Late-Round Closer and Relief Pitcher (RP) Fantasy Baseball Draft Values and Targets In 2024

March 25, 2024

Analysis of five relief pitcher or closer fantasy baseball targets to draft in the late rounds. Potential 2024 fantasy baseball sleepers and undervalued RP or CL to target in drafts.

Welcome to our late-round closers and relievers article for 2024 fantasy baseball drafts! Late-round picks in fantasy baseball can often be the difference between a mediocre team and a championship contender. While it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of selecting big-name players early in the draft, finding those hidden gems in the later rounds is equally essential. As a fantasy manager, it's crucial to do your due diligence and research these overlooked players' statistics, injury history, and current team situation. While taking a chance on a player based on a hunch or a cool name may seem appealing, making informed decisions that increase your chances of success is the wiser strategy. With careful consideration and some luck, these late-round picks could be the key to unlocking your team's full potential.

Today, we're looking at some late-round relief pitcher/closer options for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority late-round draft target? Read on to see our take.

Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today to start reading all of our in-depth 2024 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more – available exclusively in our 2024 Draft Kit.

Jose Alvarado, Philadelphia Phillies

Following the offseason departure of Craig Kimbrel, Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado appears poised to serve as the team's primary closer in 2024. 2023, on the other hand, was a successful yet injury-riddled campaign for Alvarado, who was as effective as any reliever when healthy. In early May, the Phillies put the 28-year-old Venezuelan southpaw on the injured list due to inflammation in his left elbow before activating him a month later. A month after returning, Alvarado went back on the IL with the same issue and had to miss over another month of play to rectify the problem. When the flame-throwing Alvarado was on the mound, however, he delivered a career-best 1.74 ERA (2.41 FIP), 1.16 WHIP, 64:18 K:BB, and 10 saves across 41 1/3 frames.

Even though Alvarado didn't throw enough innings to qualify for most Statcast rankings, his top-tier 37.2% strikeout and 55.6% ground-ball rates also suggest he's fit for stopper duties. Although Philadelphia didn't have much bullpen competition this offseason, they have plenty of convincing in-house options for ninth-inning work, meaning Alvarado is only penciled in on the depth chart for the gig. Two-time All-Star Gregory Soto has closing experience, and the club may have visions of top prospect Orion Kerkering in the closing seat for the future after he held his own during the 2023 postseason. Until the dust settles around Philly's high-leverage assignments, which may ultimately end up being a closer-by-committee approach, Alvarado's fantasy ADP in the late-double-digit rounds comes at a potential discount as the squad's default fireman based on projections during the spring-training phase of the year.

-- Joseph Barbati - RotoBaller

Adbert Alzolay, Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Adbert Alzolay emerged as the team's closer last year and will enter 2024 as the top option for saves in Wrigleyville. On the season, he converted 22 saves on 25 chances, but that only tells part of the story, as Alzolay was part of a closer committee for the first half of the season. Down the stretch, Alzolay emerged as the best reliever in the Chicago bullpen, and 18 of his saves came after July 1. Beyond his impressive work in the saves department, Alzolay contributed an impressive 2.67 ERA and 1.02 WHIP and racked up 67 strikeouts across 64 innings. Relief pitchers can be difficult to predict as the sample sizes are typically small, but the 29-year-old Alzolay was excellent in his first full season as a reliever, and he certainly wouldn't be the first nor the last converted starter to thrive as a closer.

Underlying metrics such as his 13.4% swinging-strike rate and minuscule 5.1% walk rate imply Alzolay has the tools to hang onto the closer job all season. If that happens, he has a legitimate top-10 RP upside in fantasy. The primary risk is limited track record and the fact Chicago signed former Phillies closer Hector Neris, meaning new Cubs manager Craig Counsell has plenty of options to handle the ninth inning. Still, with an average draft position outside the top-150 overall picks and as the 22nd reliever off draft boards, Alzolay offers intriguing potential for fantasy.

-- Mike Schwarzenbach - RotoBaller

Alex Lange, Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers reliever Alex Lange endured a rollercoaster 2023 campaign. The right-hander came out of the gate scorching with a 1.42 ERA in April through May. He would then implode to the tune of an 11.57 ERA in June. July's figure came in at 2.70 before he slipped to a 4.50 ERA in August. He would finish strong with a 2.70 ERA in September. Add it up, and Lange worked to a 3.68 ERA alongside a strong 27.4% K% across 67 appearances in 2023, logging 26 saves in the process.

However, the 28-year-old also walked a whopping 15.6% of the batters he faced a season ago, dropping his K-BB% all the way to just 11.8%. His major control issues cost him the closer's job midway through the season. It's far from a sure thing he opens the season as the club's closer after the signings of relievers Andrew Chafin and Shelby Miller, not to mention the presence of Tyler Holton (2.11 ERA in 2023), Jason Foley (2.63), and Will Vest (2.98). Lange's 207 ADP is slightly above Rotoballer's 181 ranking, but his control and lack of job security are a cause of concern to pass on draft day. With that being said, Lange will open up as Detroit's closer, and as long as he can maintain that role in the bottom of the ninth, 20 saves shouldn't be out of reach for Lange.

-- Brenton Kemp - RotoBaller

Kyle Finnegan, Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan should return to the closer job in Washington but could be on a short leash this season. The 32-year-old righty posted seven wins, 28 saves, a 3.76 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. Finnegan's repertoire features a four-seam fastball that he throws a whopping 70% of the time and a splitter. The fastball is in the 93rd percentile for velocity at a 97.3 MPH average. His xERA was a full run higher in 2023 at 4.73, and his 92.2 MPH average exit velocity was in the bottom 1% of MLB. Finnegan has a low 21.9K%. 

Hunter Harvey is the better pitcher for the Washington Nationals, but Finnegan has the experience. One interesting development is that he is throwing a sweeper this spring. The ATC projections show 19 saves for Finnegan with a 4.06 ERA. He has a 236 NFBC ADP, which seems like a steep price for a mediocre closer who could quickly lose the job. For fantasy managers searching for late-round saves, Finnegan should be able to rack up double-digit saves even if he ends up splitting closing duties with Harvey later on in the season.

-- Mike Carter - RotoBaller

Yuki Matsui, San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres reliever Yuki Matsui is a 28-year-old relief pitcher signed from Rakuten in the Japan Central League. The lefty has 236 career saves in the JPPL and is now in the rebuilt San Diego bullpen. Last season, Matsui had a career-high 39 saves with a tidy 1.57 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 72 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings. Matsui features a good fastball, but his best pitch is a wicked splitter that generated a 56% whiff rate last year for Rakuten. The splitter is used mainly against right-handed hitters. He throws a slider to left-handed hitters that gets good results down and away.

Manager Mike Shildt might use veteran Robert Suarez to start the season as the closer but do not be surprised if Matsui wrestles the job from him at some point. With an NFBC ADP of 313, Matsui is a good place to speculate on saves. The ATC projections give him 12 saves and a helpful 3.54 ERA. This is a good value late in drafts.

-- Mike Carter - RotoBaller

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