Díaz Keeps Dazzling
Alexis Diaz and Felix Bautista remain at the top of the closer rankings with another excellent week. Devin Williams enjoyed a three-save week to reclaim his place among the best. Meanwhile, Jordan Hicks recorded all three saves for the Cardinals in Ryan Helsley 's absence. On the speed side, a pair or recent call-ups could make an impact in the steals category.
Tier 1: Untouchable
Felix Bautista - Baltimore Orioles
Alexis Diaz - Cincinnati Reds
Three more saves for Bautista this week, giving him 20 on the season with an outstanding 1.04 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts over 34 2/3 innings for a 50 percent strikeout rate. And after some early walk troubles, he has yet to issue a free pass in June. There's no doubt he's the top closer in the game. Diaz is excellent himself, adding three saves to match Bautista's 20 for the year as the Reds continue their hot streak. His 44 percent strikeout rate ranks second in baseball behind Bautista. These two remain at the top.
Tier 2: The Elite
Camilo Doval - San Francisco Giants
Josh Hader - San Diego Padres
David Bednar - Pittsburgh Pirates
Devin Williams - Milwaukee Brewers
Doval picked up a win and went 2-for-3 in save chances this week for this 20th save. The blown save was only his second on the season, with the only run he's given up this month. His 20 saves match Diaz for most in the National League.
Hader added two saves, giving him 18 with a 1.26 ERA and a 37.2 percent strikeout rate across 28 2/3 innings. He did allow an unearned run to score in Tuesday's contest as the Giants walked it off. Hader came into the season with concerns over his second-half struggles in 2022, but he's put those to rest with an outstanding first half of 2023.
Bednar didn't get many chances to pitch this week, getting shut out from save chances. He remains at 14 for the year while posting a 1.73 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts across 26 innings. His impeccable control has been on display all season with a league-best one percent walk rate.
Williams finally strung together a run of saves, converting three this week. He's now at 13 this season with a 1.82 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts across 24 2/3 innings. His three saves this week puts him back into this second tier of closers with elite ratios.
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Tier 3: The Solid Options
Jordan Romano - Toronto Blue Jays
Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Carlos Estevez - Los Angeles Angels
Paul Sewald , Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Jhoan Duran , Jorge Lopez - Minnesota Twins
Romano remains atop the next tier of closers. He earned a pair of saves to total 21 through Wednesday's action. With a 2.67 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 30 1/3 innings, he's been every bit worth his draft cost. Clase is right there with him. He recorded his 22nd save on Wednesday and has strung together 10 consecutive scoreless outings.
Carlos Estévez continues to get the job done for the Angels, locking down his 19th save. Meanwhile, Sewald blew the save on Saturday on his third outing in four days. He's been otherwise excellent, posting a 2.76 ERA across 29 1/3 innings while going 13-for-15 in save chances. And Duran got up to nine saves, though his usage continues to limit his opportunities. He tossed two innings on Wednesday against the Red Sox, giving up a run while striking out two.
Tier 4: There’s Upside Here
Ryan Pressly - Houston Astros
Pete Fairbanks /Jason Adam - Tampa Bay Rays
Kenley Jansen - Boston Red Sox
Will Smith - Texas Rangers
Pressly secured two saves this week, with his 14th coming on Wednesday as he struck out two against the Mets. He's struggled with consistency this season, which could be related to a 9.77 K/9 that would mark his lowest since 2017. Though his 16.8 percent swinging-strike rate suggests more strikeouts to come.
Fairbanks wasted little time taking back the ninth inning from Adam in Tampa Bay. He secured two saves this week to give him seven on the season. He's still looking to find his groove, as his strikeout rate remains at a career-low 20.8 percent. It's hard to trust Fairbanks at this point after two trips to the injured list.
Jansen added a 15th save while getting his ERA to under 3.00. The 35-year-old veteran closer holds a 2.92 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and a 29/12 K/BB across 24 2/3 innings. Fellow veteran closer, Will Smith, did the same, tossing three scoreless outings for his 13th save to go with a 2.83 ERA over 28 2/3 innings.
Tier 5: Just Getting By
Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves
A.J. Puk - Miami Marlins
Alex Lange - Detroit Tigers
David Robertson , Adam Ottavino - New York Mets
Michael King , Clay Holmes - New York Yankees
Andrew Chafin , Miguel Castro , Scott McGough - Arizona Diamondbacks
Evan Phillips , Caleb Ferguson - Los Angeles Dodgers
Jordan Hicks , Giovanny Gallegos - St. Louis Cardinals
Iglesias can't quite crack the next tier. He picked up his 10th save, giving up a run against the Phillies on Tuesday. His underlying metrics suggest he's someone you can trust going forward, with a 3.22 xFIP and 17.1 percent swinging-strike rate.
Lange falls into this tier. Despite picking up his 11th save, a three-run outing has bloated his ERA to 3.99 with a 1.19 WHIP over 29 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, Robertson was shut out once again and has not recorded a save this month. Puk has looked good since his return from the injured list. He added two saves for a total of nine on the year.
McGough has the last two saves for the Diamondbacks, but it feels like it's anyone's guess who it will be this next week. The ninth inning has featured a revolving door of relievers all season. Chafin leads the way with eight saves, followed by Castro's seven and McGough's three.
The Dodgers have found a shred of consistency in the ninth inning, with Phillips recording two in as many days this week. He had gone over a month without a save, with his last coming on May 12. He should be the go-to guy in save situations moving forward.
After Ryan Helsley landed on the injured list, Hicks was expected to take some save chances with Gallegos. He's taken just about every one of them, with three saves this week. The problem is, he's been incredibly inconsistent all season.
Tier 6: If You Must
Kendall Graveman - Chicago White Sox
Justin Lawrence - Colorado Rockies
Craig Kimbrel /José Alvarado - Philadelphia Phillies
Scott Barlow - Kansas City Royals
Adbert Alzolay , Mark Leiter Jr. - Chicago Cubs
Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
Trevor May - Oakland A's
Graveman recorded his seventh save of the season. He's expected to continue operating as the primary closer until Liam Hendriks can return. Hendriks is on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, but the team is hopeful he'll be able to resume throwing in the next week.
The Rockies have hit a bit of a skid. With that, Lawrence was shut out from save chances. He remains at two but should operate as the primary closer.
Alzolay secured the only save for the Cubs this week, locking down his fourth. He's been the most consistent reliever in the Cubs bullpen, posting a 1.91 ERA and 27.9 percent strikeout rate across 33 innings.
Injured
Liam Hendriks - Elbow Inflammation
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Steals Department
Esteury Ruiz continues to run wild on the bases, stealing six this week to bring his total to 39. Fernando Tatis Jr. added four steals, giving him 12 to go with 15 homers and a .286/.353/.558 slash line across 250 plate appearances. Andrew Velazquez swiped four bags with the Angels this week. He's been getting work as the everyday shortstop while Zach Neto is on the injured list with an oblique strain. Velazquez has little pop to speak of and a questionable hit tool, but he can certainly help on the base paths for teams desperate for steals in deep leagues. Giants outfielder Luis Matos has also made a good impression during his short sample, hitting .304/.448/.348 with 10 runs scored and two steals across 29 plate appearances. Matos stole 15 bases in the minors this season and displayed incredible bat-to-ball skills. His playing time could be solidified with Mike Yastrzemski nursing a hamstring issue. Fellow rookie David Hamilton got the call from the Red Sox this week. The 25-year-old stole 27 bases in the minors after swiping 70 in 2022. The issue with Hamilton is his playing time, as the Red Sox have given no indication regarding his role.
