. | Kyle Finnegan | WAS |
| 18. | Carlos Estevez | PHI |
| 19. | Michael Kopech | LAD |
| 20. | Jason Foley | DET |
| 21. | Aroldis Chapman | PIT |
| 22. | Lucas Erceg | KC |
| 23. | Chad Green | TOR |
| 24. | Porter Hodge | CHC |
| 25. | David Robertson | TEX |
| 26. | Jason Adam | SD |
| 27. | Ryan Pressly | HOU |
| 28. | Joe Jimenez | ATL |
| 29. | Luke Weaver | NYY |
| 30. | Evan Phillips | LAD |
Relievers on the Rise
We just talked about how the Yankees removed Clay Holmes as their closer, allowing Luke Weaver to take over that job. Since Holmes’ demotion, Weaver’s been pitching the ninth inning, picking up the last two saves for this team. He’s also got a 1.26 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 13.2 K/9 rate since August 11. He should get all of the save chances for the final 10 days.
Aroldis Chapman (RP – PIT)
It’s hard to believe, but Aroldis Chapman is still rostered in fewer than 50% of leagues. He has five saves in his last seven appearances and has always been one of the best closers in baseball. He’s also got the best strikeout rate in the league and needs to be rostered if you’re desperate for saves.
Potential Holds Specialists
JoJo Romero, Tanner Scott, David Robertson, Scott Barlow, Matt Moore, Bryan Abreu, Yennier Cano, Hunter Gaddis, Andrew Kittredge, Jason Adam, Joe Jimenez
Potential Closers on the IL
Felix Bautista (RP – BAL): The O’s closer is out for the year after Tommy John surgery.
Jordan Romano (RP – TOR): Jordan Romano had elbow surgery before the break and is out for the season,
Hunter Harvey (RP – KC): Hunter Harvey has been dealing with a back issue and just resumed throwing this week. He likely won’t return for at least a week.
Peter Fairbanks (RP – TB): Peter Fairbanks suffered a lat strain and will not return this season.
Ben Joyce (RP – LAA): Ben Joyce is on the IL with shoulder inflammation, likely ending his season.
Calvin Faucher (RP – MIA): Calvin Faucher landed on the IL due to shoulder impingement and has yet to resume throwing.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.