RADIO
With another interesting week of baseball behind us, things are really starting to take shape for the 2024 baseball season. Hot starts are cooling off, season-opening slumps are recovering, and roles are getting more and more defined. Not a lot of major changes this week in the bullpens across the league, but a few minor things that could become major ones soon are worth looking at.
A save was recorded by a guy who was a closer last year but has been a starter this year. A committee has developed in a bullpen with two of the better relievers in the league, and another committee might be a four-headed monster as opposed to the more traditional two or three. We'll take a look at that save, those committees, and maybe some monsters, so read on!
Be sure to also keep an eye on our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts for saves, holds, and bullpens. They will be updated daily or sometimes even more often throughout the 2024 baseball season.
Sunday Quick Hit Closer Updates
-Edwin Diaz continues to struggle, allowing four runs on Friday, raising his ERA to 3.57. His xERA is still 2.30 though, so better days may be ahead.
-Bryan Abreu got off to a rough start this season, but he's been a whole lot better lately and leads baseball in saves + holds over the past 14 days with five.
-Jeremiah Estrada of the Padres got a save after Robert Suarez worked in a fireman/highest-leverage role by facing the heart of the opponent's lineup in the eight inning. Suarez is still the closer in San Diego, but we may see a leverage role situation like the one in Minnesota.
-Alexis Diaz is still having a hard time, while Lucas Sims has been excellent. Diaz is still the Reds closer, but if a change were to come, Sims would likely be next man up.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups for Saves
A.J. Puk, Miami Marlins (Rostered in 10% of leagues)
The Miami Marlins saves leader from last season was A.J. Puk. He had a few slumps but overall a strong season, posting 15 saves and a 3.97 ERA to go with a 78:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. For some reason, the Marlins decided to convert Puk into a starter this season.
Here's how that went: in 13 2/3 innings across four starts, Puk allowed 17 runs (14 earned) and walked 17 while striking out just 12. He was arguably the worst starter in baseball. After an IL stint, he returned as a reliever and looks solid once again. He earned his first save of the season this week, pitching a scoreless 10th inning after Tanner Scott had pitched a scoreless ninth in what was a tie game at that point.
Puk won't replace Scott as the closer while they're both on the team, but Scott is an impending free agent and the only thing the Marlins are competing for this season is the first overall pick in next year's draft. Scott is one of the more certain players to be traded before the deadline, and while Puk could go as well, it seems more likely that he will stick in Miami and could see the closer's role become his.
There are other guys in Miami who could fill the role as well (Anthony Bender, Anthony Maldonado, Andrew Nardi), but at least based on very recent usage, Puk seems more likely. He's currently only rostered in 10% of leagues, so managers looking ahead might want to place a claim.
A. J. Puk, Wicked Sweepers. 🧹🧹 pic.twitter.com/bIMS23eUVK
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 19, 2023
Hector Neris, Chicago Cubs (Rostered in 67% of leagues)
Hector Neris still hasn't been that good (6.36 xERA, 5.24 FIP, 16 walks, and 13 strikeouts), but somehow, he keeps getting away with it. He has three wins, six saves, three holds, and only one blown save to go with a 3.00 ERA. We keep expecting the Neris regression to come, but it just hasn't.
In the meantime, he has solidified his role as the Cubs closer, stopping any discussion of a committee in Chicago and taking the role for himself. He remains a risky fantasy choice, but as the confirmed closer of a team that should win often, he definitely has some value. He's available on the waiver wire in about one-third of leagues right now, and there are managers who could for sure use an extra save or two each week.
Comparing actual ERA, xERA, and FIP for Hector Neris: pic.twitter.com/gHX3M2oQVs
— David A Marcillo (@DavidMarcillo77) May 16, 2024
Michael Kopech, Chicago White Sox (Rostered in 30% of leagues)
Look, we get it: the White Sox are pretty bad this year. But Michael Kopech? Pretty good. He has five saves to go with a 3.32 ERA and a strong 31.5% K%. The walks are slightly concerning (15.2% BB%), but he has the White Sox closer role locked down and has the swing-and-miss stuff to get around most baserunners he allows on base. (Kopech's fastball is one of the best in baseball.)
He won't be a league-winner just based on the lack of opportunities for save chances, but he should be a solid source of strikeouts and will certainly pop in to contribute the occasional save. There's also the chance that a trade to a contender skyrockets his fantasy value if he ends up in a closer role. He's worth rostering in most deeper formats and is available on the wire in 70% of leagues right now.
Michael Kopech's Four-Seam Fastball was the Highest Grading tjStuff+ Pitch from yesterday pic.twitter.com/8ftIaX0qeI
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) May 9, 2024
More Bullpen and Closer News
Arizona Diamondbacks
Paul Sewald is fully back. He's made four appearances out of the Arizona bullpen and earned two saves, allowing a run in his first outing and nothing since. Kevin Ginkel did an admirable job in the closer's role while Sewald was on the injured list, but he'll be working in his usual setup role in front of Sewald now. Both are worth rostering in save + hold leagues, but Sewald will be the only valuable fantasy asset out of the Diamondbacks bullpen in saves-only leagues.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins bullpen has two of the best high-leverage arms in the league in Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. Duran's return from the injured list made people think Jax would slide back into a pure setup role, but it seems more like Duran will be working in a fireman role where he will get the highest-leverage work in the late innings, which might not always be a statistical save situation. Duran is still by far the most fantasy-valuable member of the Twins bullpen, but Jax should retain some more value than we might have first expected. Guys like Caleb Thielbar and Steven Okert could pop in for a save now and then as well.
Short Relief - Other Bullpen News
-Edwin Diaz has blown three saves in his past four appearances. His overall numbers are still more than solid (2.16 xERA, 37.3% K%), but his home run rate has skyrocketed (2.04 HR/9 compared to a career 1.02). He should be fine after this rough patch, but it's been strange to watch one of baseball's best struggle.
-Kyle Finnegan and Ryan Helsley still lead the league in saves, tied for 13 each. Clay Holmes, Emmanuel Clase, and Robert Suarez are all one behind with 12.
-Some impressively low reliever ERAs as we start the second half of May: Clase is at 0.42, Suarez at 0.49, and Holmes is still at 0.00 after 18 1/3 innings.
-Hunter Harvey remains in the lead for holds with 14, but he's joined by JoJo Romero, who has 14 of his own. Andrew Kittredge is in second with 12, giving the Cardinals, who have the third-fewest wins in the National League, two of the three pitchers with the most holds.
-Strikeout leaders among relief pitchers: Mason Miller (38 in 18 1/3 innings), Reed Garrett (37 in 22 2/3), and Fernando Cruz (34 in 18).
-If rate stats are more your thing, K% leaders among relievers: Mason Miller (56.7%), Fernando Cruz (44.7%), and Matt Strahm (44.3%).
-Mason Miller (-0.22) is the only pitcher with at least five innings pitched who has a negative value for their FIP. Matt Strahm (0.05) is pretty close, too. They've both been phenomenal this season, with Miller throwing maybe the best pitch I've ever seen earlier this week (the third strike in this at-bat).
Mason Miller Destroying Altuve. pic.twitter.com/X0DxZCCDYY
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 15, 2024
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