X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Who is the Nationals Closer? Fantasy Baseball Saves Outlooks

Kyle Finnegan - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Closers and Saves, MLB Injury News

The Washington Nationals are projected somewhere around 60-70 wins for the 2024 season. They are playing amidst a challenging, competitive NL East. While they have some young talent, they lack a competitive lineup with only two top-100 preseason hitters coming into the year, CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas.

Despite the lack of competitiveness, there may still be hope for saves in the Nats bullpen. Even 60-70 wins can realistically lead to 30+ save opportunities; if most or all of those go to a single closer, that pitcher holds significant value, especially in categories-based leagues with saves.

In 2023, Kyle Finnegan amassed 28 saves, leaving Hunter Harvey with an additional 10 saves on the year. These two names figure to dominate the late-inning landscape, and hopefully one of the two will carve out a clear closer role to provide fantasy managers with value.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

Two-Headed Monster

It is clear that Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey both possess the stuff to be an effective closer. Finnegan has more experience, garnering double-digit saves over the last three years. In 2022, he split the role with Tanner Rainey, but with a relatively strong finish in 2022 while Rainey's performance dipped, the closer role was primarily Finnegan's in 2023.

Finnegan boasts a strong 97-98 mph fastball that is offset by a 89 mph splitter. That splitter had a nifty 35.3% Whiff% in 2023 -- that's right, more than one third of the time a batter swung at that pitch, they whiffed. Finnegan thus has that classic one-two punch with a strong heater to effectively function as a closer.

Harvey boasts a very similar repertoire, starting with a 98 mph fastball that he threw 60% of the time in 2023. He too offsets this pitch with an 89 mph splitter, still with a strong 27.8% Whiff% but not quite as lethal as Finnegan's splitter in 2023. Despite the slightly "better" putaway pitch, Harvey outpaced Finnegan with a 28.5% K% in 2023 compared to Finnegan's 21.9% K%.

Both of these guys have the stuff to man the ninth inning effectively. They have a strong, blow-by fastball that can be offset with a dropping splitter, leading to strikeouts and ground balls. There are multiple other names in the Nationals bullpen that might remind managers of closers in years past (Rainey, Dylan Floro, Matt Barnes), but for now the focus should be on the two-headed monster that is Finnegan-Harvey.

 

The Verdict

Based on their usage so far, managers should expect a similar output to last year. Expect Finnegan to get the bulk of the saves. One has to wonder if the Nats will build him up moving into the trade deadline; Finnegan is already 32 years old and closers at this point in their career often find themselves moving from non-contender to contender.

That could perhaps bolster Finnegan's first-half value in particular. Harvey will undoubtedly see some action, too -- he is definitely the prime "vulture" candidate -- but if Finnegan stays with the Nats all year, he will likely have more pure save value than Harvey.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Rasmus Hojgaard28 mins ago

Looking For Form At Valspar Championship
Jericho Sims30 mins ago

To Miss Rest Of Regular Season Following Thumb Surgery
Ben Griffin40 mins ago

Needs To Find Ball-Striking Form Ahead Of Valspar Championship
Bradley Beal42 mins ago

To Sit Out At Least One Week Of Action
Stephen Curry53 mins ago

Could Be Rested Tuesday
Trey Murphy III1 hour ago

To Miss Rest Of 2024-25 Campaign
Tommy Fleetwood1 hour ago

Looks To Keep Short But Successful Run Going At Innisbrook
LaMelo Ball1 hour ago

Probable Tuesday
Miles Bridges1 hour ago

Resting Against Hawks
Trae Young1 hour ago

Probable For Tuesday's Clash Against Hornets
Eric Cole1 hour ago

Needs To Find A Spark At Innisbrook
Evan Mobley1 hour ago

Listed As Questionable For Tuesday
Sam Burns2 hours ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Damian Lillard2 hours ago

Probable For Tuesday's Game Against Warriors
Giannis Antetokounmpo2 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Against Warriors
Jaylen Brown2 hours ago

Unavailable Tuesday
Jayson Tatum2 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Scott Kingery3 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Jackson Holliday3 hours ago

Showing Consistency In Grapefruit League
Kyle Manzardo3 hours ago

Performing Well In Spring Training
Ben Rice3 hours ago

Showing Power In Camp
Keegan Thompson3 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Michael McGreevy3 hours ago

Could Make Starting Rotation
Filip Gustavsson4 hours ago

Stops 28 Shots In Victory
William Nylander4 hours ago

Busy On Monday
Auston Matthews4 hours ago

Scores Twice, Adds Helper In Victory
Jake Allen4 hours ago

Leads The Way On Monday
Andrei Vasilevskiy4 hours ago

Shuts The Door Against Philadelphia
Jack Quinn5 hours ago

Dishes Out Two Helpers
Freddie Freeman6 hours ago

A Late Scratch Against The Cubs On Tuesday
Roki Sasaki11 hours ago

Officially Added To 40-Man Roster
Jacob Wilson11 hours ago

Belts Two Home Runs, Collects Five RBI On Monday
San Francisco 49ers11 hours ago

Siran Neal Signing With 49ers
Javier Assad11 hours ago

Officially Placed On 15-Day Injured List
Daylen Lile11 hours ago

Highlights Trio Of Reassignments For Nationals
Matt Shaw12 hours ago

Added To Major-League Roster
Randal Grichuk12 hours ago

Leaves Game With Ankle Soreness
Clayton Kershaw12 hours ago

Tony Gonsolin, Michael Kopech Placed On 15-Day Injured List
Edgar Quero12 hours ago

Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero Reassigned To Minor-League Camp
Angel Perdomo12 hours ago

Traded To The Angels
Spencer Strider12 hours ago

Shines In First Spring Training Start
Cleveland Browns13 hours ago

Browns Could Be Desperate Enough To Trade Up For Cam Ward
Noah Murdock13 hours ago

Earns Opening Day Roster Spot
Raheem Mostert13 hours ago

Expected To Be No. 2 Back In Vegas
Stefon Diggs13 hours ago

Raiders Could Target Stefon Diggs
Michael Gallup13 hours ago

To Visit With Seahawks
Rui Hachimura13 hours ago

Has Progressed To Three-On-Three Work
Pittsburgh Steelers13 hours ago

Isaiahh Loudermilk Returning To Steelers
Dorian Finney-Smith13 hours ago

Ready To Face Spurs
Houston Texans13 hours ago

Ronald Darby Signs One-Year Deal With Texans
Luka Dončić13 hours ago

Luka Doncic Officially Available Monday
Travis Homer13 hours ago

Re-Signs With Bears
Toumani Camara14 hours ago

Ruled Out Monday
Esteury Ruiz14 hours ago

A's Option Esteury Ruiz, J.T. Ginn To Triple-A
Patrick Sandoval14 hours ago

Steadily Progressing In His Rehab
Santi Aldama14 hours ago

Misses Sixth Consecutive Game
David Hamilton14 hours ago

The Front-Runner For Second Base Job?
Aaron Gordon14 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
Scotty Pippen Jr.14 hours ago

Out Against Kings
Quinten Post14 hours ago

Available Monday Night
Christian Braun14 hours ago

Misses Monday's Game
Philadelphia Eagles16 hours ago

Azeez Ojulari Heading To Philadelphia
Pittsburgh Steelers16 hours ago

Juan Thornhill Heading To Steel City
Minnesota Vikings16 hours ago

Garrett Bradbury Released By Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles16 hours ago

Eagles Rework Lane Johnson's Contract
Andrei Svechnikov18 hours ago

Could Return To Action Thursday
Dustin Wolf18 hours ago

Faces Maple Leafs Monday
Jake Allen18 hours ago

Searches For Third Consecutive Victory Monday
Jet Greaves18 hours ago

Receives Starting Nod Monday
Ivan Fedotov18 hours ago

Starts Against Lightning
Joonas Korpisalo18 hours ago

Starts For Bruins Monday
Roman Dolidze19 hours ago

Extends His Win Streak To Three
Marvin Vettori19 hours ago

Suffers Back-To-Back Losses
Will Zalatoris19 hours ago

Has Been Consistent At Least In 2025
Carson Young19 hours ago

Makes The Cut In Second Straight Tournament
Xander Schauffele19 hours ago

Struggles At The PLAYERS Championship
Nicolai Hojgaard19 hours ago

Misses First Cut In 2025
Lucas Glover19 hours ago

Produces Another Strong Showing At The PLAYERS Championship
Joel Dahmen19 hours ago

Finding Stride Heading To Valspar Championship
Corey Conners19 hours ago

Finishes Tied For Sixth At The PLAYERS Championship
Luke Clanton19 hours ago

Secures PGA Tour Card At Cognizant Classic
Blades Brown19 hours ago

Set To Make Fourth PGA Tour Start In 2025
Cameron Young19 hours ago

A Loose Cannon On Florida Swing
Akshay Bhatia19 hours ago

Secures Third Top-10 Finish
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos19 hours ago

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Sahith Theegala19 hours ago

Seeking Elusive Consistency In Florida
Kyler Murray19 hours ago

Excited For 2025
Joe Highsmith19 hours ago

An Intriguing Option At The Valspar
Chidi Njokuani19 hours ago

Scores TKO Win At UFC Vegas 104
New York Jets20 hours ago

Byron Cowart Inks Deal With Jets
Kurt Holobaugh20 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez20 hours ago

Wins Decision At UFC Vegas 104
PGA20 hours ago

Nico Echavarria Just Attempting To Get To The Weekend
Bud Cauley20 hours ago

Trying To Keep Good Times Rolling
20 hours ago

Tetairoa McMillan Increasing His Draft Stock
Christiaan Bezuidenhout20 hours ago

Needs His Putter At The Valspar
Joseph Woll21 hours ago

Starting On Monday
Nick Jensen21 hours ago

Not Expected To Play On Tuesday
Dylan Strome21 hours ago

Battling Illness
Jonas Brodin21 hours ago

Not Playing On Monday, Viewed As Day-To-Day
Cody Gibson21 hours ago

Submitted At UFC Vegas 104
Josh Norris21 hours ago

Not Playing On Monday
Da'Mon Blackshear21 hours ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
JJ Peterka21 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday's Contest
Brendson Ribeiro21 hours ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Vegas 104
Diyar Nurgozhay22 hours ago

Suffers His First Loss
MMA22 hours ago

Seung Woo Choi Suffers First-Round TKO Loss At UFC Vegas 104
Kevin Vallejos22 hours ago

Finishes Seung Woo Choi In Debut
Jameis Winston22 hours ago

To Visit With Giants On Tuesday
Cincinnati Bengals22 hours ago

Bengals Still Hoping To Sign Trey Hendrickson To An Extension
Houston Texans22 hours ago

Texans Make Derek Stingley Jr. The Highest-Paid Defensive Back
Tyler Reddick24 hours ago

Solid Performance Is Derailed By Late Pit-Road Issues At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Struggles End In A Disappointing Exit Late At Las Vegas
Josh Berry1 day ago

Impressively Earns First Cup Series Win At Las Vegas
AJ Allmendinger1 day ago

Scores First Top-10 Finish Of Season At Las Vegas
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Leads The Most Laps, But Settles For A Top-10 Finish At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain1 day ago

Obtains A Hard-Fought Top-Five Finish At Las Vegas
Daniel Suarez1 day ago

Scores Career-Best Finish At Las Vegas, But Falls Short Of Winning
Cole Perfetti1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Karel Vejmelka1 day ago

Earns Victory On Sunday
Jordan Kyrou1 day ago

Tallies Three Points On Sunday
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecks At Las Vegas But Shows Promising Speed
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Recovers From Loose Wheel To Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric1 day ago

Wins Stage 1, But Loose Wheel Foils Victory Bid
William Byron1 day ago

Loses Las Vegas Race On Strategy But Expands Points Lead
Ryan Preece1 day ago

Earns Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish At Las Vegas
Tee Higgins1 day ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase1 day ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Miami Dolphins2 days ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher2 days ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Chase Elliott2 days ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
William Byron2 days ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Roman Dolidze4 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani4 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos4 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson4 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro4 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF