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With the MLB All-Star break approaching, this is a good chance to assess our fantasy baseball rosters and see where there is room to improve before the second half of the season starts.
With one of the best closers in baseball, Devin Williams (back), still on the 60-day injured list, new names had the opportunity to emerge as top-10 fantasy closers.
As a result, several relief pitchers that were often seen as late-round targets or even early-season waiver-wire adds have emerged as valuable fantasy assets. However, how many of those will remain relevant in the second half of the summer?
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Current Top-10 Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Here are the top-10 most-valuable relief pitchers in 5x5 roto leagues right now, according to Yahoo's player rankings.
| Player | SV | K | ERA | WHIP |
| Emmanuel Clase | 28 | 39 | 0.83 | 0.67 |
| Craig Kimbrel | 23 | 52 | 2.10 | 0.90 |
| Ryan Helsley | 31 | 47 | 2.41 | 1.17 |
| Robert Suarez | 22 | 33 | 1.77 | 0.86 |
| Kyle Finnegan | 23 | 39 | 2.17 | 0.96 |
| Tanner Scott | 13 | 42 | 1.42 | 1.07 |
| Kirby Yates | 14 | 45 | 0.84 | 0.86 |
| Raisel Iglesias | 21 | 30 | 2.08 | 0.80 |
| Mason Miller | 14 | 66 | 2.39 | 0.85 |
| Kenley Jansen | 18 | 35 | 2.01 | 1.05 |
Emmanuel Clase has been nothing short of incredible this season. He sits with a 3.1% walk rate, 4.4% barrel rate, and 31.6% hard-hit rate, which are some of the best marks in the sport, but put him in a group of his own. In addition, the Guardians have their sights set on competing for the AL Central title and he should be given ample opportunities to earn a save on a weekly basis.
Emmanuel Clase, Vicious 93mph Slider. 😤 pic.twitter.com/zdy4VUMjF3
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 23, 2024
Kyle Finnegan is on pace to smash his previous season-high save count of 28. The 32-year-old was viewed as a late-round desperation option for saves on draft day but has proven many people wrong. The Nationals are continuing to stay in the Wild Card conversation, which only helps Finnegan's save opportunities. Although, if the Nationals happen to go on a slump, he could be sent to a contending team and that will only bolster his fantasy value even more.
Projected Top-10 Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
A lot can and will change between now and October. Here's how I think the top 10 will shake out by the season's end, barring any unforeseen injuries.
- Emmanuel Clase
- Edwin Diaz
- Ryan Helsley
- Raisel Iglesias
- Craig Kimbrel
- Andres Munoz
- Devin Williams
- Josh Hader
- Robert Suarez
- Paul Sewald
This was a difficult list to project as there could be several options that could finish in the top 10. A lot of this depends on trade candidates. As mentioned before, Kyle Finnegan could be a popular name at the trade deadline and so will Miami's Tanner Scott. The Dodgers and Phillies could look to add a surefire ninth-inning option or a team like Atlanta or Baltimore may want to add an elite setup man. This could greatly affect save opportunities.
Edwin Diaz has been a disappointment this season. After missing several weeks due to a shoulder injury and recently returning from a 10-game suspension, many fantasy owners have begun to lose hope on the 30-year-old. However, in his last six appearances, he has tallied four saves and held a 0.71 WHIP without allowing an earned run. With how well the Mets have been playing as of late, Diaz could be one of the best "buy-low" options in fantasy baseball right now.
Andres Munoz has been statistically one of the best pitchers this season with a sparkling 1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Unfortunately, he has only tallied 14 saves in the 36 innings he has logged. This is a bit unlucky as he has been deployed in the eighth inning quite often to get Seattle out of a jam. I would be more than happy to buy Munoz if a league mate does not view him as a top-of-the-line closer.
Andrés Muñoz past 14 games:
16 IP
1 ER
2 BB
21 K pic.twitter.com/KeBRQcb3o3— Gary Hill Jr. (@GaryHillJr) May 28, 2024
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