In this week’s Saves and Steals, Edwin Díaz is set to return as the Mets’ closer upon his return on Thursday, David Bednar continues his solid stretch after a rough start, and injury concerns cloud Seattle’s closer situation. We’ll run through it all in the latest closer rankings. In the steals department, David Hamilton is making the most of his chances in Boston, and Garrett Mitchell is nearing a return in Milwaukee.
Listen to the Rotoworld Baseball Show for the latest player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Mason Miller - Oakland A’s
Ryan Helsley - St. Louis Cardinals
Clase gave up a run in back-to-back outings this week, his first runs allowed in nearly two months. Still, he held on for his 20th save of the season on Tuesday and holds a 0.84 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts across 32 1/3 innings.
Miller made a pair of scoreless appearances, striking out three batters over two clean innings of work. He picked up a win over the Blue Jays on Friday. Miller took the mound in a tie game against the Padres on Wednesday and surrendered the walk-off homer to take the loss. Meanwhile, after picking up his 21st save of the season on Friday, Helsley gave up two runs and was handed the loss against the Pirates on Tuesday. He bounced back Wednesday to convert his league-leading 22nd save.
Tier 2: The Elite
Clay Holmes - New York Yankees
Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Josh Hader - Houston Astros
Craig Kimbrel - Baltimore Orioles
Holmes made three scoreless appearances this week, picking up two saves to give him 19. All four of his earned runs allowed this season have come in one outing, as he’s kept runners from scoring in 29 additional outings.
Suarez was left without a save chance this week, but he did pick up two wins. He’s posted an outstanding 0.61 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts over 29 1/3 innings while converting 17 saves. And no saves for Hader this week. He allowed two runs and took the loss on Sunday against the Angels.
Kimbrel has been on a roll over the last month after a brief period of concern. He converted three more saves this week with three scoreless appearances. The 36-year-old veteran right-hander is up to 16 saves with a 2.59 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts across 24 1/3 innings.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Jhoan Duran - Minnesota Twins
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Kirby Yates - Texas Rangers
Paul Sewald - Arizona Diamondbacks
Evan Phillips - Los Angeles Dodgers
Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves
Camilo Doval - San Francisco Giants
Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays
Kenley Jansen - Boston Red Sox
Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
David Bednar - Pittsburgh Pirates
Duran surrendered three runs to the Pirates in a non-save situation on Saturday. He followed with a pair of scoreless outings, including a win against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Muñoz made just one appearance, recording a hold in a clean eighth inning against the Royals on Sunday. He’s still pitching through a back injury that’s a bit concerning. The team has eased off his usage, with Tayler Saucedo and Ryne Stanek picking up saves this week. Muñoz received an injection Tuesday to help ease some discomfort and is considered day-to-day.
Yates had been due for a save after recording just one over the last month. He gave up a run to the Dodgers on Wednesday but was able to hold on for his ninth save. He’s posted a 1.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts across 23 1/3 innings.
Sewald recorded his seventh save on Thursday against the Padres. He’s allowed just one run while striking out 11 over 10 1/3 innings of work since coming off the injured list.
Phillips has just one save since coming off the injured list. He gave up three runs in a non-save situation against the Pirates on Thursday, then bounced back with a scoreless outing against the Rangers on Tuesday. Blake Treinen has been outstanding in a setup role after missing all of last season, tossing 11 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts to just two walks.
Iglesias made two scoreless appearances against the Nationals, recording his 16th save of the season. The 34-year-old right-hander has posted a 2.22 ERA and 0.90 WHIP despite a career-low 17.9 percent strikeout rate. He’s been able to limit the damage by suppressing hard contact, giving up just one barreled ball.
Doval had a big week on the mound, adding three saves to give him 12 on the year. He’s battled some inconsistency this season, posting a 3.62 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings.
No saves out of the Rays bullpen this week. Fairbanks did fire a scoreless inning with one strikeout against the Orioles on Sunday. Jansen tossed two scoreless innings with five strikeouts to come away with the win against the White Sox on Sunday, then converted his tenth save on Wednesday against the Phillies.
Finnegan continues to impress on the mound. He converted three saves and picked up a win this week. He’s up to 19 saves with a 1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts across 28 1/3 innings. Hunter Harvey has been excellent in a setup role, recording 20 holds. Both Harvey and Finnegan could be trade targets for contending teams at the deadline.
Bednar picked up two saves this week, putting him at 14 this season. Despite giving up a solo homer on Tuesday, he’s been excellent over the last six weeks after struggling through April. Since the start of May, he’s posted a 1.96 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over 18 1/3 innings while converting nine of his 14 saves.
Tier 4: There’s Upside Here
Edwin Díaz - New York Mets
Jose Alvarado/Jeff Hoffman - Philadelphia Phillies
Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers
Tanner Scott - Miami Marlins
Yimi García - Toronto Blue Jays
Jason Foley - Detroit Tigers
Alexis Díaz - Cincinnati Reds
Díaz is set to return from the injured list on Thursday after missing the last three weeks with a shoulder injury. Hopefully, the time off could help get the veteran closer back on track. He’s converted just five saves with a 5.40 ERA across 20 innings. Manager Carlos Mendoza stated Wednesday that Díaz will be the closer upon his return after the team utilized a committee in his absence.
Alvarado was charged with a blown save Sunday against the Mets, then bounced back with his 12th save Tuesday against the Red Sox. Hoffman made just one appearance, recording four outs in a clean outing. And filling in as the closer in Milwaukee, Megill had an excellent week, recording three saves. He’s up to 11 with a 1.89 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts over 19 innings. Devin Williams began a throwing program last month, but there’s been no update on the status of his return.
Scott pitched multiple innings in both appearances this week, first recording five outs to earn a win against the Guardians, then converting a two-inning save against the Mets. He’s now tossed 20 scoreless innings with 23 strikeouts to nine walks while converting seven saves since April 16.
García has stepped in to fill the closer role in Toronto while Jordan Romano remains sidelined with an elbow injury. He converted two saves and picked up a win this week. The 33-year-old right-hander is having an excellent season, posting a 1.98 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts across 27 1/3 innings while recording five saves.
Foley tossed a pair of scoreless innings this week but was held without a save chance. The Tigers haven’t presented the bullpen with many save chances of late. Foley has converted three of the team’s four total saves over the last month. In Cincinnati, Díaz surrendered a run against the Cubs on Friday but held on for his 13th save before picking up number 14 with a scoreless frame against the Guardians on Wednesday.
Tier 5: Just Getting By
James McArthur - Kansas City Royals
Carlos Estévez - Los Angeles Angels
Hector Neris - Chicago Cubs
McArthur picked up his 12th save against the Guardians on Thursday, then took the loss with two runs allowed against the Mariners on Sunday. While he’s shown excellent control with only five walks on the season, limited strikeout upside and susceptibility to hard contact have made McArthur a volatile closer. In Anaheim, Estévez has pitched well of late, with four straight perfect outings. He picked up a win with a clean frame on Sunday against the Astros. And after picking up a save against the Reds on Sunday, Neris blew a save chance Tuesday with four runs allowed against the Rays. He allowed another run in a save chance on Wednesday but held on for his tenth of the season.
Tier 6: If You Must
Michael Kopech - Chicago White Sox
Tyler Kinley - Colorado Rockies
Injured
Devin Williams - Back
Jordan Romano - Elbow
Steals Department
The stolen base leaders this week come out of Boston, with Jarren Duran and David Hamilton each swiping four bases. Duran added a pair of homers on the week and is slashing .270/.337/.460 with five homers, 44 runs, 28 RBI, and 15 steals across 310 plate appearances. More intriguing to those looking for some speed, Hamilton is still widely available in 70 percent of Yahoo leagues. He swatted his fourth homer of the season on Wednesday and is hitting .298/.351/.476 with 21 runs scored, ten RBI, and 13 steals across only 134 plate appearances. He should be rostered in far more leagues. Milwaukee outfielder Garrett Mitchell is rostered in just two percent of Yahoo leagues and could make for a solid stash in deep leagues. The 25-year-old has been sidelined since spring training with a fractured finger. He could be on track to return to the team by next week and has some interesting power/speed potential, contact issues aside.