All-Star Break Closer Rankings
Acuña Jr. on pace for historic fantasy season
D.J. Short and Scott Pianowski discuss Ronald Acuña Jr.'s monster year and what the four-time All-Star is capable of for the rest of the fantasy season.
In this week's column, we'll run down each closer situation with a midseason rankings report. There wasn't much movement among the tiers with only a few games played since the last edition before the All-Star break. But of note, Craig Kimbrel and Adbert Alzolay make for some decent buys going into the second half for teams chasing saves.
Tier 1: Untouchable
Felix Bautista - Baltimore Orioles
Bautista had a remarkable first half, posting a 1.07 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts over 42 innings while going 23-for-28 in save chances. That strikeout total gave up an absurd 50.9 percent strikeout rate through the All-Star break. There's no question Bautista is the top closer in baseball. Behind him, Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe have been fantastic, forming one of the best bullpens in the league.
Tier 2: The Elite
Alexis Díaz - Cincinnati Reds
Camilo Doval - San Francisco Giants
Josh Hader - San Diego Padres
Devin Williams - Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan Pressly - Houston Astros
Díaz had joined Bautista in the top tier for much of the first half before slowing down a bit in June. Still, he's followed his 2022 breakout with another incredible campaign so far, posting a 2.03 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts over 40 innings. He added a pair of saves before the All-Star break, giving him 26.
Doval has matched Díaz in the first half with 26 saves to lead the National League. Like Díaz, he's been able to combat an elevated walk rate with an excellent strikeout rate. And there's no reason to think he won't continue to rack up the saves through the season.
Hader bounced back tremendously after last season's second-half meltdown. He's posted a 1.08 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts across 33 1/3 innings with 21 saves. But he'll need to work on his 14.3 percent walk rate to avoid a 2022 repeat. Hader could be one to watch on the trade market should the Padres slide down the standings. Nick Martinez could be next in line to close in San Diego.
Williams saw a flurry of saves over the last month after starting the season slow. He's up to 20 saves while maintaining a 1.89 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts across 33 1/3 innings. There are red flags, though. His 33.6 percent strikeout rate, while still strong, is a drop from his 40 percent mark in 2022. And his walk rate is up to 13.4 percent.
Pressly ended the first half on a roll, making ten consecutive scoreless appearances to bring his ERA down to 2.52 with an 0.84 WHIP across 39 1/3 innings. Unlike other relievers in this range, he's succeeded by limiting free passes, posting a 5.3 percent walk rate. And while his strikeout rate is down, his swinging-strike rate is in line with his career norm at 16.3 percent. He's probably one of the better buys at the closer position going into the second half.
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Tier 3: The Solid Options
Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Jordan Romano - Toronto Blue Jays
David Bednar - Pittsburgh Pirates
Paul Sewald , Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Jhoan Duran , Jorge Lopez - Minnesota Twins
Clase had been pitching well seeing a rough week with two blown saves and a loss. He bounced back before the break, recording his 25th save on Friday. Clase has also seen a dip in his strikeout rate, generating few whiffs that have made him a bit more hittable. Still, he's one of the more secure closers out there.
The same can be said for Romano, who just gets the job done with 26 saves. His numbers are essentially identical to 2022, so I wouldn't expect much difference going forward.
Bednar has been excellent for the Pirates, posting a 1.27 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts across 35 1/3 innings. But the Pirates have slowed down after getting off to a hot start. And it might be time for the team to consider trading Bednar while his value is peaked. Should he be moved, Colin Holderman or Dauri Moreta could step into the closer role.
Sewald has been fairly consistent over the last several seasons. He's been excellent again through the first half, running with the closer role after Muñoz landed on the injured list for a stretch. Sewald is up to 17 saves and should continue to see regular save chances.
Duran has been solid everywhere except for the saves category. It's been both his usage and team context that has him at only 12 saves through the first half. There really isn't much more competition for saves on the team. Jorge Lopez is next with three saves. So there's not much you can do but hope more chances arise in the second half.
Tier 4: There’s Upside Here
Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves
Carlos Estévez - Los Angeles Angels
Will Smith - Texas Rangers
Craig Kimbrel - Philadelphia Phillies
Kenley Jansen - Boston Red Sox
Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays
Iglesias overcame an early shoulder injury that gave him a late start to the season. His skills have been outstanding, with a 17.7 percent swinging-strike rate and only a 7.3 percent walk rate. He should continue to see improvement on the 3.76 ERA he posted in the first half and has the potential to jump into the top tiers given his skills and team context.
Estévez figured to have more success outside of Coors Field , but he's been better than anticipated with the Angels. He's up to 21 saves with a 1.80 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts across 35 innings. His 29.3 percent strikeout rate is currently a career-high.
Smith has enjoyed a bounce-back season with the Rangers. After Jose Leclerc stumbled out of the gate, manager Bruce Bochy went with a familiar face in Smith for the ninth-inning role. He's up to 15 saves and should continue to see regular save chances despite the team adding fellow left-hander Aroldis Chapman . But with a capable closer behind him, Smith will need to sustain his first-half success to keep hold of the job.
Kimbrel has been one of the biggest risers over the last month. He's gone 13 consecutive outings without allowing a run, posting a 3.41 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts across 37 innings this season. He's a perfect 14-for-14 in save chances and should continue to run with the closer role in the second half.
Jansen has been mostly reliable despite some clear signs of skill decline. It's to be expected at this stage of his career. Still, he has a hold of the job in Boston, recording 19 saves on 22 opportunities.
Fairbanks had a mixed first half. He hasn't been able to replicate the skills he flashed in his limited sample in 2022. He's tossed only 17 1/3 innings so far after spending time on the injured list. Jason Adam stepped in for 11 saves in his absence. There's plenty of upside, but Fairbanks is going to need to improve on his 13 percent K-BB rate in the second half.
Tier 5: Just Getting By
Evan Phillips - Los Angeles Dodgers
A.J. Puk - Miami Marlins
Adbert Alzolay - Chicago Cubs
Jordan Hicks - St. Louis Cardinals
Michael King , Clay Holmes - New York Yankees
Alex Lange - Detroit Tigers
David Robertson , Adam Ottavino - New York Mets
Andrew Chafin, Miguel Castro , Scott McGough - Arizona Diamondbacks
Dodgers manager Dave Robert has finally let Phillips run with the closer role over the last month. He's up to 12 saves through the first half with a 2.55 ERA across 35 1/3 innings. With Daniel Hudson back on the injured list, Phillips should continue to see the save chances. But don't be shocked if the team is shopping for some back-end bullpen help at the trade deadline.
Aside from his stint on the injured list, Puk has been mostly inconsistent. He's at 15 saves on 19 chances with a 4.03 ERA across 29 innings. One promising sign has been his 15.1 percent swinging-strike rate which could signal better things to come in the second half.
Alzolay could be a reliever to buy for the second half. He's been excellent, posting a 2.29 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts over 39 1/3 innings while converting seven saves. Three of those saves have come in July as he's taken over as the primary closer.
The Cardinals went to a committee when Ryan Helsley was healthy, but have stuck with Hicks while Helsley is on the injured list. Hicks has been a volatile option with his 13.8 percent walk rate but is striking batters out while going 7-for-10 in save chances. St. Louis could be a team looking to offload relievers by the trade deadline.
The Yankees have been one of the more frustrating committees with how many relievers they're willing to go to. King and Holmes have been the duo working the ninth inning of late, with Holmes still leading the team with ten saves.
Lange hasn't been able to overcome his walk issues, posting a 4.17 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 36 2/3 innings while converting 13 saves. He's one of the more risky, volatile options at closer. Jason Foley might be a reliever worth watching in Detroit.
Another team that could be looking to sell down the stretch, Robertson and Ottavino just haven't seen consistent save chances. Robertson has been great, posting a 2.06 ERA with a 29.9 percent strikeout rate across 39 1/3 innings with 13 saves.
It's been a challenge trying to project the save chances in Arizona all season. Chafin still leads the team with eight saves, while McGough and Castro have seven, each. McGough has gained some momentum over the last few weeks and has the best overall numbers in the bullpen.
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Tier 6: If You Must
Justin Lawrence - Colorado Rockies
Scott Barlow - Kansas City Royals
Hunter Harvey/Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
Trevor May - Oakland A's
Kendall Graveman/Keynan Middleton - Chicago White Sox
