In this week’s Saves and Steals, an injury to Pete Fairbanks gives a pair of relievers on the rise a chance to shine in the ninth inning. The Cubs shake up their bullpen by releasing Hector Neris. And Michael Kopech continues his excellent stretch with the Dodgers. In the steals department, Parker Meadows is heating up in Detroit.
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Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Ryan Helsley - St. Louis Cardinals
Clase didn’t see a save chance this week. He did make two scoreless appearances, including two innings of work against the Yankees on Tuesday. Clase remains at 37 saves with a 0.61 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, and a 49/8 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings. Helsley did get a save chance, converting his MLB-leading 38th on Saturday against the Dodgers.
Tier 2: The Elite
Kirby Yates - Texas Rangers
Mason Miller - Oakland Athletics
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Josh Hader - Houston Astros
Devin Williams - Milwaukee Brewers
Yates took a loss and blew a save before bouncing back with a save and a win this week against the Pirates. He’s up to 22 saves with a 1.30 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 70 strikeouts across 48 1/3 innings. Miller picked up a pair of saves and lowered his ERA to 1.89 after four scoreless innings of work this week. His 44.4 percent strikeout rate leads all qualified relievers.
Muñoz didn’t have the best week after blowing two save chances, giving up four runs over his last two outings. Still, he’s posted a 1.88 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts over 48 innings. Meanwhile, Hader has been on an excellent run since the All-Star break, with a 1.88 ERA in the second half. He recorded his 27th save and picked up his sixth win this week. And Williams makes his jump to the elite tier with three more saves, giving him five since debuting off the injured list.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves
Edwin Diaz - New York Mets
Kenley Jansen - Boston Red Sox
Jhoan Duran - Minnesota Twins
Clay Holmes - New York Yankees
Carlos Estévez - Philadelphia Phillies
Alexis Díaz - Cincinnati Reds
Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
One of this season’s biggest surprises, Suarez added two more saves this week to give him 29 with a 1.79 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across 50 1/3 innings. Iglesias also added two saves with two perfect outings. Díaz is also having a strong second half. He added two wins this week and has his ERA down to 3.41 with 53 strikeouts over 37 innings.
Jansen had a busy week, making four appearances in five days. He added two more saves, giving him 24 with a 2.78 ERA over 45 1/3 innings. Duran converted a pair of saves for a total of 18. He’s seen his strikeout rate improve drastically over the second half, with a 35.7 percent strikeout rate since the All-Star break after posting a 24 percent mark in the first half. In New York, it continues to be an up-and-down season for Holmes. Despite just a 2.82 ERA, he leads baseball with 10 blown saves. He converted one this week before blowing another opportunity.
Estévez has converted just one save with the Phillies since he was acquired at the trade deadline. Still, his usage suggests he’ll be getting most of the save chances in Philadelphia. Díaz didn’t see a save chance in Cincinnati, either. He surrendered one run in a non-save opportunity on Tuesday. Still, he’s been much better since June after a rough first two months. And Finnegan is going the other way after an incredible first half, posting an 8.38 ERA since the All-Star break.
Tier 4: There’s Upside Here
Ryan Walker - San Francisco Giants
Chad Green - Toronto Blue Jays
Michael Kopech/Daniel Hudson- Los Angeles Dodgers
Justin Martinez - Arizona Diamondbacks
Edwin Uceta - Tampa Bay Rays
Seranthony Dominguez - Baltimore Orioles
Lucas Erceg - Kansas City Royals
Walker continues to excel in the closer role for the Giants, he struck out five batters over two innings on Sunday to earn the win over the A’s, then struck out the side for a save against the White Sox on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Camilo Doval has tossed three clean innings in Triple-A after giving up two runs in his first game in the minors.
Green took a loss, giving up a run against the Cubs on Friday. He bounced back Sunday with his 13th save. In Los Angeles, Kopech is on the rise after picking up two saves for the Dodgers this week. He’s riding a 14-game scoreless streak dating back to July 7.
Martinez was charged with a loss in back-to-back games, then bounced back with a pair of saves, giving him five. In Tampa Bay, Uceta is getting a chance to show what he can do, stepping in for Pete Fairbanks, who was placed on the injured list with a right lat strain. Uceta converted his first save and has posted a 0.90 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts over 30 innings.
The Orioles may have to keep searching for their answer in the ninth inning after Dominguez took the loss in two games this week, giving up a run in three straight. Erceg continues to impress in Kansas City, picking up his third save for the team. He should be the reliever to roster there through the end of the season.
Tier 5: Just Getting By
Porter Hodge/Jorge López - Chicago Cubs
David Bednar - Pittsburgh Pirates
Ben Joyce - Los Angeles Angels
Calvin Faucher - Miami Marlins
Jason Foley - Detroit Tigers
Tyler Kinley - Colorado Rockies
John Brebbia - Chicago White Sox
The Cubs released Héctor Neris this week before he could reach the thresholds necessary to kick in a $9 million vesting player option for 2025. He converted 17 saves for the team but has been incredibly volatile. Hodge and López have stepped in, each recording a save for the Cubs. Hodge has displayed better skills between the two, posting a 31 percent strikeout rate.
Bednar converted two saves with a pair of scoreless appearances, then took the loss Wednesday against the Rangers. Joyce recorded a save this week, only his second for the Angels since the team sent Estévez to the Phillies.
Faucher added his third save for the Marlins. He’s recorded a strong 3.09 ERA with 52 strikeouts across 46 2/3 innings. In Detroit, Foley earned a save for the Tigers and could hold the closer role through the end of the season, but the upside remains incredibly low given the team context and his abysmal strikeout rate.
Victor Vodnik was placed on the 15-day injured list with a bicep issue. Kinley is expected to step in for the Rockies. He’s converted six saves for the team but has posted a 5.88 ERA.
Injured
Jordan Romano - Elbow
Pete Fairbanks - Right lat strain
Victor Vodnik - Biceps
Steals Department
In the steals department, Shohei Ohtani led the way with five steals. The 30-year-old superstar is on the cusp of a 40-40 season while slashing .291/.378/.610. Possibly available in shallower formats, Josh Lowe followed Ohtani with four steals. The 26-year-old outfielder is having a disappointing season that was slowed by oblique and hamstring issues early on, but he’s hitting well in August, collecting seven steals and two homers. All seven of those steals have come over the last 10 games. Lowe can be a multi-category contributor down the stretch in all formats. His teammate, Taylor Walls, has also been more aggressive on the bases, stealing four bags over his last six games. However, his fantasy viability is limited to the deepest of mixed and AL-only formats. Parker Meadows has been another hot hitter this month after he was activated from the injured list by the Tigers. He’s hitting .351 in August with five steals.