In this week’s Saves and Steals, Ryan Helsley became the first closer to 20 saves, Yimi García appears poised to step in as the Blue Jays closer, and Evan Phillips locked down his first save since returning from the injured list. In the speed department, Corey Julks could make for an intriguing power/speed add in deep leagues with a chance to hit atop the White Sox lineup.
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Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Emmanuel Clase – Cleveland Guardians
Mason Miller – Oakland A’s
Ryan Helsley – St. Louis Cardinals
Just more dominance from Clase this week. With two more saves this week, he’s now gone 24 consecutive appearances without allowing a run. He’s up to 19 saves with a 0.30 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, and a 31/3 K/BB ratio across 30 1/3 innings.
Miller made a two-inning appearance against the Rays last Thursday. Protecting a one-run lead, he gave up a solo homer to Jose Siri and was charged with his first blown save. He gave up another solo homer on Wednesday against the Mariners but held on for his 12th save. And Helsley joins the top tier after picking up his 20th save on Wednesday against the Astros, becoming the first reliever this season to reach the 20-save mark.
Tier 2: The Elite
Clay Holmes – New York Yankees
Josh Hader – Houston Astros
Robert Suarez – San Diego Padres
Andrés Muñoz – Seattle Mariners
Jhoan Duran – Minnesota Twins
Holmes made a pair of scoreless appearances this week, picking up his 17th save against the Giants on Sunday. He’s having a stellar season, posting a 1.37 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a 27/8 K/BB ratio across 26 1/3 innings.
Hader’s save total keeps climbing as he puts his early-season struggles behind him. He recorded two saves this week, giving him nine on the season with a 3.54 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts across 28 innings. With Hader unavailable Tuesday after making three appearances in five days, Ryan Pressly stepped in for his first save.
Suarez added to his save total, converting his 17th against the Royals on Friday. He’s allowed just two runs all season across 26 innings. Muñoz also recorded one save this week, his 12th. After some mixing and matching in the late innings, he’s now pitched the ninth in each of his last eight outings. Muñoz has been dealing with a back issue that could sideline him. The team has yet to make a roster move as of Wednesday evening. If he’s forced to miss time, Tayler Saucedo and Ryne Stanek should step in for saves. Duran has also settled into the ninth inning. He’s converted a save in each of his last seven appearances. He recorded two more this week for ten on the season.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Kirby Yates – Texas Rangers
Craig Kimbrel – Baltimore Orioles
Paul Sewald – Arizona Diamondbacks
Evan Phillips – Los Angeles Dodgers
Raisel Iglesias – Atlanta Braves
Camilo Doval – San Francisco Giants
Pete Fairbanks – Tampa Bay Rays
Kenley Jansen – Boston Red Sox
Kyle Finnegan – Washington Nationals
The Rangers just haven’t been in a position to give Yates many save chances over the last several weeks. He has just three saves over the last month. Still, he’s posted an excellent 0.84 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts across 21 1/3 innings while converting eight saves this season.
Kimbrel struck out two batters in a clean inning against the Rays on Friday for his 13th save. He’s been outstanding, with no hits or walks allowed over his last eight appearances. Sewald has also been solid since giving up one run in his return from the injured list. He’s gone nine consecutive scoreless appearances while picking up six saves.
Phillips was activated from the injured list last week. He stepped right back into the closer role, picking up his ninth save with a clean outing against the Rockies on Saturday. In Atlanta, Iglesias converted two saves against the A’s over the weekend, giving him 15. Meanwhile, Doval had a forgettable outing against the Yankees, giving up four runs and blowing the save chance on Sunday.
Fairbanks locked down three saves this week for his eighth of the season. After some early control issues, he’s now walked just two batters over his last 12 outings.
No saves for Jansen this week. He remains at nine with a 2.89 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings. For the Nationals, Finnegan converted two saves this week before giving up a run in a non-save situation on Tuesday.
Tier 4: There’s Upside Here
Jose Alvarado/Jeff Hoffman – Philadelphia Phillies
David Bednar – Pittsburgh Pirates
Yimi García – Toronto Blue Jays
Trevor Megill – Milwaukee Brewers
Jason Foley – Detroit Tigers
James McArthur – Kansas City Royals
Alexis Díaz – Cincinnati Reds
Tanner Scott – Miami Marlins
Alvarado and Hoffman continue to work in tandem for the ninth inning in Philadelphia. Alvarado converted two saves this week to one for Hoffman, giving them 11 and five, respectively.
Bednar made a pair of scoreless appearances, tossing a clean inning against the Dodgers on Tuesday for his 12th save. In Toronto, Jordan Romano landed back on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. It’s the same injury that sidelined him this spring and kept him out until mid-April. There’s no timeline for his return, but given the reoccurrence, we could see him sidelined for a while. García stepped in for the first save following Romano’s injury and could be in line to take the primary share of save chances. He’s had an incredible year, posting a 1.50 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and a 31/7 K/BB ratio across 24 innings. García also makes for an interesting trade chip at the deadline should the last-place Blue Jays continue to fall out of contention in the AL East.
Megill had been out a few days with a bruised elbow but made his return this week with a pair of scoreless appearances. He remains the frontrunner for saves until Devin Williams returns. Megill has converted eight saves with a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts across 16 innings.
Foley came on for the final out against the Rangers on Tuesday to pick up his 12th save. However, his recent usage suggests he may no longer be the set closer after appearing in the eighth inning in his previous four outings. He’s still the favorite to lead the team in saves, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more of a committee going forward. In Kansas City, McArthur blew his lone save chance this week, giving up four runs without recording an out against the Padres on Friday.
Díaz held on for the save after giving up a run against the Cubs on Friday. He followed that with a scoreless outing on Sunday for his 12th save. And Scott continues to pitch well after early-season concerns. He’s posted a 1.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 25/19 K/BB ratio across 24 innings.
Tier 5: Just Getting By
Carlos Estévez – Los Angeles Angels
Hector Neris – Chicago Cubs
Reed Garrett/Adam Ottavino – New York Mets
Estévez made two perfect appearances this week, picking up two saves for this tenth of the season. Neris also had a good week, adding two saves to give him eight and earning a win on Wednesday. Somehow, he’s posted a 2.74 ERA despite a 1.52 WHIP and a 20/17 K/BB ratio. In New York, both Garrett and Ottavino recorded a save this week as the team has gone to a committee with Edwin Díaz on the injured list nursing a shoulder injury.
Tier 6: If You Must
Michael Kopech – Chicago White Sox
Jalen Beeks – Colorado Rockies
Injured
Devin Williams – Back
Jordan Romano – Elbow
Edwin Díaz – Shoulder
Steals Department
Jesse Winker, one of last week’s recommendations, stole two more bases this week. He’s up to 11 steals while slashing .250/.363/.393 with six homes and 28 RBI over 234 plate appearances. The 30-year-old outfielder reportedly worked hard to lose weight over the offseason before signing with the Nationals. It’s likely a big reason he’s been able to stay healthy and thrive on the bases. Winker is still available in roughly 70 percent of Yahoo leagues. In Miami, Nick Gordon added a pair of steals. As part of a strong-side platoon in the outfield, he’s hit .235/.263/.386 with six homers, 21 RBI, and five steals over 160 plate appearances. Another widely available hitter, Corey Julks has been a solid contributor for the White Sox since the team acquired him from the Astros in May. He’s hitting .315/.393/.519 with two homers and two steals over 61 plate appearances. Julks hit leadoff in both games since Tommy Pham landed on the injured list with an ankle injury. The 28-year-old outfielder hit five homers with six steals over 31 games in Triple-A before joining the White Sox. While his current success at the plate might not last, he’s worth an add in deeper formats as a potential multi-category contributor.
