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Mariano's Saves+Holds Rankings - Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitchers

To any reader who thinks they don't have a voice here at RotoBaller, let it be known that this article came from a simple Reddit comment about how those seeking Saves+Holds reliever ranks were often overlooked. Poof, and here we are. Allow me, Nick Mariano, 2018's most accurate draft expert and sharer of names with the best reliever of all-time, to supercharge your bullpen.

While the closer's role is important, some managers are moving their best arm into a flexible role while shuffling who gets the ninth. Saves+Holds leagues help fantasy leagues reward the best arms regardless of the inning, though it still favors closers in a vacuum. Alongside the short-season craziness with expanded rosters (mostly for bullpen arms), all pitchers must face a minimum of three batters per appearance or pitch to the end of the half-inning. While Rob Manfred has ID'd short RP appearances as a scourge, one-batter relief appearances reached a 13-year low in 2019 per SI's Tom Verducci. That same article says, "The proposed rule would eliminate one mid-inning pitching change every three or four games." Don't overreact.

Reminder: A hold is recorded when a relief pitcher enters with a lead of three runs or less, or with the tying run on-deck, at the plate, or on base, and maintains that lead while recording at least one out. Read on and you'll see where I rank each player, what tier they're in, and their "Team Rank" (spot in their team's bullpen hierarchy via me, but committees can muddy those).

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Updated Saves+Holds Relief Pitcher Ranks - Mixed Leagues

In case you missed it, our very own "Big Pick Nick" Mariano was named the #1 overall most accurate industry expert ranker for the 2018 season.

Rank Tier Player Team Team Rank
1 1 Josh Hader MIL 1
2 1 Kirby Yates SD 1
3 1 Nick Anderson TB 1
4 1 Roberto Osuna HOU 1
5 1 Ryan Pressly HOU 2
6 1 Taylor Rogers MIN 1
7 2 Liam Hendriks OAK 1
8 2 Brad Hand CLE 1
9 2 Ken Giles TOR 1
10 2 Kenley Jansen LAD 1
11 2 Emilio Pagan SD 2
12 2 Seth Lugo NYM 2
13 2 Aroldis Chapman NYY 1
14 3 Edwin Diaz NYM 1
15 3 Craig Kimbrel CHC 1
16 3 Raisel Iglesias CIN 1
17 3 Hector Neris PHI 1
18 3 Adam Ottavino NYY 3
19 3 Brandon Workman BOS 1
20 3 Hansel Robles LAA 1
21 3 Tommy Kahnle NYY 4
22 3 Giovanny Gallegos STL 2
23 3 Jose Leclerc TEX 1
24 3 Matt Barnes BOS 2
25 3 Tyler Duffey MIN 4
26 3 Dellin Betances NYM 3
27 3 Zach Britton NYY 2
28 3 Sean Doolittle WAS 1
29 4 Will Harris WAS 3
30 4 Sergio Romo MIN 2
31 4 Archie Bradley ARI 1
32 4 Drew Pomeranz SD 4
33 4 Aaron Bummer CWS 2
34 4 Alex Colome CWS 1
35 4 Pedro Baez LAD 2
36 4 Ryan Helsley STL 1
37 4 Yusmeiro Petit OAK 2
38 4 Ty Buttrey LAA 2
39 4 Will Smith ATL 2
40 4 Keone Kela PIT 1
41 5 Austin Adams SEA 1
42 5 Mark Melancon ATL 1
43 5 James Karinchak CLE 3
44 5 Ian Kennedy KC 1
45 5 Diego Castillo TB 3
46 5 Michael Lorenzen CIN 2
47 5 Joe Jimenez DET 1
48 5 Rafael Montero TEX 2
49 5 Jose Alvarado TB 2
50 5 Andrew Miller STL 3
51 5 Scott Oberg COL 1
52 5 Trevor May MIN 3
53 5 Daniel Hudson WAS 2
54 6 Corey Knebel MIL 4
55 6 Colin Poche TB 5
56 6 Kevin Ginkel ARI 2
57 6 Amir Garrett CIN 3
58 6 Scott Barlow KC 3
59 6 Rowan Wick CHC 2
60 6 Nick Wittgren CLE 2
61 6 Bryan Abreu HOU 3
62 7 Robert Stephenson CIN 4
63 7 Luke Jackson ATL 4
64 7 Keynan Middleton LAA 3
65 7 Blake Treinen LAD 3
66 7 Mychal Givens BAL 1
67 7 Wade Davis COL 2
68 7 Joakim Soria OAK 3
69 7 John Gant STL 4
70 7 Adam Morgan PHI 3
71 7 Yoshihisa Hirano SEA 3
72 8 Chris Martin ATL 5
73 8 Oliver Drake TB 6
74 8 Nick Pivetta PHI 2
75 8 Craig Stammen SD 3
76 8 Andrew Chafin ARI 3
77 8 Chaz Roe TB 4
78 8 Hunter Harvey BAL 2
79 8 Tony Watson SF 1
80 8 Matt Magill SEA 2
81 8 Trevor Rosenthal KC 2
82 8 Brandon Kintzler MIA 1
83 8 Shane Greene ATL 3
84 8 Joe Kelly LAD 4
85 9 Tyler Rogers SF 2
86 9 Chad Green NYY 5
87 9 Tyler Clippard MIN 5
88 9 Oliver Perez CLE 5
89 9 Cam Bedrosian LAA 4
90 9 Marcus Walden BOS 4
91 9 Adam Kolarek LAD 5
92 10 Nick Burdi PIT 5
93 10 Tanner Rainey WAS 4
94 10 Trevor Gott SF 3
95 10 Freddy Peralta MIL 3
96 10 Richard Rodriguez PIT 2
97 10 Justin Wilson NYM 5
98 10 Darwinzon Hernandez BOS 5
99 10 Corbin Burnes MIL 5
100 10 Brett Martin TEX 3
101 10 Anthony Bass TOR 2
102 10 Trey Wingenter SD 5
103 10 Yimi Garcia MIA 2
104 10 Kyle Crick PIT 3
105 10 Brent Suter MIL 2
106 11 Ryne Stanek MIA 3
107 11 Wander Suero WAS 5
108 11 Jake Diekman OAK 4
109 11 Josh Taylor BOS 3
110 11 Jairo Diaz COL 3
111 11 Carlos Estevez COL 4
112 11 Matt Strahm SD 6
113 11 Pedro Strop CIN 5
114 12 Steve Cishek CWS 3
115 12 Justin Anderson LAA 5
116 12 Lou Trivino OAK 5
117 12 Buck Farmer DET 2
118 12 Heath Hembree BOS 6
119 12 Cody Allen TEX 6
120 12 Junior Guerra ARI 6
121 12 Junior Fernandez STL 5
122 12 Jeremy Jeffress CHC 4
123 12 Jesse Chavez TEX 4
124 12 Shawn Armstrong BAL 4
125 13 Richard Bleier BAL 3
126 13 Kyle Ryan CHC 3
127 13 Roenis Elias WAS 6
128 13 Jordan Hicks STL 6
129 13 Joe Smith HOU 4
130 13 Peter Fairbanks TB 8
131 13 Hector Rondon ARI 4
132 13 Clarke Schmidt NYY 6
133 13 Rafael Dolis TOR 4
134 13 Michael King NYY 7
135 13 Ryan Brasier BOS 7
136 13 Nick Goody TEX 5
137 13 Shun Yamaguchi TOR 3
138 13 Tim Hill KC 5
139 13 Jordan Romano TOR 6
140 14 Greg Holland KC 4
141 14 Erik Swanson SEA 4
142 14 Adam Cimber CLE 4
143 14 Jose Alvarez PHI 4
144 14 Evan Marshall CWS 4
145 14 Yoan Lopez ARI 5
146 14 Sam Gaviglio TOR 5
147 14 Chris Devenski HOU 5
148 14 Brad Brach NYM 4
149 14 Tommy Hunter PHI 5
150 14 Darren O'Day ATL 6
151 14 Miguel Castro BAL 5
152 14 Carl Edwards Jr. SEA 5
153 15 Jimmy Cordero CWS 7
154 15 Jake McGee COL 5
155 15 David Phelps MIL 6
156 15 Brad Boxberger MIA 4
157 15 Michael Feliz PIT 4
158 15 Andrew Kittredge TB 7
159 15 Jace Fry CWS 5
160 15 Jeurys Familia NYM 4
161 15 Kelvin Herrera CWS 6
162 15 Jose Cisnero DET 3
163 15 Sam Conrood SF 5
164 15 Gregory Soto DET 5
165 15 Bryan Garcia DET 4

Tier One

Josh Hader was electric in 2018, and many metrics improved in 2019 but were overshadowed by an issue with homers. His swinging-strike rate soared, from 19% to 22.7%, which yielded a 47.8% strikeout rate -- over six percentage points higher than the next-best qualified RP, Nick Anderson. His 43 Saves + Holds tally led the Majors and this format means you can get away from his being left-handed or used in “fireman” late-inning situations outside of the ninth. It sounds like Milwaukee wants to avoid lots of back-to-back nights of work, but we’ll see what that looks like when the season begins and wins are on the line. Especially if Corey Knebel isn’t available on Opening Day.

He did this while trimming his walk rate to 6.9% from 9.8% and his .232 BABIP was close to the career .228 mark, but homers don’t factor into that. His 21.4% HR/FB rate and 1.78 HR/9 did all it could to inflate his 2.62 ERA. Strikeouts and homers, the 2019 way. Still, his 1.78 SIERA made him the only qualified RP with a mark south of 2.00 and I’m here for his being the first off the board.

I won’t begrudge anyone for going with Yates over Hader, as his 41 SV+HLD barely trailed Hader while his 1.19 ERA was far cleaner. Still, we know the surface stats for a reliever are highly volatile. Yates’ 2.05 SIERA was second to Hader’s rate, while his 41.6% strikeout rate was third-best, just behind Nick Anderson. Speaking of...

I cannot dance around Anderson anymore. He was simply lights out after joining the Rays. 2019 was his first MLB season, and Anderson was inconsistent in Miami, throwing more breaking balls instead of ripping into hitters with his elite heat. Then he was traded to Tampa Bay at the deadline and proceeded to log a whopping 41/2 K/BB rate and 2.11 ERA (1.03 SIERA!) across 21 ⅓ IP. Tampa may get “cute” with when they deploy their relievers, but they’re still an above-average team in the top-heavy East for this short season and should have many leads to protect.

Hendriks’ stock gets more comfortable with Treinen going to LAD. His average fastball velocity went from 94-95 MPH to 96.5 MPH, his curveball rose from 82 MPH to 84 MPH and the rate at which he threw it soared, from 1.8% in ‘18 to 7.8%. The added heat helped, as hitters pulled a career-low 26.5% of batted balls off of him, which eased the damage done by the 49.5% fly-ball rate.

The other non-closer worthy of the elite Tier One label is Ryan Pressly, who put up stats nearly identical to teammate Roberto Osuna. His 72 strikeouts in 54 ⅓ IP offer a better K/9 than Osuna’s 73 K’s in 65 frames, while also putting up a top-10 SV+HLD total for 2019 (34) with a beautiful 2.32 ERA/0.91 WHIP. Houston may be mired in scandal, but the Pressly-Osuna bridge at their endgame should remain steady. Honestly, if someone wanted Pressly over Osuna here then I wouldn’t fight it.

Rogers’ argument for Tier One comes via the incredible 2.61 ERA/1.03 WHIP, 90 K’s, and 40 SV+HLD in 69 IP last season. The Twins are in a fantastic spot in the top-heavy AL Central and Minnesota’s defense only got better with the addition of Josh Donaldson. That’s only if hitters are fortunate enough to put bat on ball, as Rogers’ 2018 28.9% strikeout rate jumped to 32.4% as he posted a 50.6% groundball rate and 4% walk rate. Getting to first base is tough sledding there.

 

Tier Two

There are some huge beneficiaries from the SV+HLD format, with less value tied up in needing to retain permanent closer status. Emilio Pagan stepped up for the Rays after Jose Alvarado and Diego Castillo were injured or inconsistent down the stretch, but now he retains that value in San Diego as their setup man. This also clears some work for TB arms, but Pagan is a fine first bullpen arm to tap.

Meanwhile, Jansen had to miss a few games at altitude due to a heart condition, but his overall 3.71 ERA/1.06 WHIP and 80 K’s in 63 frames remained strong. He’s always been a fly-ball pitcher and as such, 2018’s and 2019’s “higher” (for him) ERAs with a low WHIP add up with homers and fly outs. The last two seasons have also seen him post mortal 6% walk rates after that incredible 2.7% clip in ‘17 -- just small things worth noting. He remains a top-10 option, but he’s no longer in the upper echelon. There's enhanced risk as he just reported to camp on July 12 after testing positive for the virus, but early reports indicate he'll be ready by July 23.

Seth Lugo is far more stable than Edwin Diaz, but could see earlier work as a multi-inning horse. Last season, Lugo turned in 80 innings with 27 SV+HLDs, 104 strikeouts, and pristine ratios. When the Mets had six starters, I felt better about Lugo working late. With Noah Syndergaard out and Michael Wacha needed in the rotation, it’s possible the Mets need Lugo and Robert Gsellman to step up earlier if Walker Lockett, Paul Sewald, Corey Oswalt, and other “longer” arms with lesser abilities aren’t working. And then news broke on the other side of the city...

No Chapman to open the season, and that ominous "foreseeable future" bit, obviously knocks the flamethrower's stock. While Britton steps up in the hierarchy, his SV+HLD prospects aren't altered much. This is about weighing risk and upside with the pinstriped southpaw, and my assessment has him ahead of other (different) risks that kick off the third tier. His ceiling is still that of the game's best reliever, but everyone's recovery is unique and news must be monitored closely.

 

Tier Three

The Mets will have to decide on how to best use Edwin Diaz given his loss of command in ‘19 and Dellin Betances coming off a lost season. Diaz has the raw ability to be the game’s best reliever, which floats his rank, but the floor is low. I had more concerns about Betances coming off a lost 2019 when a full season was on the table, but a shortened campaign sees his stock rise as a premier strikeout arm.

Giovanny Gallegos is dealing with COVID early on and may not be game-ready by season’s start, but until we receive clarity on those effects we can simply analyze his performance heading into 2020. That is, how he posted a 2.31 ERA and 0.84 WHIP over 74 IP in 2019, but didn’t see consistent late-game work early on. The SV+HLD format shields you from the shadow that is Jordan Hicks’ recovery and Andrew Miller’s role as a late-game lefty with closing experience, as well as recent comments from GM John Mozeliak giving Ryan Helsley a vote of confidence for the ninth innng.

Iglesias inspires many as a steady name, as you will recall his 37 SV+HLDs were seventh-best in the game last year. So, why isn’t he higher? Well, the 12 losses hurt, but underneath the surface you’ll see how the 3.22 SIERA is consistent with his 3.31 career mark and the 31.9% strikeout rate was a career-best alongside a slight drop in walks (8.6% to 7.5%.) His HR/9 has been 1.50 and 1.61 in the past two seasons, but it was ramped up by allowing more fly balls in ‘19. After surrendering an average 35.2% fly-ball rate in ‘18, he was crushed by a 43.9% mark in ‘19. Soft contact went up, but so did hard contact. Welcome to modern-day baseball, land of the extremes.

The SV+HLD format really helps most of the Red Sox relievers retain a high floor as well, with Workman boasting the greatest skill set on the surface. Most are aware of him after a brilliant 2019 where he recorded 10 wins, 16 saves and 15 holds with a 1.88 ERA/1.10 WHIP. Critical to that was his leading the league with just one barrel allowed across the whole season, which means we need to prepare for regression. Matt Barnes is also in this group, as his 110 strikeouts in 64 ⅓ IP was outstanding but the walks and subsequent 1.42 WHIP were tough to absorb.

I’ll cheat and talk about Tiers 3-5 for a second, as Washington is another bullpen with several reliable arms on a team likely to deliver Ws. With Sean Doolittle’s left-handed and eased usage giving way to plenty of late work for the righties in Daniel Hudson and Will Harris. Whether it’s a matchup decision or Davey Martinez is trying not to overwork Doolittle, Hudson is almost guaranteed to work those late frames on defending World Series champs that should vie for another division title while Harris likely sets them both up.

Now, Doolittle has sounded unsure of playing and has the aforementioned workload ceiling. His 5.8% walk rate was his worst in four years, same with his 66.9% first-strike rate and 12.1% swinging-strike rate. But the workload management could solve that. Meanwhile, Hudson posted one of his best years with a 2.47 ERA/1.14 WHIP, though his 4.21 SIERA and 5.08 xFIP were his worst marks since being a rookie in ‘09. Harris enjoyed some lucky peripherals (.245 BABIP vs. career .288) but a 3.18 SIERA and 3.04 xFIP for Houston gives him a leg up over Hudson to me.

 

Tier Four

While one could argue that Zack Britton belongs higher, the poor strikeout rate stands out more in today’s world. While that sinker yielded amazing ratios for the Yankees and fantasy owners alike, a reliever that isn’t getting dedicated late work better give you plus whiffs to make it worth your while. You can’t rely on the holds racking up here this early in drafts, and I’m wary of ratios being the main reason to draft a reliever this early. At least his repertoire is good at mitigating dangerous fly balls. He may earn a few more SV+HLD opportunities than Tommy Kahnle, but the southpaw’s lower K% suppresses the value when banking on “ratio relief” is more volatile.

Yusmeiro Petit has been a beast over the past three seasons, posting ERA’s of 3.00 or less while tossing 83-93 innings with a collective WHIP below 1.00. His 19.8% K-BB% blends with Oakland’s pitcher-friendly park to yield BABIPs around .230 as an Athletic. You’ll find lesser K’s (71 in 83 IP last year) but in this case, his ratios appear safer on a year-to-year basis and Oakland is a great spot for churning Hold opportunities.

You’ll find both Alex Colome and Aaron Bummer here too, as I expect the White Sox to improve their lot. The issue here is both are finesse rather than flamethrower, like Petit, offering less than a strikeout per inning in exchange for plus ratios. The flipside of these guys are the Jose Leclerc and Matt Barnes types with stronger K’s, but higher ratio risk. The increased reliability of K’s keeps those names in the third tier rather than here, but you get the point.

If I knew Drew Pomeranz was going to stay in the late innings all year long and not be drafted into opener duties then I’d have him higher, especially after he turned in a 1.88 ERA/0.85 WHIP with 50 K’s in just 28 ⅔ IP of relief for Milwaukee last season. I wish he was still throwing to Yasmani Grandal, but Buster Posey and spacious San Francisco will do just fine.

Will Smith is out with COVID and we’re unsure about his game shape to open the season, but he’d be in my second tier if the southpaw was healthy. Plus ratios, big K’s, and the lefty component to the late frames for a strong Atlanta team that works with a shakier arm in Mark Melancon. Many other arms in that ‘pen will appear here, as they’ll help bridge the starters to Smith in pursuit of wins.

Another premier setup man pops here, with Ty Buttrey bringing in around 30 SV+HLD over the year with plus strikeouts and average ratios. The raw SV+HLD volume is what buoys his value behind Hansel Robles in a subpar bullpen.

 

Tier Five

Here is where you start to find players with some greater fleas, but presumed late roles and/or big upside. You’ll find higher WHIPs on the whole, younger players with less certain roles, and a couple injury risks.

Melancon, Ian Kennedy, and Joe Jimenez are a mixed bag, posting WHIPs of 1.30 or higher last season, but not banking on low-ratio guys to replicate their efforts swings both ways. Jimenez has the highest ceiling as Detroit’s “arm of the future” but the Tigers may not have many leads to close.

I want to believe in Joe Jimenez over the long term, but the 3.14 SIERA in 2018 was tied to a 4.31 ERA and his 3.41 SIERA last season hid behind a 4.37 ERA. At some point, the results have to be there. After a rough July 17 outing, Jimenez posted a 2.55 ERA with 31 strikeouts to seven walks over 24 ⅔ IP. Of the seven runs allowed, five of them came on solo homers. He didn’t issue a walk over his final eight appearances of the season, so there are hints of greatness, but we must keep our heads on straight.

Andrew Miller had a 4.45 ERA/1.32 WHIP. Miller had poor ratios in 2018 as well (4.24 ERA/1.38 WHIP) but maintained hope in the 3.51 FIP/3.29 SIERA. With similar surface stats in ‘19, his FIP ballooned to 5.19 while the 3.87 SIERA wasn’t as dramatic. Be careful, but the opportunities for SV+HLDs will be there as long as he’s healthy, and he’s been cleared as of early July.

I'd have Rafael Montero higher in Texas if he was ready to start the season, but a family emergency kept him from camp early on and so he's likely unavailable for a little at the starting gun. Still, his 34/5 K/BB ratio makes him the second-best arm in that 'pen, and one that's a little more consistent than Leclerc. The new pitcher-friendly park may have big returns here too, as he pitched to a 1.62 ERA in 16 2/3 IP on the road, posting an elite 21/2 K/BB ratio. It's a smaller sample size and might just be noise, but there's hope for more here.

Here comes the upside speculation, as I can’t get away from the Nick Anderson potential that lives in James Karinchak. Perhaps the Indians don’t use him in enough Hold opportunities to excite you, but he could top 35 strikeouts in just 20 innings. 

He’s fetching several headlines, but you may get Seattle’s Austin Adams for cheaper with better results. He hurt his knee last season and is only now reported as 100%, but people haven’t reassessed him on this new timeline. The Mariners don’t have a closer, Matt Magill and Yoshihisa Hirano aren’t huge threats, but the SV+HLD format largely protects you from Scott Servais’ role decisions regardless. Adams had a whopping 51 strikeouts in just 31 innings last season, posting a 2.78 SIERA and 2.50 xFIP with a 41.1% strikeout rate that ranked fourth in the Majors (min. 30 IP). That mark trailed only Hader, Nick Anderson, and Kirby Yates. Yeah.

 

Tier Six

The risk profile grows here, but you can find a lot of K’s in Scott Barlow, Colin Poche and Amir Garrett, who had an unwieldy 1.43 WHIP last season, but the 3.21 ERA had him mitigating the potential damage while logging 22 holds. Poche offers a similar profile with lesser strikeout upside and perhaps greater bullpen volume, but throwing his fastball around 85% of the time makes him prone to the longball as a result. Hence the gorgeous 1.04 WHIP but 4.70 ERA. Barlow may turn in the most innings with the most strikeouts, but the Royals won’t win many games and his 11.9% walk rate from last season (1.44 WHIP) is tough to stomach.

While everyone’s looking at Karinchak, folks may let Nick Wittgren and his 2.81 ERA/1.10 WHIP with a strikeout per inning slide. And then Bryan Abreu could be a starter or reliever for Houston, but 13 K’s with one earned run in 8 ⅔ IP during his age-22 cup of coffee offers upside either way. His spot on the Astros means he’ll have a good shot at either wins or SV+HLDs.

 

Tier Seven

Keynan Middleton is another forgotten arm who missed time due to injuries, but should step into the late innings unless his command is ruined. Speaking of ruined command, Blake Treinen has a lot to prove but his upside on the Dodgers in this format is easily top-50. Ditto, Wade Davis.

Luke Jackson had a roller-coaster season, but 106 K’s in 72 ⅔ IP with a 2.80 SIERA and 2.52 xFIP is incredible. With 10 strikeouts and three walks over five scoreless innings in the Grapefruit League before play was suspended in March, the promise remains. Whether he, Shane Greene, and Chris Martin can get consistent Holds work is another story, but his upside is easily the highest of that trio. 

I’d rather not rely on Joe Kelly rebounding when you can just buy into Pedro Baez or Blake Treinen instead, with Treinen’s rebound ceiling higher than Kelly’s. But the Dodgers bullpen use is typically structured and Kelly shouldn’t fall far down the totem pole. Kyle Crick’s control left him entirely through 2019, but he’s still at least a top-three arm in that rebuilding ‘pen with plus strikeout ability. The same goes for Lou Trivino.

Crick could emerge should the rebuilding Pirates deal Keone Kela. Crick has reported no setbacks in recovery from tendon repair surgery on his right index finger, an injury suffered during a fight with Felipe Vazquez. Shocking that someone would fight Vazquez, I know. Crick’s command left him in ‘19, with an awful 15.5% walk rate and 1.84 HR/9 mark, but he’d posted a 2.39 ERA/1.13 WHIP in ‘18. Just keep an eye out on his spring command.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Tyler Clippard returns the most value here after the 2.38 ERA/0.87 WHIP from last year, but life may be difficult beyond Rogers, Romo, and May in the ‘pen. I’d rather have Tyler Duffey, who had 23 more strikeouts in just one additional inning last season and won’t grab anyone’s attention by name.

 

Tier Eight

Here’s where you have to start making roster-dependent decisions and truly split between taking skills and roles. Several players are the closer or setup men on lesser teams here, such as Tony Watson and Brandon Kintzler. While the entire risk profile must be weighed, the two arms I’ll likely have rostered the most are Trevor Rosenthal and Hunter Harvey.

Dayton Moore, the Royals GM, said Rosenthal was one of the team’s best relievers in camp and the competition is minimal. His 2019 was atrocious, but 2018 saw him rack up 76 whiffs in 47 ⅔ IP thanks to an incredible 15.9% swinging-strike rate. He's reunited with Mike Matheny, who knows just how good an "on" Rosenthal can be.

Another bullpen in flux saw Orioles manager Brandon Hyde talk up Harvey as a high-leverage arm, an option to close, who anchored the bullpen. The 25-year-old only yielded one run while striking out 11 across 6 ⅓ IP, though a .200 BABIP helps anyone. Don’t expect the world, but don’t be shocked at all if he outperforms Mychal Givens with double-digit SV+HLDs.

 

Tier Nine

Now the arms whose skills outweigh their opportunity are more frequent, with Chad Green embodying this as the Yankees’ usual opener. Perhaps he piggyback-starts his way to an Aaron Small-like campaign and a handful of wins. Kolarek and Perez are both lefties on teams expected to win a lot, but we’ll see how they and their managers handle the new reliever rules.

Poor Tyler Rogers is stuck in San Francisco while his twin brother, Taylor, thrives in Minnesota, but the righty has seemingly earned a share of the ninth for Gabe Kapler alongside Tony Watson. A 1.02 ERA/0.85 WHIP with a mere 4.3% walk rate and huge 69.4% groundball rate can do that, but he’s lucky to log a K per inning. Hope for double-digit SV+HLDs with plus ratios on a bad Giants squad.

 

Tier 10

A trio of Brew Crew arms reside here, and while Brent Suter may offer some reliable holds and low ratios, it’s Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes who are magnets for fantasy owners. They may both operate out of the ‘pen to start if Eric Lauer takes the fifth rotation slot, with gigantic strikeout potential. Peralta (30.1% K rate in ‘19) and Burnes (29.8%) can bring the heat if you can stomach a likely negative in the WHIP department. Once again, Peralta had a 1.14 WHIP and Burnes carried a 1.00 WHIP in limited MLB work two years ago, so don’t be too skittish of floors. But their work as pseudo-starters may not yield many hold opportunities.

Another high-strikeout target lies in Darwinzon Hernandez, where you have to hope his command improves enough to be trusted with hold-worthy innings. Tanner Rainey offers incredible K upside (74 in 48 ⅓ IP last season) but you know you’re soaking in a 1.50 WHIP and lower-leverage innings with recent signings on the team.  And keep an eye on Nick Burdi, who could become Pittsburgh’s closer if Keone Kela starts hot and the Pirates can get some future pieces for him. Burdi’s biceps injury tanked most of 2019, but 17 K’s in 8 ⅔ IP tells you how his stuff can play in today’s swing-happy game.

 

Tiers 11-15

Here are those project relievers who have multiple things to work on and/or don’t offer much upside for SV+HLD seekers. I think Matt Strahm is mighty talented but figure he’s not a late-game arm, instead serving as either an opener or a piggyback. Perhaps Jairo Diaz and Carlos Estevez can carve out enough late work in Colorado to be relevant, but you need the Rockies to win as well as dance around Coors.

The Cody Allen reclamation project in Texas may yield a star, but he didn’t have the same rebound show in camp that Trevor Rosenthal displayed. Youngsters such as Boston’s Josh Taylor or St. Louis’ Junior Fernandez have some intrigue in deep leagues, with Taylor likely closer to the holds conversation.

If your league has several IL slots this season then I’m okay stashing Jordan Hicks a little earlier, but I don’t love waiting on any pitcher that isn’t available due to an arm/shoulder injury at the jump. Roster spots are precious, and missing out on the early bullpen shuffle is tougher to come back from without a marathon to run.

I know recent buzz has surfaced around the Yankees with Clarke Schmidt (and Michael King, to an extent) but while they may see some work in this sprint season, the odds they significantly help in the SV+HLD category are slim. The Yanks have so many veteran arms that getting to the valuable frames is a steep climb. The ceiling is likely the Chad Green role, but if you must speculate this far down then targeting Yankees is a solid first step.

Some of the better names that I think could quickly rise are Houston’s Joe Smith, Seattle’s Erik Swanson (if he stays in the ‘pen) and Carl Edwards Jr. (if he can regain his pre-injury form), and Philadelphia’s Tommy Hunter (should no complications from Covid arise). Darren O’Day is within a loaded Atlanta bullpen, but may earn some holds if they don’t swiftly stretch out starters.



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Harry Hall7 mins ago

In Solid Form Heading To Cabo
PGA7 mins ago

Matti Schmid On Fire Ahead Of WWT Championship
Jhonattan Vegas10 mins ago

A Safe Play At WWT Championship
Taylor Moore11 mins ago

Looks To Contend At WWT Championship
Patrick Fishburn14 mins ago

A Volatile Option At El Cardonal
Michael Kim14 mins ago

Aims For Back-To-Back Top-10 Finishes At WWT Championship
Charley Hoffman15 mins ago

Tough To Trust At WWT Championship
Deshaun Watson34 mins ago

Browns Not Ruling Out A Future With Deshaun Watson
Mike Evans40 mins ago

Working Off To The Side With Trainer
Keon Coleman45 mins ago

Won't Practice On Wednesday
Amari Cooper49 mins ago

To Practice On Wednesday
Drake London55 mins ago

Still Day-To-Day
Trevor Lawrence1 hour ago

To Be Limited With Sore Shoulder
Adam Svensson2 hours ago

A Risky Play In Mexico
Daniel Berger3 hours ago

Looks To Keep Cuts-Made Streak Alive In Mexico
Tom Hoge4 hours ago

Hopes To Steady The Ship At World Wide Technology Championship
De'Andre Hunter4 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Cameron Payne4 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Brandin Podziemski4 hours ago

Good To Go Wednesday
De'Anthony Melton5 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Andrew Nembhard5 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday
Bradley Beal5 hours ago

Likely To Play On Wednesday
Travis Konecny5 hours ago

Tallies Four Points In Losing Effort
Nathan MacKinnon5 hours ago

Matches Franchise Record With Five Assists
Andrew Peeke5 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Tuesday
Anthony Mantha6 hours ago

Suffers A Lower-Body Injury
Cale Makar6 hours ago

Exits With Injury Versus Seattle
Dylan Holloway6 hours ago

Taken To Hospital After Being Hit By A Puck
D'Angelo Russell15 hours ago

Likely Good To Go On Wednesday
Austin Reaves15 hours ago

Probable Versus Memphis
Anthony Davis16 hours ago

Questionable Versus Memphis
Caris LeVert16 hours ago

Picks Up A Questionable Tag For Wednesday
Trae Young16 hours ago

Expected To Play Versus The Knicks
Immanuel Quickley17 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Wednesday
Jamal Murray17 hours ago

Won’t Play Against OKC
P.J. Washington17 hours ago

Won’t Go Against Chicago
San Diego Padres17 hours ago

Padres Nearing Contract Extension With Manager Mike Shildt
Dereck Lively II17 hours ago

Uncertain For Wednesday Night
Jaylen Brown17 hours ago

Still Out On Wednesday
Jazz Chisholm Jr.17 hours ago

Could Be Moved Back To Second Base
17 hours ago

Astros Have Had "Productive" Talks With Alex Bregman
18 hours ago

Rangers Decline 2025 Option On Andrew Chafin
Zion Williamson18 hours ago

Could Miss Wednesday's Game
Jeremy Sochan18 hours ago

To Undergo Surgery
Camilo Doval18 hours ago

Generating Interest
Shohei Ohtani19 hours ago

Undergoes Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery
Wendell Carter Jr.19 hours ago

To Miss Wednesday's Game
Ronald Acuña Jr.19 hours ago

Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider Not Expected To Be Ready By Opening Day
Nick Richards19 hours ago

To Miss Some Time
Bo Bichette19 hours ago

Not On The Trade Block
Tee Higgins19 hours ago

Picks Up Another DNP On Tuesday
Zach LaVine19 hours ago

Uncertain For Wednesday's Contest
Ryan Poehling19 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Alexander Romanov19 hours ago

Remains Sidelined Tuesday
Artem Zub19 hours ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Ty Dellandrea20 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Action On Tuesday
Jake Walman20 hours ago

Sits As Healthy Scratch On Tuesday
Brayden Point20 hours ago

Sits Out Tuesday's Game
Auston Matthews20 hours ago

Out On Tuesday
Chandler Phillips20 hours ago

Attempts To Keep Final-Round Form This Week
Brent Rooker20 hours ago

A's Planning To Keep Brent Rooker
Neal Shipley20 hours ago

Past Five Tournaments Make Him An Interesting DFS Option
Austin Eckroat20 hours ago

Wants To Shake Off Some More Rust In Mexico
Rico Hoey21 hours ago

Needs The Putter To Work In Mexico
J.J. Spaun21 hours ago

Tries To Keep Second Half Rolling In Mexico
Sam Stevens21 hours ago

Hopes To Continue Riding A Hot Putter In Mexico
Erik Van Rooyen21 hours ago

Erik van Rooyen Tries To Defend WWT Title
21 hours ago

Braves Interested In Nathan Eovaldi
Lucas Glover21 hours ago

Well-Rested Heading Into WWT Championship
Ben Griffin21 hours ago

Hopes To Continue Good Form In Mexico
Lamar Jackson21 hours ago

Will Play On Thursday Night
Keith Mitchell22 hours ago

An Unappealing Play At World Wide Technology Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers23 hours ago

Dodgers Expected To Be Favorites To Land Roki Sasaki
Mike Williams24 hours ago

Steelers Trading For Mike Williams
24 hours ago

Cardinals Don't Extend Qualifying Offer To Paul Goldschmidt
Washington Commanders24 hours ago

Marshon Lattimore Traded To Washington
24 hours ago

Reds Give Nick Martinez A Qualifying Offer
1 day ago

Christian Walker Receives Qualifying Offer From D-Backs
DK Metcalf1 day ago

Seahawks Won't Be Trading DK Metcalf
Detroit Lions1 day ago

Lions Acquire Za'Darius Smith From Browns
Dak Prescott1 day ago

Likely To Go On Injured Reserve
1 day ago

Dodgers Extend Qualifying Offer To Teoscar Hernandez
1 day ago

Willy Adames Receives Qualifying Offer From Brewers
1 day ago

Braves Give Max Fried A Qualifying Offer
1 day ago

Anthony Santander Receives Qualifying Offer
1 day ago

Orioles Extend Qualifying Offer To Corbin Burnes
Jonathan Mingo1 day ago

Heading To Dallas
Zack Moss1 day ago

Expected To Miss The Rest Of The Season
Artturi Lehkonen1 day ago

Will Make His Season Debut On Tuesday
Ilya Sorokin1 day ago

Takes On Penguins Tuesday
Khalil Herbert1 day ago

Bengals Acquiring Khalil Herbert From Bears
Jake Allen1 day ago

Posts Second Shutout Of The Season
Jesper Bratt1 day ago

Collects Two Points In Monday's Win
Adrian Kempe1 day ago

Enjoys Another Multi-Point Outing
Darcy Kuemper1 day ago

Continues Point Streak With A Shutout
DeAndre Hopkins1 day ago

Scores Twice In Week 9 Win
Kareem Hunt1 day ago

Finds The End Zone In Overtime
Travis Kelce1 day ago

Catches 14 Passes In Week 9 Win
Cade Otton2 days ago

Leads Tampa In Receiving In Week 9 Loss On Monday
2 days ago

Pete Alonso Receives Qualifying Offer From Mets
Will Levis2 days ago

Titans Hopeful Will Levis Will Return In Week 10
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Wins At Martinsville And Has Chance To Earn Second Straight Championship
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Penalized At Martinsville, Removed From Championship Four
Jake Allen2 days ago

Faces Oilers On Monday
BOS2 days ago

Tyler Johnson Signs One-Year Deal With Bruins
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Not A Factor At Martinsville And Looks Ahead To Phoenix
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Misses Advancing Through Playoffs Despite Top-Three Finish
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

Has A Solid Top-10 Performance At Martinsville
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Loses Out On Winning At Martinsville
Rose Namajunas2 days ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Erin Blanchfield2 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Dustin Stoltzfus2 days ago

Gets First-Round Knockout At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault2 days ago

Knocked Out At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles2 days ago

Losses Third Fight In A Row
Mike Malott2 days ago

Wins Decision At UFC Edmonton
NASCAR3 days ago

Speeding Penalty Foils Martin Truex Jr.'s Last Realistic Shot At Winning
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Fails To Advance To Championship 4 But Runs Well
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Best Oval Finish at Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Tentatively In Championship 4 Pending Ruling On Manufacturer Orders
MMA3 days ago

Ariane Lipski Submitted At UFC Edmonton
Jasmine Jasudavicius3 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado3 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

Dominates At UFC Edmonton
Daniel Suarez3 days ago

Will Start 20th At Martinsville
Zane Smith3 days ago

Might Be An Underrated Value Play For Martinsville
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Martinsville Lineups
Joey Logano3 days ago

Will Be One To Watch At Martinsville
Brad Keselowski3 days ago

Should DFS Players Rely On Brad Keselowski For Martinsville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar3 days ago

Is A Great DFS Option For All Martinsville DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Is Ty Gibbs Worth Rostering At Martinsville This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric3 days ago

Could Have A Top-20 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Might Be Usable Only In DFS Tournaments At Martinsville
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster Chris Buescher At Martinsville?
Alex Bowman3 days ago

Expect A Solid Top-10 Performance From Alex Bowman At Martinsville
Rose Namajunas5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Erin Blanchfield5 days ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault5 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott5 days ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Brendson Ribeiro6 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado6 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz6 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton

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