Welcome to The Game Day’s Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings, Depth Charts, Bullpen Report, & Sleepers For Saves. When you’re working the fantasy baseball waiver wire and trying to find the best sleepers for saves, you have to know each Major League Baseball team’s relief pitchers. Who has a path to 2021 fantasy baseball saves? Who’s going to focus on holds and setup appearances?
Kev Mahserejian ranks each fantasy baseball bullpen from strongest (1) to weakest (30) while giving security ratings for each club’s relief corps.
See which fantasy baseball closers are secure, questionable, or on shaky ground in their job security so you can plan ahead and remain in the race for your fantasy baseball league title. Identify the fantasy baseball league pickups you should make soon so you can have control over erratic 2021 fantasy baseball saves pictures.
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Week 16 Fantasy Baseball Closers: Depth Chart News, Saves Tips & Bullpen Report
Philadelphia Phillies
- Closer: Ranger Suarez (?)
- Backups: Jose Alvarado, Hector Neris, Archie Bradley
Ranger Suarez is looking like the best reliever in Philadelphia. While this may be by default thanks to the egregious performances of the others, Suarez’s 0.77 ERA is pretty nifty. Will it stay below 1.00 all season? Probably not but his peripherals are positive enough to consider him good for the job of closer. With a 3.07 SIERA carried by Suarez’s career-high 18% K-BB% and 2.84 GB/FB rate, we are looking at a high-end reliever in the making.
Suarez only has 2 saves thus far but they have come in back-to-back opportunities and that is enough momentum to carry over into the 2nd-half. The Phillies are contending in the NL East given that they are in 2nd place and 3.5 games behind the Mets. Their GM Dave Dombrowski is well known for trading prospects away for MLB talent to “win-now" but there’s no guarantee a move is made for a closer, especially if Suarez shows enough in the next few weeks before the deadline.
Hector Neris and Jose Alvarado are looking miserable even outside of the 9th-inning and Archie Bradley has been mediocre despite a sub-4.00 ERA. Trading for someone else is the only way Suarez won’t stick.
Cincinnati Reds
- Closer: Heath Hembree (?)
- Backups: Amir Garrett, Brad Brach, Tejay Antone (IL), Lucas Sims (IL)
Heath Hembree is having a breakout season at age 32. The Cincinnati Reds have worked wonders for the career middle-reliever and dug into his strikeout ability. Hembree’s 42.1% K-rate is a career-high and it is likely a result of increased velocity mixed with eliminating his curveball and solely throwing fastballs and sliders. He throws both at a near-even rate and essentially has doubled his career K-BB%.
While the fastball has lost some spin with the velo increase, it is still extremely effective while the slider is spinning at a higher rate than usual. There are no guarantees that Hembree keeps this role all season. If Tejay Antone and Lucas Sims return not only healthy, but also back to form, but I’m willing to bet against those given the nature of their respective injuries and overall performance of late.
With 6 saves on the season thus far, Hembree is the guy to own moving forward.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings, Depth Charts, Bullpen Report, & Sleepers For Saves
NEW CLOSER IN ALL CAPS.
| Rk | Team | Closer | Next In Line | Watch | Job Security | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mets | Edwin Diaz | Adam Ottavino | Seth Lugo | GREAT | Diaz is the best closer in baseball right now. |
| 2 | Guardians | Emmanuel Clase | James Karinchak | Trevor Stephan | GREAT | Clase now has 36 saves on the season. |
| 3 | Blue Jays | Jordan Romano | Yimi Garcia | Anthony Bass | GREAT | Romano had a blown save with 3 ER on Sept. 18. |
| 4 | White Sox | Liam Hendriks | Kendall Graveman | Jake Diekman | GREAT | Hendriks has a 1.17 ERA this month. |
| 5 | Astros | Ryan Pressly | Rafael Montero | Hector Neris | GREAT | Pressly has 10 K in 4.2 IP since returning from injury. |
| 6 | Orioles | Felix Bautista | Dillon Tate | Cionel Perez | GREAT | Bautista has a 1.71 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 14 saves. |
| 7 | Rockies | Daniel Bard | Carlos Estevez | Dinelson Lamet | GREAT | Bard now has a 1.95 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 32 saves. |
| 8 | Braves | Kenley Jansen | Raisel Iglesias | A.J. Minter | GREAT | Jansen now has 36 saves on the season. |
| 9 | Giants | Camilo Doval | John Brebbia | Tyler Rogers | GREAT | Doval has eight straight scoreless appearances. |
| 10 | Cardinals | Ryan Helsley | Giovanny Gallegos | Andre Pallante | GREAT | Helsley hasn't given up a run in three consecutive outings. |
| 11 | Mariners | Paul Sewald | Andres Munoz | Erik Swanson | GREAT | Sewald has a 2.62 ERA and 0.77 WHIP with 19 saves. |
| 12 | Royals | Scott Barlow | Dylan Coleman | Amir Garrett | GREAT | Barlow has two saves this month. |
| 13 | Dodgers | Craig Kimbrel | Evan Phillips | Alex Vesia | GREAT | Kimbrel has given up at least one run of two of his last three. |
| 14 | Brewers | Devin Williams | Matt Bush | Taylor Rogers | SOLID | Williams has a 1.76 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 13 saves. |
| 15 | Padres | Josh Hader | Nick Martinez | Luis Garcia | SOLID | Hader has a 1.80 ERA and 0.60 WHIP this month. |
| 16 | Yankees | Clay Holmes | Jonathan Loaisiga | Wandy Peralta | SOLID | Holmes has given up a run in four of his last five. |
| 17 | Twins | Jorge Lopez | JHOAN DURAN | Michael Fulmer | SOLID | Lopez allowed 4 ER in his most recent outing. |
| 18 | Rays | Pete Fairbanks | Jason Adam | Colin Poche | SOLID | Fairbanks has converted the last four save opportunities. |
| 19 | Nationals | Kyle Finnegan | Carl Edwards Jr. | Hunter Harvey | SOLID | Finnegan has two saves since Sept. 16. |
| 20 | Tigers | Gregory Soto | Andrew Chafin | Joe Jimenez | SOLID | Soto got a clean save on Sept. 20. |
| 21 | Reds | Alexis Diaz | Hunter Strickland | Ian Gibaut | SOLID | Diaz now has a 1.86 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with seven saves. |
| 22 | Angels | Jimmy Herget | Ryan Tepera | Jose Quijada | SOLID | Herget has given up 2 ER in his last 27 IP. |
| 23 | Rangers | Jose Leclerc | Jonathan Hernandez | Matt Moore | SOLID | Leclerc has four saves since Sept. 6. |
| 24 | Athletics | DOMINGO ACEVEDO | A.J. Puk | Joel Payamps | SOLID | Acevedo has converted the last three save opportunities. |
| 25 | Phillies | David Robertson | SERANTHONY DOMINGUEZ | Jose Alvarado | COMMITTEE | Dominguez is back, so it's once again a committee in Philly. |
| 26 | Cubs | Brandon Hughes | Rowan Wick | Mark Leiter Jr. | SOLID | Hughes has given up a run in two of his last four. |
| 27 | Marlins | Dylan Floro | Tanner Scott | Steven Okert | SHAKY | Floro is officially the lead closer in Miami. |
| 28 | Red Sox | John Schreiber | Matt Barnes | MATT STRAHM | COMMITTEE | Strahm converted the most recent save opportunity. |
| 29 | Diamondbacks | Ian Kennedy | Mark Melancon | Joe Mantiply | SHAKY | Steer clear of this ugly situation. |
| 30 | Pirates | Wil Crowe | DAVID BEDNAR (IL) | Duane Underwood Jr. | SHAKY | Bednar has looked good in his rehab assignment. |
