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Fantasy baseball drafts are right around the corner, and it's never too early to start prepping for your league. In the early rounds, position players and starting pitchers get the most love because they have the most value in both points and roto leagues.
But relief pitchers are just as important in the middle to late rounds. If you're in a roto league, bullpen arms are key for saves, ERA, and WHIP. Even in points leagues, you'll need to fill out your roster with relief pitchers who can rack up saves on a nightly basis.
Here are the seven bullpen arms to target in fantasy baseball drafts this year. Some of these pitchers are going semi-early while others are going much later but provide extremely nice value. So, let's dive in and see who makes the list.
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Josh Hader, Houston Astros (Average ADP: 59.6)
Spending a high draft pick on a bullpen arm can always be tricky, especially when solid position players are still on the board. But Houston Astros closer Josh Hader is someone to target early in drafts. His average ADP is early at 59.6. So if you want the five-time All-Star, you will have to spend up, which is something I am willing to do in a roto league -- when saves and ERA are premium for pitchers.
Not only did Hader have a bounce-back year on the mound with a 1.28 ERA and 33 saves, but he also joined an Astros team this offseason that will feature plenty of save opportunities. Houston has won at least 95 games in five of the past six seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 season. As for the three-time Hoffman Award winner, he has totaled over 32 saves in four straight full seasons and has 152 saves since 2019, most in the MLB.
Hader will see plenty of chances to close out games for the Astros this year, and that's why he is someone to target early in drafts. His ADP might be a bit too early in points leagues, where players like Nico Hoerner, Kyle Schwarber, and Paul Goldschmidt are likely still on the board. However, his ADP on ESPN is 80, which could be a strong spot for him in points formats.
Edwin Diaz, New York Mets (Average ADP: 65.4)
If you miss out on Hader or want to double up on top closers, targeting New York Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz could be a strong selection. Diaz missed the entire 2023 season with a right knee injury, so the right hander might be coming into the year slightly undervalued. But he's a player that will contribute in several categories at a high rate.
The last time we saw Diaz in 2022, he was coming off his best campaign. He finished with a 1.31 ERA, 118 strikeouts, and 32 saves across 62 innings pitched. The flame-throwing 29-year-old also only gave up nine runs the entire year to go with an absurd 17.1 K/9. That helped him finish ninth in the American League Cy Young voting.
Taking Diaz at a premium will sacrifice other positions, but he can contribute in several different areas, including saves, ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts. The right hander has a career 14.8 K/9 and has totaled over 95 strikeouts in three of the past four full seasons. He is also fully healthy coming into 2024, so there should be no concern about his availability to close out games for the Mets on a nightly basis.
Jordan Romano, Toronto Blue Jays (Average ADP: 87.8)
When looking for bullpen arms to fill your roster, taking closers who play for good teams could be a solid recipe for success. There will surely be more opportunities for them to earn saves. A relief pitcher like Jordan Romano of the Toronto Blue Jays perfectly fits that bill.
The Blue Jays have won at least 89 games in three straight seasons, which has boosted Romano's fantasy value in all formats. The 30-year-old right hander has 95 saves over those past three years, including 36 saves each in of the last two seasons. During that span, he has been a consistent bullpen arm in Toronto. Since 2021, he has a 2.37 ERA with 230 strikeouts and a 1.091 WHIP across 186 IP. The veteran has also been selected to the All-Star game in back-to-back years.
Romano had a down year in 2023 -- compared to his 2021 and 2022 seasons. But he still had a respectable 2.90 ERA with 36 saves and 72 strikeouts across 59 IP last season. A better ERA should be in store in 2024, as opposing hitters are only hitting .199 against him over his career. The Toronto native plays for a team that should be competitive this year, which should lead to plenty of save chances.
Clay Holmes, New York Yankees (Average ADP: 136.8)
New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes was a nice late-round option in fantasy drafts last year. He made an All-Star appearance in 2022 behind a 20-save, 2.54 ERA season. Despite an up-and-down year in 2023, he's a bullpen arm to target again in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.
It wasn't the perfect season for Holmes, who got off to a slow start in 2023. He had a 6.30 ERA and two blown saves through his first 12 appearances out of the bullpen. As a result, the Yankees decided to make a switch early in May to momentarily relieve the right hander of his closer duties. He eventually got his job back and ended the year strong. In his last 13 appearances, he had a 0.69 ERA with eight saves.
That should give fantasy managers enough confidence to draft him in the later rounds. He won't put up the numbers like some of the closers who were featured earlier on this list. But he can produce 20-25 saves with an ERA under three. Over the past two years, Holmes has totaled 44 saves (24 last year) with a 2.70 ERA and 136 strikeouts. He will be the Yankees closer in 2024, and that should be enough to make him a nice selection in the double-digit rounds.
Craig Kimbrel, Baltimore Orioles (Average ADP: 149.0)
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel is one of my favorite sleepers in the later rounds. With Felix Bautista (elbow) likely out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery late last season, Kimbrel is set to take over the Orioles' closer role in 2024. That is huge for a team that will be one of the best in the AL this year.
Bautista has been a workhorse for Baltimore's bullpen over the past two years, which included 126.2 IP during that span. Just last year, he totaled 33 saves. With him out of the picture, Kimbrel should be in a great spot to overtake most of that work for the Orioles this season.
Kimbrel was solid for the Phillies last year and finished with a 3.26 ERA, 23 saves, and 94 strikeouts across 69 innings. Despite entering his 15th MLB season, the veteran has shown no signs of slowing down. His 71 games pitched in 2023 were the second most of his career. The workload will be there for him in Baltimore, and that should help his production on an Orioles team that just won 101 games.
Kenley Jansen, Boston Red Sox (Average ADP: 157.8)
Another veteran and AL East closer makes the list in Kenley Jansen of the Boston Red Sox. Jansen dealt with some injuries toward the end of the season, but it was still a somewhat successful 2023 season for the four-time All-Star. He had a 3.63 ERA with 29 saves across 44.2 IP.
Jansen's ERA has taken a hit in recent years, which doesn't make him as appealing as some of the other options on this list. He has finished with over a 3.30 ERA in four of the past five seasons. But the saves will always be there for the 36-year-old -- even on a Red Sox team that might not be the best in 2024.
Jansen has the second-most saves since 2019 (151) and was on pace to finish with over 32 saves in 2023. However, the Red Sox shut him down at the end of the season. If the veteran can stay healthy this year, he'll be a reliable fantasy option later in your draft because he's someone who can provide solid saves and strikeout numbers.
Adbert Alzolay, Chicago Cubs (Average ADP: 165.2)
The last bullpen arm to target in fantasy drafts this season is Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adbert Alzolay. Alzolay was once a starter for the Cubs, but after missing almost the entire 2022 season, Chicago decided to stick him in the bullpen. The right hander eventually earned the closing duty and did a fantastic job in that role last year.
Alzolay finished the 2023 season with a 2.67 ERA, 22 saves, 67 strikeouts, and 13 walks across 64 IP. The right hander dealt with some injuries toward the end of the year, which limited his end-of-season production, especially in the fantasy playoffs. However, he should be in line to be the Cubs closer once again in 2024.
Chicago hasn't added another closer this offseason, so Alzolay is certainly the favorite to regain that role this upcoming season. The 28-year-old also had a 1.016 WHIP last season, which should certainly help in roto leagues. With the Cubs pitcher entering his second season as the closer, he should be more familiar in that role in 2024. He is going so late in fantasy drafts this year that he is surely worth a shot after a solid 2023 season.
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