In the saves and stolen bases category this week, Emanuel Klass recorded four saves in four days, proving why he’s the best closer in baseball. In Milwaukee, Devin Williams is off to a great start coming off the disabled list with two saves. In the stolen bases category, Derek Hill is earning regular playing time with the Marlins. And the Giants promoted an outfielder who stole 52 bases in 2023.
All season long, listen to the Rotoworld Baseball Show to hear from our experts on the latest player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more. Click here or download wherever you listen to podcasts.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: Top
Emanuel Klass – Cleveland Guardians
Ryan Helsley – St. Louis Cardinals
Klass proved this week that there is no one better at the top of the closer rankings by recording four saves in a four-day span. His 37 saves tie him with Helsley for most in the major leagues. He has a 0.64 ERA and a 0.66 WHIP in 56 1/3 innings. It would not be a surprise to see Klass voted for the Cy Young Award this season. Helsley recorded his 37th save of the season this week with a 2.66 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 57 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings.
Tier 2: Elite
Kirby Yates – Texas Rangers
Mason Miller – Oakland Athletics
Andres Munoz – Seattle Mariners
Josh Hader – Houston Astros
Yates earned the save on Wednesday against the Red Sox, allowing no runs and striking out one. He has 21 saves in 44 1/3 innings with a 1.02 ERA and 63 strikeouts. Miller earned his 17th save of the season on Saturday against the Blue Jays. Munoz pitched a shutout in his only start of the week against the Mets. And Hader earned two saves this week for his 26th, with a 3.48 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings.
Tier 3: Solid Choices
Robert Suarez – San Diego Padres
Raisel Iglesias – Atlanta Braves
Devin Williams – Milwaukee Brewers
Edwin Diaz – New York Mets
Kenley Jansen – Boston Red Sox
Clay Holmes – New York Yankees
Pete Fairbanks – Tampa Bay Rays
Joan Duran/Griffin Jacks – Minnesota Twins
Kyle Finnegan – Washington Nationals
Carlos Estevez – Philadelphia Phillies
Alexis Diaz – Cincinnati Reds
It was a great week for Suarez and the Padres. He earned three saves and a win. He was one of the most valuable relievers this season, with seven wins, 27 saves and a 1.68 ERA in 48 1/3 innings. Iglesias also earned two saves and a win, giving him 25 saves and a 1.54 ERA on the season. His strikeout rate has been rising in recent months, from just 18.6% through May to 33.7% in June.
Williams struck out a batter against the Reds to earn his first save since returning from the disabled list. He also earned his second save on Wednesday against the Dodgers. He has now struck out nine and allowed one run in his first five innings. Diaz struck out two in a scoreless inning against the Athletics. He now has a 3.71 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, 48 strikeouts and 14 saves in 34 innings.
Jansen recorded a four-out save against the Rangers on Tuesday for his 22nd of the season. Holmes also added another save this week, recording his 25th save on Sunday while allowing one run. And Fairbanks added two saves this week to improve to 23. He pitched a shutout against the Orioles on Sunday, striking out three straight batters.
Duran struck out three batters on Friday against the Guardians for the save, his first in nearly a month. He posted a 3.52 ERA in 38 1/3 innings and improved his saves to 16. Finnegan, meanwhile, gave up two runs against the Giants last Thursday but pitched two shutout innings to earn the win against the Angels on Friday.
Estevez earned his first save with the Phillies on Thursday against the Marlins, and he’ll likely be responsible for most, if not all, of the save opportunities in Philadelphia. Diaz also added two saves this week, moving up a spot in the rankings. He now has 24 saves this season and a 2.18 ERA since the beginning of June.
Tier 4: Here’s the advantage
Chad Green – Toronto Blue Jays
Daniel Hudson – Los Angeles Dodgers
Justin Martinez – Arizona Diamondbacks
Ryan Walker – San Francisco Giants
Seranty Dominguez – Baltimore Orioles
Greene had a great week for the Blue Jays, earning three saves and posting a 1.86 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings while earning 12 wins.
Hudson has not been named the primary closer, but he is the only Dodgers relief pitcher to earn a save since Evan Phillips was removed from the closer role. Hudson added his ninth save of the season on Monday against the Brewers. At Arizona, Martinez earned the win and his third save with the team. He has established himself as the primary closer, posting a 1.89 ERA and three saves in 52 1/3 innings.
Not only did the Giants remove Camilo Doval as their closer, they demoted him to Triple-A this week. Walker has been named the team’s closer for now. He earned his first save on Saturday against the Tigers. The 28-year-old right-hander posted an impressive 2.17 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings. Walker could continue to be a closer and should be added in any format.
With Kimbrel struggling in Baltimore, Dominguez has had a chance to fill the closer role. He earned the team’s first save Saturday against the Rays and his second on Wednesday against the Nationals. Felix Batista started the season on the mound as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery but is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Level 5: I can manage
Hector Neris – Chicago Cubs
David Bednar – Pittsburgh Pirates
Victor Vodnik – Colorado Rockies
Lukas Erceg – Kansas City Royals
Ben Joyce – Los Angeles Angels
Jason Foley/Tyler Holton/Will Best – Detroit Tigers
Calvin Faucher – Miami Marlins
John Brebbia – Chicago White Sox
Neris picked up two saves this week against the White Sox and has been in good form since the All-Star break, allowing just two runs in 9 1/3 innings in the second half of the season.
It’s been a forgettable season for Bednar, who has given up seven runs in his last five games and his ERA has risen to 5.75 in 40 2/3 innings. In Colorado, Vodnick picked up two saves for the Rockies but missed a chance for a save on Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.
With Hunter Harvey on the disabled list with a back injury, Erceg helped the Royals get two straight saves, including a four-out save Wednesday against the Twins. He’s arguably the best reliever in Kansas City’s lineup and should be used when a save is needed.
Joyce didn’t have a save opportunity this week. He struggled in the two games he missed and has given up three runs in his past three games. In Detroit, their best pitcher recorded the team’s final save and was reviewed by a full committee. Meanwhile, the Marlins and White Sox struggled to create save opportunities.
Stolen Goods Division
Xavier Edwards led the stolen base division this week with seven stolen bases. Since the All-Star break, he has stolen 16 bases in the majors. He has 19 stolen bases this season, slashing .358/.437/.432 in 175 at-bats. His teammate, Derek Hill, has established himself as a regular with the Marlins, slashing .256/.286/.442 with four home runs and five stolen bases in 91 at-bats. The 28-year-old outfielder is unlikely to have much success with a strikeout rate of 34 percent, but in deeper mixed leagues or National League-only leagues, he may be worth a dart. In San Francisco, the Giants demoted shortstop Marco Luciano to Triple-A and promoted Grant McCray, one of their best outfield prospects, to the majors. The 23-year-old hit 12 home runs and stole 14 bases in 97 minor league games after stealing 52 bases in High-A last season, and could be worth a speculative acquisition even on a deep team in the league if he is given regular playing time.
