Closer. It’s somehow the most and least important position on an MLB roster. Allow me to explain.
In the grand scheme of things, the closer might pitch the seventh or eighth-most innings on a team’s roster in a given season. Also, while the closer is tasked with getting the game’s final three outs, they may not even have to face an opponent’s best hitters. That’s why saves are a flawed stat.
Yet, at the same time, relievers will tell you that there’s something different about throwing in the ninth. An aura. It all combines for a confounding pairing of 100 mph fastballs and intangibles.
With all that said, saves and closers are a vital part of season-long fantasy baseball, so let’s break down the back end of every team’s bullpen heading into 2025.
The Locks
Orioles: Felix Bautista – Bautista missed all of 2024 after Tommy John surgery, but should be back in full-force in 2025. Don’t forget how dominant Bautista was in 2023. Across 61.0 innings, the RHP racked up 110 strikeouts with a 1.48 ERA. Brandon Hyde has stated Bautista won’t pitch on back-to-back days to begin the season, but he’ll still get the majority of save opportunities for the Orioles.
Yankees: Devin Williams – For as good as Luke Weaver was in 2024, you don’t go out and trade for Devin Williams and not make him the closer. Williams blew up in Game 3 of last season’s Wild Card series against the Mets, but that is only a small blemish on an otherwise amazing run of dominance. Since 2022, Williams sports a 1.66 ERA over 148 appearances.
Blue Jays: Jeff Hoffman – Hoffman only has 12 career saves, but the Blue Jays ditched Jordan Romano and paid the RHP $33 million this winter to come close out games in Canada. Hoffman was among the league’s best relievers in 2024, registering a 2.17 ERA and a 33.6% strikeout rate. Chad Green and Yimi Garcia might spell Hoffman on occasion, yet this is clearly Hoffman’s job.
Guardians: Emmanuel Clase – Let’s not overcomplicate this one. Was Clase horrendous in the ALCS? Very much so. Still, at the end of the day, the RHP got American League Cy Young votes for a reason in 2024. Clase allowed five earned runs over 74.1 innings. He doesn’t carry the gaudy strikeout upside of most closers, though. Something to keep in mind in fantasy.
Twins: Jhoan Duran – Duran is what the ideal version of a closer looks like in most people’s minds. He stands 6’5 and his fastball averaged 100.4 mph last season. Need I say more? Duran’s velocity has been down a tick in Spring Training, yet according to the right-hander, that is by design. Don’t sweat it too much.
Athletics: Mason Miller – Miller was a breakout star in 2024, saving 28 games for an extremely bad Athletics squad. Well, after the nomad A’s spent some money this offseason, Miller might have a few more opportunities in 2025. In 65.0 innings last season, Miller posted a 1.77 xERA with a 41.8% strikeout rate. That is gross, people.
Astros: Josh Hader – Doesn’t it feel like the public has sort of forgotten about Hader? A pedestrian campaign in 2024 certainly didn’t help, as Hader struggled with the long ball and saw his ERA balloon to 3.80. Still, this is a man just a year removed from posting a 1.28 ERA and 33 saves with the Padres. The job in Houston is his. No question.
Mariners: Andres Munoz – Yet another flamethrower. With Paul Sewald in Arizona, Munoz finally took over as the Mariners’ full-time closer in 2024. The results were mixed. Munoz was fantastic, maintaining a 2.12 ERA with a 33.2% strikeout rate, yet the right-hander only wound up with 22 saves. Still, Munoz is clearly the guy in Seattle.
Braves: Raisel Iglesias – Iglesias is now 35-years-old, but he looked as dominant as ever in 2024, pitching to a 1.95 ERA and a 2.24 xERA with 34 saves. Iglesias did strikeout fewer than a batter per inning for the first time in his career, yet his fastball velocity (95.7) and swinging strike rate (15.5%) still suggest legitimacy.
Mets: Edwin Diaz – What? You think A.J. Minter is going to look as cool coming out to the sound of trumpets? Diaz’s surface numbers weren’t eye-popping in 2024, yet he still finished the season with a 2.49 xERA and a 38.9% strikeout rate. He could be even better another year removed from his WBC injury.
Nationals: Kyle Finnegan – Finnegan had not found a home in free agency as camps opened, but on February 27, the veteran re-signed with the Nationals on a one-year deal for $6 million. That should keep things pretty status quo for a team that allowed Finnegan to rack up 38 saves in 2024 despite a 4.34 xERA. Is he one of the best closers? Obviously not. Is he starting the season as a closer? 100%.
Cubs: Ryan Pressly – Pressly revealed that he would close games for the Cubs at his introductory press conference, which makes a lot of sense when you consider how much turmoil Chicago had at the position in 2024. Pressly is now 36-years-old and he looks to have taken a step back since dominant campaigns as the Astros’ closer in 2021 and 2022, yet he still managed a 3.10 FIP and over a strikeout per inning as Houston’s setup man last season.
Brewers: Trevor Megill – A silver-lining of Devin Williams’ injury last season was we now know the Brewers’ succession plan at closer. Megill pitched quite well in the role when given the opportunity, picking up 21 saves with a 2.72 ERA and a 2.82 xERA. Megill is yet another bit of miracle work by the Brewers’ pitching department, as the RHP owns a 30.8% strikeout rate in his two seasons in Milwaukee.
Cardinals: Ryan Helsley – Helsley was a popular name in trade rumors this offseason, yet MLB’s saves leader from 2024 will be staying in St. Louis for now. Helsey used a 99.8 mph average fastball velocity to notch a pristine 2.04 ERA last year. He’s pretty damn good — even if the Cardinals won’t be. That means he might be on the move at the deadline. Keep an eye.
Padres: Robert Suarez – Suarez has looked poor in Spring Training, but after saving 36 games for the Padres in 2024, there are no worries about the 34-year-old’s ability to hang onto this job. Suarez’s fastball averaged 99.2 mph last season and he rode that offering to a 2.77 ERA across 65.0 innings. Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada could be closers on several other rosters, but not this one. At least not yet.
Someone’s Lurking
Giants: Ryan Walker – Bob Melvin has gone on record saying that Walker will start the season as the Giants’ closer, but a quick peek at this bullpen should make prospective owners worry. Tyler Rogers is far from a traditional ninth inning guy, yet he held the job briefly back in 2021 and he’s always been steady for San Francisco. The same level of consistency can not be found in Camilo Doval, though he has collected 89 saves since 2022 in the Bay. Doval is a year removed from being one the league’s top closers. I’ll assume he gets a shot to win the job back at some point in 2025.
Red Sox: Aroldis Chapman – Boston beat reporters feel that Chapman has the inside track on the closer position with the Red Sox, though it’s a role he hasn’t had full-time since all the way back in 2021 with the Yankees. Chapman just turned 37-years-old and while the velocity and strikeout stuff is still there, massive walk rates continue to haunt the veteran LHP. Chapman is very likely to have a couple shaky outings, and when that happens, Liam Hendriks and Garrett Whitlock will be waiting.
Angels: Kenley Jansen – It feels like we’ve been collectively waiting for Jansen’s downfall the past half-decade and it simply never comes. Still, at 37-years-old, the wheels could come off at any time for the man with 447 career saves. If that were to finally happen in 2025, Ben Joyce could pounce on the closer’s role in Los Angeles and never give it back. The former third-round pick has jaw-dropping fastball velocity (102.4) and he picked up a few saves late last season for the Angels. The most encouraging part? Joyce’s 9.9% walk rate in 2024 was manageable. If he consistently throws strikes, he’s almost unhittable.
Reds: Alexis Diaz – There’s no need to sugarcoat it. Diaz was pretty awful in 2024. Though a 3.99 ERA isn’t disgusting, a 5.06 xFIP tells the story of a man who struggled with control and walks for a majority of the season. Diaz also wasn’t striking out opponents at nearly the same rate, as his swing strike rate dropped to 11.0%. Add in the fact that Diaz has walked five of the 18 batters he’s faced this Spring, and I think we’ll all agree there’s some red flags. The Reds traded for Taylor Rogers this winter. That doesn’t feel like an accident.
Their Job to Lose
Rays: Pete Fairbanks – I almost slotted Fairbanks in the “Locks” section, but the RHP wasn’t exactly at his best in 2024. Fairbanks did pick up 23 saves in his 46 appearances, yet he also posted a 4.08 xERA and a career-low 23.8% strikeout rate. This is also the Rays and Kevin Cash we’re talking about here. Tampa Bay creates high-leverage relievers out of paper scraps and bubblegum and Cash will always try and play the advantages. There’s just a few too many red flags for me to fully trust Fairbanks in 2025.
Pirates: David Bednar – Technically, Derek Shelton hasn’t named a closer yet, but Bednar is the obvious choice, despite last season’s struggles. Part of the issue in 2024 was Bednar’s modest 62.2% strand rate, which seems likely to normalize in 2025 — particularly with the veteran’s ability to garner swings and misses. It was only a season ago when Bednar pitched to a 2.00 ERA with a 2.53 FIP and 39 saves. The fact that the Pirates don’t exactly have another reliever banging down the door to take this job is another plus.
Rangers: Chris Martin – I’m not sure if there’s ever been another pitcher that waited until his age 39 season to become a top option in the ninth, but that’s what Martin is on the brink of accomplishing in 2025. It feels equally impressive and uneasy. To wit, Martin only has 14 career saves. Five of those came during his last two seasons in Boston, a stretch where Martin pitched to a 2.16 ERA with a 2.60 FIP. Again, Martin has earned this. It just wouldn’t shock me if someone like Robert Garcia eventually got an opportunity, especially after an eye-opening 2024 with the Nationals.
Phillies: Jordan Romano – Let’s do some bullpen math. The Phillies subtracted Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman from their 26-man roster, but added Romano, who racked up 72 saves with the Blue Jays across 2022 and 2023, but spent the majority of 2024 on the IL. Just over a week out from Opening Day, this seems like Romano’s job. His velocity has been back in Spring Training and he’s yet to allow an earned run. Still, Jose Alvarado is nasty and Orion Kerkering had an amazing rookie campaign. They could factor in if Romano slips or injuries re-emerge.
Good Opportunity, Bad Team
Marlins: Calvin Faucher – Faucher saw limited save chances in 2024 with the Marlins, but he put together a really nice season, finishing with a 3.19 ERA and a 2.50 FIP with a 26.8% strikeout rate. The issue here is just the path of Miami’s team in 2025. Even putting aside the fact that Faucher might not get many opportunities for saves on a club that’s set to lose 100 games, he also could simply be traded at the deadline.
Rockies: Tyler Kinley – Woof. Kinley is probably going to get the chance to start the season as the Rockies’ closer. The right-hander picked up a save in five of the final seven appearances he made in 2024 and he’s yet to allow an earned run in Spring Training. It’s not much, but this is a low bar to clear. Still, if you’re looking for a deep sleeper, keep an eye of Seth Halvorsen. The 25-year-old sat at 100.1 mph with his fastball in 12.1 innings for Colorado last season and he added a 6.50 K/BB ratio. Small sample, yet, you know, low bar.
White Sox: Mike Clevinger – Who knows? Will Venable did say last week that Clevinger would be “near the top” of the list for the White Sox options in the ninth, so that’s something, but the 34-year-old also hasn’t made an appearance out of the bullpen in an MLB game since 2017. Still, there aren’t a lot of other clear candidates. Justin Anderson? Penn Murfee was pretty great in Seattle before getting hurt. That’s all I got.
This Screams Committee
Tigers: Jason Foley – We saw Detroit’s plan of attack for pitching during the second half of last season and into the playoffs. It’s anarchy, people. Foley is probably the guy to own of the group, as he picked up 28 saves last season, but a career 18.1% strikeout rate doesn’t exactly lend itself well to fantasy. Tyler Holton will get some chances. Beau Brieske will get some chances. Heck, Alex Lange could get some chances once he gets healthy again. A.J. Hinch is blessed with a great collection of arms, yet it’s simply a confusing and frustrating reality for those looking for any level of consistency.
Royals: Carlos Estevez – Here’s what we know. The Royals went out this winter and paid Estevez $22.2 million over two years. That’s a lot of money. However, Lucas Erceg was also quite good for Kansas City down the stretch in 2024 and there’s already been rumblings that he’ll be used in the “highest leverage” spots the team faces in 2025. Reading between the lines, that likes means Erceg won’t be put in the closer role to avoid boxing him into the ninth. They want flexibility. At the same time, Estevez owns a career 4.21 ERA. He’s not Mariano Rivera. He could easily lose the job and force the team to go back to Erceg.
Diamondbacks: Justin Martinez – After trading Paul Sewald at the deadline, the Diamondbacks never really settled on a closer. That’s the same vibe they’re bringing into 2025. However, in my opinion, Martinez should be the guy. Across 72.2 innings in 2024, Martinez maintained a 2.48 ERA with a 2.59 FIP. He averaged 100.6 mph with his fastball and generated a 14.2% swinging strike rate. The stuff is obvious. Yet, Martinez is only 23-years-old and A.J. Puk has more experience as both a MLB pitcher and as a closer. He also misses bats. Both have reason to play claim to the role.
The Dodgers
Dodgers: Tanner Scott – We’re two games into the season for Los Angeles and they already have two players with a save. Still, Scott picked up the ninth in Game 1 and that feels important. The left-hander was paid $72 million this offseason and he’s on the heels a 1.75 ERA across 72.0 innings in 2024. He’ll be the No. 1 option. That said, Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol would all be closers on many other MLB teams and they’ll likely get their opportunities. No one will be overworked. Plus, if the Dodgers actually win 110 games, there might actually be enough saves to go around.
