Top 125 Saves+Holds Rankings for Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitchers (May Update)

May 27, 2024

Nick Mariano's updated fantasy baseball saves+holds (SV+HLD) rankings for closers and relief pitchers. His top 125 tiered rankings and analysis is updated for May 2024.

Saves+Holds reliever ranks can be overlooked or left stale from an early offseason article in lieu of closer-focused coverage, but I'll be here monthly to bring my leaderboard for the season. Allow me, Nick Mariano, to do my namesake proud (my middle name isn't Rivera, sorry) and bring you the breakdown about fantasy baseball bullpens.

While the closer's role is important, an increasing number of managers are moving their best arm into a flexible role while shuffling who gets the ninth. Saves+Holds (or Solds, or SV+HLD) leagues help fantasy leagues reward the best arms regardless of the inning, though it still favors closers in a vacuum. Be sure to also check out our constantly updated fantasy baseball closers and saves depth charts.

Reminder: A hold is recorded when a relief pitcher enters with a lead of three runs or less, or with the tying run on deck, at the plate, or on base, and maintains that lead while recording at least one out. Read on and you'll see where I rank each player, what tier they're in, and then a team-by-team bullpen breakdown. While I look for pitchers used in high-leverage situations, this is also about how good the arm is and how efficient their K/9 works for many of you.

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2024 Saves+Holds Rankings - Mixed Leagues (May Update)

Rankings as of May 23

Team-by-Team Saves+Holds Rankings Analysis

Arizona: Paul Sewald’s start to 2024 was delayed by a Grade 2 oblique strain but he’s showing no signs of rust upon returning (6 IP, 3 SV, 6 K, 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP). Kevin Ginkel notched six solds while Sewald was out, but a poor 4.66 ERA/1.34 WHIP and sub 9.0 K/9 dampened his appeal.

The 3.55 FIP and 3.48 SIERA give hope, but there isn’t much separating Ginkel from Ryan Thompson beyond the potential we know lurks. Outside of them, Justin Martinez has some upside due to higher Ks but his sold opportunities are low.

Atlanta: Raisel Iglesias has done well enough, converting 12 saves in just under two months for an underperforming Braves team. All looks well except 14 Ks in 19 ⅓ IP, yielding a 6.52 K/9 and ~16% K rate. The K rate is usually around 30%, but whiffs are down on the changeup, four-seamer, and sinker. Hold steady! A.J. Minter, Joe Jimenez, and Pierce Johnson are all plus options in solds leagues behind Iggy. Atlanta’s offense should turn it around and provide more opportunities for all this summer.

Baltimore: Craig Kimbrel is back in the closer’s role after a brief reset demotion and remains in my circle of trust. Yennier Cano, Jacob Webb, and Danny Coulombe have combined for five saves and 23 holds behind Kimbrel, though none offer particularly enticing K rates.

Boston: The Red Sox are still scrapping after a hot start and may retain Kenley Jansen beyond the trade deadline. Jansen hasn’t had a back flare-up in a while and has eight saves with 21 strikeouts in 16 ⅔ IP. Chris Martin remains the most stable/reliable option behind Jansen, though he only has six holds through 19 ⅓ IP to go with his typically strong ratios. Justin Slaten has cooled off and needs to continue adjusting to MLB hitters after his initial success.

Chicago (AL): Michael Kopech still has intermittent command woes and inflated pitch counts, but the upside is clear. His 145 Stuff+ tally is outstanding and has fueled 32 strikeouts in 22 ⅔ IP. The White Sox don’t generate many leads but perhaps a midseason trade is in Kopech’s future. Any destination tied to a buying team would have to be better.

Top 10 tjStuff+ 4-Seam Fastballs
(min. 100 thrown)

1) Ryan Helsley - 117
2) Michael Kopech - 114
3) Tyler Glasnow - 113
4) Jeff Hoffman - 112
5) Luis Gil - 112
6) David Bednar - 112
7) Trevor Megill - 111
8) Alexis Díaz - 111
9) MacKenzie Gore - 111
10) Mason Miller - 111 pic.twitter.com/BanLxnquTW

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) May 16, 2024

Jordan Leasure quietly leads the team in solds (nine) with a solid 2.29 ERA, though the 4.20 SIERA is less exciting. John Brebbia is on the flip side, sporting a 5.52 ERA with a 2.68 SIERA. Michael Soroka could be a useful long-relief plug and make a Kopech-like ascension given the early results out of the ‘pen (6 ⅓ IP, 0 ER, 10 K).

Chicago (NL): The Cubs have shut down Adbert Alzolay for two weeks but several of you likely dropped him before the injury. His 4.67 ERA has a nasty 7.34 FIP behind it and his meager 6.8 K/9 wasn’t covering up the blemishes. Mark Leiter Jr. is their best bullpen arm and is the best for solds, but Hector Neris has walked a tightrope as the interim closer.

Despite a 1.56 WHIP and 5.31 SIERA, Neris has six saves and four wins next to a 2.50 ERA. Sell high if possible. Tyson Miller and Ben Brown are enticing but don’t get consistent hold opps.

Cincinnati: This is messy. Both Diaz’s are in trouble, with Alexis rocking a 6.62 ERA/1.64 WHIP with peripherals near 5.00 through 17 ⅔ IP. He has eight saves and a strikeout per inning but has a 7:8 K:BB in May (13:6 in April). He must regain command.

“Luckily,” he has no one pushing him. Emilio Pagan just hit the IL. Fernando Cruz could step in with his electrifying 17.0 K/9 but has a 13% walk rate himself. Lucas Sims has the best stuff (131 Stuff+) and prior closing experience. Cruz and his big Ks are closer to Diaz in this format than most would suspect.

Cleveland: Emmanuel Clase continues to laugh in the face of fears over his large workload since 2021. He’s thrown ~70-plus IP in three straight seasons and it seemed like wear and tear was coming in 2023 with a 3.22 ERA (good for most, bad for Clase!), 12 blown saves, and a 21% K rate. But he has come out swinging with a 0.36 ERA, 27% K rate, and 15 saves through 26 games in ‘24.

The question will be how well he holds up down the stretch, with risk-averse folks perhaps opting to sell high this summer. Scott Barlow, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith are also doing well, with Sam Hentges, Nick Sandlin, and Tim Herrin also worth rostering with WHIPs under 1.00! Cleveland’s bullpen is a tour de force, even without Eli Morgan and James Karinchak.

Colorado: Just don’t. Jalen Beeks has overtaken Justin Lawrence as the stopper but no one is reliable, no one is providing ample strikeouts, and almost all of their top relievers have walk rates above 10%. Just don’t.

Detroit: Alex Lange was just demoted following a 19% walk rate and inconsistent command. Jason Foley is the top dog but his appeal has faded after that early power sinker topping 100 mph has crept back down into the mid-90s. Andrew Chafin won’t help your WHIP but is the next best bet for solds.

Alex Faedo, Tyler Holton, and Will Vest all have decent ratios but underwhelming sold tallies (2-3 each). Shelby Miller started hot, then faded, and is currently on the IL. Foley, and to a lesser extent Chafin, are the only ones on most sold radars for now.

Houston: The power bullpen has underperformed thus far, as has most of Houston. Josh Hader’s early ERA balloon is rightfully coming down toward his 2.36 FIP/2.10 SIERA, with multi-inning games helping stabilize the noise. But he only has six saves and most fantasy teams thought they were buying more!

Bryan Abreu still has plus Ks (32.7%) but the 1.34 WHIP isn’t great. Ryan Pressly is borderline unplayable with his 1.64 WHIP. Rafael Montero has done well but has a suspicious 5.58 FIP underneath the 3.32 ERA.

Kansas City: William Smith quickly stumbled down the leverage ladder, going from closer to fifth or sixth in the pecking order. James McArthur and John Schreiber have been fantastic, with Angel Zerpa coming on of late, too. McArthur had a rough stretch of “dirty saves” with a run scoring, but watching him pitch gives off the 2.65 SIERA more than the 4.15 ERA.

L.A. Angels: Dreams of the Robert Stephenson takeover were sidelined by injury, but Carlos Estevez is still on shaky ground. Estevez, who blames some of his struggles on the erratic schedule between appearances, got the dreaded “vote of confidence” from Ron Washington earlier this week.

Ron Washington says “it’s not the time to pull the plug” on Carlos Estévez as closer. https://t.co/GT9FwTtNoR

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) May 21, 2024

To Estevez’s credit, walks are down (4.5%) but the mistakes get walloped. Hitters have doubled the Barrels/PA rate against him compared to 2023. His ground-ball rate has gone from the usual 30-45% to 20%. Luis Garcia isn’t a great pivot, but he has eight solds (three saves, five holds) while Hunter Strickland has also gotten buzz as a closer alternative. Other hold sources are Adam Cimber (seven) and Matt Moore (eight), with Cimber’s ratios being preferable.

L.A. Dodgers: Evan Phillips should be back soon and continue as a top-10 RP in the game. The Dodgers win so dang often that their key relievers are an easy source of solds. Daniel Hudson has 11 with pristine ratios, while Blake Treinen has yet to give up an earned run since coming off of the IL.

Joe Kelly had nine holds in 13 ⅓ IP before his shoulder strain, which Dave Roberts called a “sore shoulder.” Brusdar Graterol will return down the road, but Phillips, Hudson, and Treinen are the big three, with Alex Vesia and Michael Grove also earning a mention.

Miami: Tanner Scott emerged from his early control woes to be a sturdy option for fantasy teams in May. He may get dealt by a retooling Miami squad but should operate in the late frames wherever he lands. The A.J. Puk rotation experiment went down in flames but he’ll look to rediscover last year’s bullpen spark, though early returns aren’t promising. Andrew Nardi and Anthony Bender each have five holds and ugly ratios with sharper FIP/SIERA’s.

Milwaukee: Devin Williams is targeting late July for a return from his back injury. In the meantime, Trevor Megill is that dude and delivering on his 2023/preseason potential. Abner Uribe looked like the next big thing until he wasn’t, with a suspension-demotion combo sending him to the fantasy shadow realm.

Joel Payamps and Elvis Peguero are nice ancillary pieces still, but Bryan Hudson is the standout behind Megill. Hudson has seven holds with a 0.68 ERA/0.76 WHIP and a 31.6% strikeout rate in 26 frames. That’ll do!

Minnesota: Jhoan Duran hasn’t yet found his stride. He’s not bad but a 50% hard-hit rate against and 26.3% strikeout rate is not what we’re accustomed to seeing (usually ~35% HH, 33% K rates). Give the guy a chance to settle in! Griffin Jax is rolling with 12 solds and a sub-one WHIP.

Brock Stewart has right shoulder tendinitis but his 0.68 ERA and 32.7% K rate await the patient. Caleb Thielbar and Cole Sands are the next tier in Minny. Thielbar’s 2.96 FIP and Sands’ 2.39 SIERA provide hope beyond the small-sample surface ERAs.

New York (AL): Clay Holmes was recently done dirty by the BABIP gods but that sinker is locked in. His 13 saves come with over a strikeout per inning and a healthy 1.74 ERA. Luke Weaver has emerged as another of Matt Blake’s success stories, posting a 0.66 WHIP with a 30% strikeout rate in 30 IP. Tommy Kahnle just came off the IL and should immediately enter high-leverage spots with that devastating changeup. Nick Burdi, Caleb Ferguson, and Ian Hamilton (COVID-19 IL) are also worth a look.

New York (NL): Edwin Diaz had been shaky in games following an appearance on the previous night, with B2B assignments wearing him down after missing a year. But late the wheels came off more and he’s been demoted in low-leverage spots to reset, though his 2.40 SIERA offers long-term hope.

Reed Garrett has been an amazing find with his 40% K rate, five wins, and six solds. Adam Ottavino has a lower ceiling but has shown good control alongside the 34% K rate. Jorge Lopez is next after that in terms of interest. Sean Reid-Foley could garner more interest with plus ratios and a 33.3% K rate if the walks can settle and he earns more late looks.

Oakland: Mason Miller. Mason Miller. Mason. Miller. Yes, Colorado of all teams got to him on Thursday, but the fireballer is allowed to be human. He entered that game with a nearly 50% K-BB rate and a -0.16 FIP (!), with Oakland’s lack of save opps being the biggest weakness. Let’s hope durability holds given his track record. Lucas Erceg and Austin Adams have 20 solds combined and boast strikeout rates around 32%, making each worthy of solds love.

Philadelphia: Jose Alvarado shrugged off early control problems to post an 11-game walkless stretch (which was snapped on Thursday). His numbers are a step back from 2023, with his 25% K rate a far cry from the 37% marks of ‘23 and ‘22, but 12 solds this early is just dandy. Jeff Hoffman has been a better pitcher with ratios and whiffs, posting a 117+ to Alvarado’s 93.

Matt Strahm has a comical 0.52 FIP/40% K rate with a trio of wins and five holds. Orion Kerkering has been as advertised with preseason hype but only has two holds in ~15 IP. The leverage ladder is extremely deep (tall?) here. Gregory Soto has six solds but poor ratios and an inflated 13% walk rate. Seranthony Dominguez has not rebounded in ‘24 and Spencer Turnbull’s rotation success has not yet translated to the bullpen.

We don’t give Caleb Cotham enough credit.

Jeff Hoffman, Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm were three guys who were middle of the staff relievers, or not even given a chance, a few years ago.

He’s helped them become top bullpen arms in all of baseball.

pic.twitter.com/6RV0HOwImx

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) May 13, 2024

Pittsburgh: David Bednar turned in a 1-2-3 frame on Thursday to lower his ERA to *gulp* 7.08 through 20 innings. The 29-year-old still has 10 saves and three wins after a tumultuous April. The 2.61 ERA through 10 May innings is easier to digest.

Aroldis Chapman has 11 solds, yet the 30:20 K:BB in 16 innings illustrates the double-edged sword. It’s tough to absorb a WHIP sniffing 2.00, but a 30-sold pace with robust Ks must be respected. Colin Holderman and Hunter Stratton are solid middle-relief arms but only have five solds, so the needle doesn’t move much.

San Diego: Robert Suarez trimmed his ERA to 0.40 as he picked up his 14th save on Thursday. We’re seeing more of the pitcher who dominated in 2022 with a K-BB rate of around 21% compared to 13% in ‘23. You might laugh at his .173 BABIP and it is low, but he owns a career .204 BABIP in about 100 MLB IP.

Wandy Peralta, Enyel De Los Santos, and Yuki Matsui are nice complementary pieces, while Jeremiah Estrada is beginning to erupt. He struck out five in two innings on Thursday to pick up the win and has a 20:4 K:BB in 13 ⅔ IP. Bring on the solds (please).

Jeremiah Estrada strikes out five in two innings. Top Stuff+ among relievers this year:

1) Mason Miller
2) Trevor Megill
3) Emmanuel Clase
4) Jeremiah Estrada
5) Michael Kopechhttps://t.co/v56Qwz9yaB

— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) May 23, 2024

San Francisco: Camilo Doval is holding onto a top slot with a 2.75 ERA and 30% K rate, but walks are an issue. After posting a walk rate of 9.3% last season, that mark is up to 16.1% through ~20 IP in ‘24. However, his ground-ball rate has also jumped from 52% to 70%. He should sort this out but walk rates that high are always cause for concern. Tyler Rogers, Ryan Walker, and Erik Miller have 7-8 holds apiece, with Walker’s FIP and SIERA sitting under 2.00!

Seattle: Andres Munoz didn’t record his third save of 2024 until April 25, posting five solds nearly a month into the season. He’s ripped off eight saves since then, pushing Ryne Stanek back into the setup role following two early saves. Each have double-digit solds, though Stanek’s 1.44 WHIP and 20% K rate are far less enticing (duh).

With Matt Brash done for the year and Gregory Santos yet to debut for Seattle, Trent Thornton and Gabe Speier are the other two worth mentioning here. But really this is the Munoz show and that’s the bottom line.

St. Louis: Remember when Ryan Helsley’s diminished velocity in spring training caused a stir? No, me either. He’s a stud, he’s crushing it, sit back and enjoy. The news from The Lou is how JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge have stepped up with Giovanny Gallegos out. Romero and Kittredge have 17 and 14 respective holds, with WHIPs below one and strikeout rates north of 27%. All three have earned their place inside the top 40.

Tampa Bay: This won’t be the year where Pete Fairbanks stays completely healthy, but the brief IL stint may have been a necessary reboot after early command woes plagued him. The 30-year-old has allowed zero baserunners in five innings since returning on May 11. Jason Adam remains a reliable solds monster. While Colin Poche scuffled before landing on the IL, Tampa has Garrett Cleavinger, Phil Maton, and Kevin Kelly to round out the ranks.

Texas: Thank goodness the defending champs signed David Robertson and Kirby Yates, huh? Jose Leclerc’s command evaporated early on and they quickly lost Josh Sborz and Brock Burke to the IL. D-Rob and Yates are strong pieces and Jacob Latz has emerged as a decent high-leverage southpaw for those in deep waters. Robertson has a slight edge in Ks, sabermetrics, and solds as the “fireman” vs. Yates being the closer.

Toronto: Jordan Romano missed the first few weeks of 2024 due to right elbow inflammation and has given up a run in five of 12 games since returning. The .303 xBA and 51.4% hard-hit rate are fueling the 5.95 xERA on Statcast, but small samples can be fickle. Erik Swanson was the No. 2 in preseason but he also opened the year hurt and has been struggling worse than Romano.

Chad Green had four solds early before a shoulder injury sent him to the IL, though he’s likely back soon. Yimi Garcia has been their best, leading the team with 10 solds, a 35% K rate, and an elite 0.47 ERA/0.58 WHIP.

Washington: Preseason buzz had Hunter Harvey eclipsing Kyle Finnegan as Washington’s closer in short order, but Finnegan has eluded most danger even as Harvey impresses. Finnegan has a 4.82 FIP behind the 1.89 ERA and a middling 10% K-BB rate. Compare that to Harvey’s 2.22 FIP and 23% K-BB mark and the result feels inevitable.

Luckily, sold formats allow for us to properly value Harvey (14 holds) over Finnegan (13 saves). Dylan Floro has five solds behind them but a small 18.5% K rate bogs down the 0.38 ERA through 24 IP.

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