Nick Mariano's Top 150 Saves+Holds Rankings for Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitchers

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We continue our push into the future beyond traditional 5x5 rotisserie ranks that focus on closers alone. And this won't be it! Saves+Holds reliever ranks can be overlooked or left stale from an early offseason article, but I'll be here at least once a month 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, as well as a smattering of analysis for each of the 10 tiers. And here is the top 150 table in an exportable, able-to-be-copied Google sheet if you like. 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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2023 Saves+Holds Rankings - Mixed Leagues

Be sure to also bookmark our main 2023 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's loaded up with tons of other great rankings including roto mixed leagues, H2H points leagues, AL/NL only leagues, prospect rankings and more.

Rankings as of March 17th

Rank	Tier	Player	Team	Lg	Team Rank
1	1	Emmanuel Clase	CLE	AL	1
2	1	Raisel Iglesias	ATL	NL	1
3	1	Devin Williams	MIL	NL	1
4	1	Andres Munoz	SEA	AL	2
5	1	Jhoan Duran	MIN	AL	2
6	2	Felix Bautista	BAL	AL	1
7	2	Jordan Romano	TOR	AL	1
8	2	Clay Holmes	NYY	AL	1
9	2	Ryan Helsley	STL	NL	1
10	2	Josh Hader	SD	NL	1
11	3	Pete Fairbanks	TB	AL	1
12	3	Jason Adam	TB	AL	2
13	3	Ryan Pressly	HOU	AL	1
14	3	Paul Sewald	SEA	AL	1
15	3	A.J. Minter	ATL	NL	2
16	3	Kenley Jansen	BOS	AL	1
17	3	Evan Phillips	LAD	NL	2
18	3	Camilo Doval	SF	NL	1
19	3	Alexis Diaz	CIN	NL	1
20	3	David Robertson	NYM	NL	1
21	3	Scott Barlow	KC	AL	1
22	3	David Bednar	PIT	NL	1
23	3	Seranthony Dominguez	PHI	NL	1
24	4	Alex Lange	DET	AL	1
25	4	Daniel Bard	COL	NL	1
26	4	Rafael Montero	HOU	AL	2
27	4	Trevor May	OAK	AL	1
28	4	Jose Leclerc	TEX	AL	1
29	4	Daniel Hudson	LAD	NL	1
30	4	Giovanny Gallegos	STL	NL	2
31	4	Jorge Lopez	MIN	AL	1
32	4	Carlos Estevez	LAA	AL	1
33	4	Jose Alvarado	PHI	NL	2
34	4	Joe Jimenez	ATL	NL	3
35	4	Taylor Rogers	SF	NL	2
36	4	Michael King	NYY	AL	3
37	4	James Karinchak	CLE	AL	2
38	5	Erik Swanson	TOR	AL	2
39	5	Adam Ottavino	NYM	NL	2
40	5	Reynaldo Lopez	CWS	AL	3
41	5	Trevor Stephan	CLE	AL	3
42	5	Dylan Floro	MIA	NL	1
43	5	Jimmy Herget	LAA	AL	2
44	5	John Schreiber	BOS	AL	2
45	5	Matt Bush	MIL	NL	2
46	5	Jonathan Loaisiga	NYY	AL	2
47	5	Kendall Graveman	CWS	AL	2
48	5	Bryan Abreu	HOU	AL	3
49	5	Chris Martin	BOS	AL	3
50	5	Craig Kimbrel	PHI	NL	3
51	5	Hector Neris	HOU	AL	4
52	6	Brad Boxberger	CHC	NL	3
53	6	Andrew Chafin	ARI	NL	1
54	6	A.J. Puk	MIA	NL	2
55	6	Luis Garcia (RP)	SD	NL	3
56	6	Cionel Perez	BAL	AL	3
57	6	Alex Vesia	LAD	NL	3
58	6	Brooks Raley	NYM	NL	3
59	6	Joe Mantiply	ARI	NL	2
60	6	Tommy Kahnle	NYY	AL	4
61	6	Kyle Finnegan	WAS	NL	1
62	6	Wandy Peralta	NYY	AL	5
63	6	Brandon Hughes	CHC	NL	1
64	6	Michael Fulmer	CHC	NL	2
65	6	Griffin Jax	MIN	AL	3
66	6	Aaron Bummer	CWS	AL	4
67	7	Garrett Cleavinger	TB	AL	4
68	7	Dany Jimenez	OAK	AL	2
69	7	Zach Jackson	OAK	AL	3
70	7	Ryan Tepera	LAA	AL	3
71	7	Jordan Hicks	STL	NL	4
72	7	Jonathan Hernandez	TEX	AL	2
73	7	Matt Moore	LAA	AL	4
74	7	Domingo Acevedo	OAK	AL	4
75	7	Brusdar Graterol	LAD	NL	4
76	7	Matt Brash	SEA	AL	4
77	7	Dylan Coleman	KC	AL	2
78	7	Collin McHugh	ATL	NL	4
79	7	Robert Suarez	SD	NL	2
80	7	Caleb Thielbar	MIN	AL	4
81	7	Matt Barnes	MIA	NL	3
82	7	Kevin Ginkel	ARI	NL	3
83	7	Tanner Scott	MIA	NL	4
84	7	Adbert Alzolay	CHC	NL	4
85	8	Robert Stephenson	PIT	NL	2
86	8	Jason Foley	DET	AL	2
87	8	Gregory Soto	PHI	NL	4
88	8	Diego Castillo (RP)	SEA	AL	3
89	8	Carl Edwards Jr.	WAS	NL	2
90	8	Jalen Beeks	TB	AL	3
91	8	Lucas Sims	CIN	NL	2
92	8	Andre Pallante	STL	NL	3
93	8	Brock Burke	TEX	AL	3
94	8	Yency Almonte	LAD	NL	5
95	8	Peter Strzelecki	MIL	NL	3
96	8	Jorge Alcala	MIN	AL	5
97	8	Ryne Stanek	HOU	AL	5
98	8	Yimi Garcia	TOR	AL	3
99	8	Adam Cimber	TOR	AL	4
100	8	Colin Poche	TB	AL	6
101	8	Aroldis Chapman	KC	AL	3
102	8	Drew Pomeranz	SD	NL	4
103	8	Hoby Milner	MIL	NL	4
104	9	Dillon Tate	BAL	AL	2
105	9	John Brebbia	SF	NL	3
106	9	Shawn Armstrong	TB	AL	5
107	9	Bryan Baker	BAL	AL	5
108	9	Sam Hentges	CLE	AL	4
109	9	Joe Barlow	TEX	AL	4
110	9	Lucas Luetge	ATL	NL	5
111	9	Ron Marinaccio	NYY	AL	7
112	9	Anthony Bass	TOR	AL	5
113	9	Joe Kelly	CWS	AL	5
114	10	Drew Smith	NYM	NL	4
115	10	Lou Trivino	NYY	AL	6
116	10	Wil Crowe	PIT	NL	3
117	10	Kirby Yates	ATL	NL	6
118	10	Scott McGough	ARI	NL	6
119	10	Mychal Givens	BAL	AL	4
120	10	Hunter Harvey	WAS	NL	3
121	10	Aaron Loup	LAA	AL	5
122	10	Miguel Castro	ARI	NL	4
123	10	Sam Moll	OAK	AL	5
124	10	Andrew Bellatti	PHI	NL	5
125	10	Penn Murfee	SEA	AL	5
126	10	Pierce Johnson	COL	NL	2
127	10	Joely Rodriguez	BOS	AL	5
128	10	Dinelson Lamet	COL	NL	3
129	10	Taylor Clarke	KC	AL	4
130	10	Tyler Rogers	SF	NL	4
131	10	Steven Wilson	SD	NL	5
132	10	Caleb Ferguson	LAD	NL	6
133	10	Jeremiah Estrada	CHC	NL	7
134	10	Tim Hill	SD	NL	6
135	10	Rowan Wick	CHC	NL	5
136	10	Phil Maton	HOU	AL	6
137	10	Genesis Cabrera	STL	NL	5
138	10	Tim Mayza	TOR	AL	6
139	10	Trevor Gott	SEA	AL	6
140	10	Julian Merryweather	CHC	NL	6
141	10	Matt Strahm	PHI	NL	6
142	10	Eli Morgan	CLE	AL	6
143	10	Connor Brogdon	PHI	NL	7
144	10	Emilio Pagan	MIN	AL	6
145	10	JT Chargois	MIA	NL	5
146	10	Steven Okert	MIA	NL	6
147	10	Will Vest	DET	AL	3
148	10	Nick Sandlin	CLE	AL	5
149	10	Jimmy Nelson	LAD	NL	7
150	10	Amir Garrett	KC	AL	5

Saves+Holds Rankings Analysis

While closers aren't everything with holds in the mix, they are still a more reliable source of end-game usage. In 2022, we had 10 relievers notch 30 or more saves while only one man eclipsed 30 holds. But this is a top-heavy resource, because only one save comes per game while multiple holds are possible. Only 18 relievers had 20 or more saves and 35 notched double-digits. There were 21 RPs with 20-plus holds, 53 with 15 or more, and 91 with at least 10. With all of this in mind, let's dig into some names!

-Edwin O. Diaz was the No. 1 option but is now out for the season. It's a crushing blow and we wish him the best in his recovery. It's terrible for the Mets and for those who drafted him already as an anchor. This format means you don't need to worry as much about choosing between David Robertson and Adam Ottavino and just target them both. I'd favor DRob. Brooks Raley moves up the chain as well.

-Andres Munoz and Jhoan Duran are the two most obvious risers in the Save+Hold format, but we still have to shout them out! Both of them boasted sub-1.00 WHIPs with highlight-reel pitches, but Munoz has the strikeout edge. In fact, the Mariner’s 38.7% strikeout rate ranked fourth among 152 qualified RPs, trailing only Diaz (50.2%), Devin Williams (40%), and Ryan Helsley (39.3%). Duran was “only” at 33.5%, and both had respectable 6% walk rates. Invest!

-Felix Bautista takes a slight ding due to beginning the season with some knee rehab question marks. For now, he seems alright, but you can’t sit there and click draft with 100% confidence.

-Pete Fairbanks is very relevant to the injury-risk conversation. The 29-year-old has only pitched 114 ⅓ IP over four MLB seasons, typically flashing incredible strikeout upside alongside high walks. He had a right rotator cuff injury early in the ‘21 season and then missed most of August with a right shoulder injury. Then he missed over three months in ‘22 with a hurt right lat muscle. He quietly left the brief Tampa postseason with finger numbness as well.

But we (generally) try not to be mystics when it comes to predicting injuries. And Fairbanks is worth considerable risk after 2022 when his usual 10-12% walk rate fell to 3.4%. His 0.86 FIP in 24 innings was the best in the majors (min. 20 IP), besting Diaz by a slim margin. If we get anywhere near a full season of in-control Fairbanks then we have a top-3 reliever. Jason Adam shouldn’t go far behind.

-A.J. Minter (and Joe Jimenez) benefit from playing for Atlanta, who generated 169 Sold opportunities in ‘22. That’s 14 more than anyone else. Expand that to the last two seasons and their lead grows to 29. Minter is in the top-15 conversation and I wouldn’t begrudge anyone for slotting him into their top 10. Most haven’t fully internalized Jimenez as a Brave, but he’s likely the seventh-inning bridge to Minter. Enjoy!

-Michael King is buried in most ADP and/or rank columns due to his recovery from an elbow fracture suffered in late July. The Yanks had been using him for multi-inning, high-leverage spots, especially with Aroldis Chapman struggling.

He wound up with a 66/16 K/BB ratio over 51 frames, posting a 2.29 ERA (2.23 FIP) with 16 holds and a save. I’d expect a healthy avenue to 25-30+ Solds with excellent ratios, a stellar K/9, and a good chance at wins given the close spots he’s entrusted with.

-James Karinchak missed around the first three months of the 2022 campaign due to a shoulder strain but made up for lost time with volume. From July 4 on, Karinchak appeared in 38 games (Emmanuel Clase led with 41) and led all relievers with 62 strikeouts in that window. He also surrendered just two home runs, posting a 0.46 HR/9 after 2021’s frightful 1.46 mark. His teammate Trevor Stephan should not be far behind on Sold draft boards.

-Erik Swanson is another surging player in this format after being dealt to Toronto for eighth-inning duties. The right-hander didn’t get going as a starter but served Seattle well out of the ‘pen over the last two seasons. He truly hit another gear in ‘22, posting a 1.84 FIP that trailed only Diaz out of 152 qualified relievers. And that came with a top-12 strikeout rate as well. Don’t pigeonhole the 29-year-old either, as he held both left- and right-handed hitters down with a slugging percentage under .300 in ‘22.

-Bryan Abreu may not get as much love in the lobby after logging 10 Solds compared to 37 for Rafael Montero and 28 for Hector Neris, but don’t overlook him. He found another 1.6 mph on his four-seamer and threw more sliders in ‘22, leading to a top-10 finish in K% among qualified RPs.

The 25-year-old only allowed five barrels all year and tossed 11 ⅓ IP of scoreless ball with a 19/4 K/BB in the postseason. He’s a force even if stuck at fourth on the totem pole, but an injury or two could vault him toward the top.

-Garrett Cleavinger may not be a Swanson-level southpaw but he stepped up for Tampa Bay down the stretch. His quiet 18 ⅔ IP in the final month-plus of the season yielded a 2.41 ERA (1.77 FIP!) and 25/4 K/BB with just one home run allowed. He also struck out 6-of-8 batters faced in the playoffs, despite facing a Cleveland squad known for working counts.

Is a strong six-week run enough to vault him over Colin Poche as the go-to southpaw? Poche had four wins, seven saves, and 23 holds on the year despite a 1.69 HR/9 and a mediocre 17.1% K-BB rate. He hadn’t pitched since 2019 but consistently worked later in games that Tampa was winning. Will the roles flip in ‘23? I’d target Cleavinger first but don’t lose sight of Poche and Jalen Beeks.

**Other notable southpaws: Wandy Peralta (NYY), Alex Vesia (LAD), Aaron Bummer (CHW), Sam Hentges (CLE), Aroldis Chapman (KC), Caleb Thielbar (MIN), Matt Moore (LAA), Brock Burke (TEX), Hoby Milner (MIL), Taylor Rogers (SF)

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