In this week’s Saves and Steals, Emmanuel Clase shows why he’s the top closer in baseball with four saves in as many days. In Milwaukee, Devin Williams gets off to an excellent start off the injured list with two saves. In the steals department, Derek Hill is earning regular playing time for the Marlins. And the Giants promoted an outfielder that stole 52 bases in 2023.
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Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Ryan Helsley - St. Louis Cardinals
Clase proved this week why there’s no one better at the top of the closer rankings, locked down four saves in four days. He’s up to 37, tying Helsley for most in the majors. He’s posted a 0.64 ERA and a 0.66 WHIP over 56 1/3 innings. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Clase receive Cy Young votes this season. Helsley converted one save this week, his 37th of the season with a 2.66 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings.
Tier 2: The Elite
Kirby Yates - Texas Rangers
Mason Miller - Oakland Athletics
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Josh Hader - Houston Astros
Yates picked up a save against the Red Sox on Wednesday, striking out one in a clean inning. He’s up to 21 saves with a 1.02 ERA and 63 strikeouts across 44 1/3 innings. Miller recorded a save against the Blue Jays on Saturday, his 17th of the season. Muñoz tossed a clean inning of work against the Mets in his lone appearance of the week. And Hader is up to 26 saves after converting two this week with a 3.48 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts over 54 1/3 innings.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves
Devin Williams - Milwaukee Brewers
Edwin Diaz - New York Mets
Kenley Jansen - Boston Red Sox
Clay Holmes - New York Yankees
Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays
Jhoan Duran/Griffin Jax - Minnesota Twins
Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
Carlos Estévez - Philadelphia Phillies
Alexis Díaz - Cincinnati Reds
It was a great week for Suarez and the Padres. He picked up three saves and a win. He’s been one of the most valuable relievers this season, amassing seven wins, 27 saves, and a 1.68 ERA across 48 1/3 innings. Iglesias added two saves and a win, giving him 25 saves this season with a 1.54 ERA. He’s seen his strikeout rate climb over the last few months, with a strikeout rate of 33.7 percent since the start of June after striking out just 18.6 percent of batters through May.
Williams converted his first save since coming off the injured list, striking out the side against the Reds. He followed up with his second save against the Dodgers on Wednesday. He’s now struck out nine batters with one run allowed over his first five innings. Díaz struck out two batters in a scoreless inning of work against the Athletics. He remains at 14 saves with a 3.71 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts over 34 innings.
Jansen recorded a four-out save against the Rangers on Tuesday, his 22nd of the season. Holmes also added a save this week, giving up one run but holding on for his 25th on Sunday. And Fairbanks is up to 23 saves after adding two this week. He struck out the side in a scoreless inning against the Orioles on Sunday.
Duran picked up a save Friday, striking out the side against the Guardians. It was his first save in nearly a month. He’s up to 16 with a 3.52 ERA across 38 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, Finnegan gave up a pair of runs in an outing against the Giants last Thursday, then tossed two scoreless frames and picked up a win against the Angels on Friday.
Estévez picked up his first save with the Phillies on Thursday against the Marlins. He looks to be in line for most, if not all, save chances in Philadelphia. Díaz also moves up a tier with two more saves this week. He’s up to 24 on the season and has posted a 2.18 ERA since the start of June.
Tier 4: There’s Upside Here
Chad Green - Toronto Blue Jays
Daniel Hudson - Los Angeles Dodgers
Justin Martinez - Arizona Diamondbacks
Ryan Walker - San Francisco Giants
Seranthony Dominguez - Baltimore Orioles
Green had a great week, converting three saves for the Blue Jays. He’s up to 12 with a 1.86 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 38 2/3 innings.
While Hudson hasn’t been named the primary closer, he’s the only Dodgers reliever getting the save chances since Evan Phillips was removed from the role. Hudson added his ninth save of the season Monday against the Brewers. In Arizona, Martinez earned a win and converted his third save for the team. He’s settled in as the primary closer, recording three saves with a 1.89 ERA over 52 1/3 innings.
The Giants not only removed Camilo Doval from the closer role, the team optioned him to Triple-A this week. Walker has been named the team’s closer, for now. He picked up his first save Saturday against the Tigers. The 28-year-old right-hander has posted an impressive 2.17 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts over 62 1/3 innings. Walker could continue to run with the closer role and should be added in all formats.
With Kimbrel struggling in Baltimore, Dominguez is getting an opportunity to run with the closer role. He picked up his first save for the team Saturday against the Rays, then converted his second against the Nationals on Wednesday. Felix Bautista has begun throwing off a mound in his rehab from Tommy John surgery but is still expected to miss the rest of the season.
Tier 5: Just Getting By
Hector Neris - Chicago Cubs
David Bednar - Pittsburgh Pirates
Victor Vodnik - Colorado Rockies
Lucas Erceg - Kansas City Royals
Ben Joyce - Los Angeles Angels
Jason Foley/Tyler Holton/Will Vest - Detroit Tigers
Calvin Faucher - Miami Marlins
John Brebbia - Chicago White Sox
Neris picked up a pair of saves against the White Sox this week. He’s been much better so far in the second half, giving up two runs over 9 1/3 innings since the All-Star break.
It’s been a forgettable season for Bednar. He’s allowed seven runs over his last five outings and is up to a 5.75 ERA over 40 2/3 innings. In Colorado, Vodnik picked up two saves for the Rockies, then blew a save chance against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
With Hunter Harvey on the injured list nursing a back injury, Erceg has stepped up with back-to-back saves for the Royals, including a four-out save against the Twins on Wednesday. He’s likely the best reliever in the Kansas City bullpen and should be picked up where saves are needed.
No save chances for Joyce this week. He struggled in a pair of non-save opportunities, giving up three runs over his last three outings. In Detroit, it’s gone to a full committee, with Vest recording the team’s last save. Meanwhile, the Marlins and White Sox have struggled to produce any save chances.
Steals Department
Xavier Edwards led the way in the steals department this week, collecting seven steals. He leads the majors with 16 steals since the All-Star break. He’s up to 19 on the season while hitting an outstanding .358/.437/.432 across 175 plate appearances. His teammate, Derek Hill, has settled into a regular role with the Marlins and has hit .256/.286/.442 with four homers and five steals across 91 plate appearances. The 28-year-old outfielder isn’t likely to sustain much success with a 34 percent strikeout rate, but he could be worth a dart throw in deeper mixed and NL-only leagues. In San Francisco, the Giants optioned shortstop Marco Luciano to Triple-A and promoted one of their top outfield prospects, Grant McCray, to the majors. The 23-year-old had hit 12 homers with 14 steals over 97 minor-league games after swiping 52 bases in High-A last season. If given regular playing time, he could also be worth a speculative pickup in deep leagues.