When to draft a closer is super important to determining roster composition in fantasy. Taking an early closer may help ratios, provide big saves counts and help with k's however an early round closer may prevent you from being able to take a chance on a starter who may put up 190 innings or a position player with top potential. Here are my rankings, tiered out for the 2024 closers.
Tier 1
Edwin Díaz (NYM): He may be coming off injury but this man is elite. His strikeout rate is insane from 2022 at 50.2%. He struck out more than half of the batters he faced! Let that sink in. Diaz provides the best ratios, wins and saves potential in a fully locked in closer position.
Josh Hader (HOU): After signing with the Astros he jumps to 2 on the list as he will have plenty of opportunities to continue to show his dominant stuff. He had a slight blip in 2022 when his era jumped to 5.22, however reports were that he was dealing with a lot of personal issues and he showed that he had returned to his previous self in 2023. He has a career k rate of close to 40% and with the Astros has no reason for that to change. Only concerns are he may not get every opportunity with Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu as capable fill-ins.
Tier 2
Devin Williams (MIL): After trading Hader in 2022 the Brewers were able to still rely on Williams to finish off the 9th in most games. He showed incredible strike out stuff and posted a miniscule 1.53 era last year. My only worry with Williams is his tendency to walk people as his 12.1% BB was in the bottom 8% of the league but with strikeout stuff like his there is no reason for concern. In 58.2 innings he only gave up 26 hits which shows how nasty his stuff can be.
Jordan Romano (TOR): Romano is as steady as they come. He was injured for stretches last season but still managed to post another 36 save season with elite strike out numbers. He took a step back with his era and whip but there is no reason to believe that he will not be able to replicate his 2022 season instead as he still threw with the same velocity and pitch quality.
Jhoan Duran (MIN): This guy is a monster on the mound. Averaging 102 with his fastball, Duran proved last year he is a shut down closer. He posted numerous elite numbers in categories demonstrating he was potentially even better than his era and whip suggest. Duran was very difficult for opposing hitters to square up and the hope is that he can spot
Tier 3
Emmanuel Clase (CLE): The first non elite strikeout closer on our list appears as Clase has been consistently reliable to rack up saves for fantasy teams over the past few years. Prior to last year Clase could be counted on for elite ratios of mid 1s era and under 1 whip. He took a step back last year but there is no reason to not expect that dominance to return. Clase can be relied on for mid to high 30 saves. his pitches a little better, prevent walks and show the same dominant fastball and offspeed combo.
Camilo Doval (SFG): Doval has always had the stuff to be a top of the line closer and has started to show it, albeit with some inconsistency. His splits continue to be of concern as in 2022 he posted a dominant first half and an average second half while in 2023 he posted a middling first half and dominant second half. If Doval can put it together for a full season he could catapult himself into top 5 conversation.
Raisel Iglesias (ATL): Iglesias is fortunate to play for one of the best teams in baseball which helps provide him with significant opportunities to put up gaudy save numbers. After being out at the beginning of the 2023 season with shoulder issues, Iglesias bounced back and posted another elite season which he turned on in the second half as well. His fastball/sinker took a hefty step back last season which is cause for concern heading into his year 34 season.
David Bednar (PIT): Bednar is as steady as they come. He is a perennial trade candidate due to his high value and the Pirates continued struggles but put up hefty strikeout and saves numbers last year and can be expected to remain a closer even if he is eventually traded at the deadline.
Tier 4
Pete Fairbanks (TBR): Fairbanks is the definition of having stuff that is “too good” for his own good. His nasty stuff puts too much stress on his arm which ends up causing injuries year in and year out. If Fairbanks could stay healthy he could be a top 5 closer. Don’t expect it to happen.
Paul Sewald (ARI): Sewald was surprisingly traded at the deadline last year and helped to lead the Diamondbacks to a World Series berth. He is not your traditional hard throwing fireballer who can blow you away but instead uses weird arm angles to get batters out and be deceptive. Sewald has 3 straight years of elite era, xBA and k rates which all lead me to have no reason to downgrade him in 2024. A two pitch guy with a sweeper and fastball, Sewald is underrated and will continue to put up great numbers.
Alexis Díaz (CIN): Diaz was amazing last year. He had an insanely strong first half but faded down the stretch with a 4.61 era in the second half. Edwin’s brother had issues with walks that turned into increased opportunities for the offense to score against him but his raw stuff was elite as the opposing batters had a xBA of just .192 off him, however the past two years he gave up close to or greater than (in 2022) walks than hits which turned into inflated whip as well. If he can show better walk rates he can rise up the ranks but until then he is stuck as a solid #2 closer for your fantasy team.
Andrés Muñoz (SEA): Andrés Muñoz may have the best raw stuff out of any closer outside of Edwin Diaz but he has yet to be able to stay healthy enough to post a dominant season in the closer role. The handcuff for Paul Sewald over the past few years wields a 100+ mph fastball and impressive groundball rates while pitching half his games in one of the most pitcher friendly environments. Unfortunately even after Sewald’s trade Munoz still did not close entirely. He had the majority but not a dominant share which gives me pause for his exact role going into 2024.
Evan Phillips (LAD): Now that the Hader to the Dodgers rumors can be laid to rest, Phillips can be properly ranked as a top bullpen arm for one of the best teams in baseball. He has posted two straight years of era under 2.05 which has no reason to regress considering all underlying skills. His strikeout rate is a touch lower than one would hope but he mixes well and gets guys out.
José Alvarado (PHI): If Alvarado could pitch how he does at his peak he would be 2 on our list. Unfortunately he shows a good amount of inconsistency. Throwing 100 from the left with a nasty cut slider, Alvarado is nearly unhitable at times but also sometimes is a bit out of control. His walk rates have been closer to a palatable 10% the past two years but has a history of getting up into the high teens (18.7 in 2021) showing risk in the profile. My other concern is Rob Thompson has shown an affinity for using him in situations of high leverage and I think Orion Kerkering is being grown to a future closer and may get some saves this year if Alvarado is used in difficult spots in the 7th or 8th innings.
Ryan Helsley (STL): Helsley throws harder than anyone not named Aroldis Chapman. Consistently pumping 104 mph the past two years, Helsley kept batters on their toes mixing in a slider that batters hit only .113 off of last year. Throwing as hard as he does gives me concern about arm injuries which popped up last year but when healthy he has pretty dominant stuff. He also coasted down the stretch putting up a 0.77 era in the second half with 7 saves. I like him as a high upside option that you don’t have to spend a top 5 round pick on.
Tier 5
Craig Kimbrel (BAL): Kimbrel is probably the best career closer on this list (other than maybe Kenley) but he is not the pitcher he was earlier in his career. He provided good, yet not great results in 2023 for the Phillies but continues to put up top strikeout rates. His hard hit rate last year leads to some concern but playing half his games at pitcher friendly Camden Yards for a team that should be near the top of the AL leads me to believe he could provide good fantasy stats for your team.
Tanner Scott (MIA): Tanner Scott took a few years to do it but finally showed what his potential could be if he could harness his pitches a bit. He started out the year average but had an incredible second half where he took over the closer role and had a 1.56 era and 10 saves. Some regression is expected as Scott cut his walk percentage in half but one can hope he maintains his elite strikeout rate as he can be a very good 2nd or 3rd closer for a team.
Adbert Alzolay (CHC): Alzolay broke out in 2022 and assumed the closer role in 2023 after injuries and struggles on the mound by Brad Boxberger and Michael Fulmer. Alzolay does not walk anyone which leads to low WHIPs, strikes out more than a batter per 9 and has some pretty good raw stuff headlined by his slider that had over a 40% whiff rate. Alzolay has the personality and skills to become a 35 saves guy in the Cubs bullpen in 2024.
Kenley Jansen (BOS): Kenley has been a top closer for years but may have finally lost a step in 2023. His stuff was not quite as dominant and he was hit a little harder, possibly somewhat related to pitching in Fenway. With the Red Sox projected to miss the playoffs again fantasy owners may hope for Jansen to be traded to a closer needy playoff contender and get into a better situation to continue his hall of fame career.
Clay Holmes (NYY): Holmes continued his above average pitching in 2023 but lost his job for a period and does not have typical closer stuff. He strikes out some guys but does not have dominant raw pitches. He gets hit hard at times but my expectation is Holmes regains his stranglehold on the Yanks bullpen job. Loaisiga and Scott Effross both have stuff that could work towards the end of the bullpen but Holmes is the most experience and has the best shot at 30 saves.
José Leclerc (TEX): Leclerc has pretty great stuff but walks way too many people to be fully reliable. He has gone in and out of the closer role but should start the season with the job and will be given every opportunity to hold the role. He has elite hard hit against % and xBA so it really comes down to if Leclerc can prevent the walks. I still like him as a later pick closer.
Tier 6
Alex Lange (DET): Lange is a closer mostly due to being the reliever with the best stuff in the Tigers bullpen. Lange was very hit or miss down the stretch and lost the job for a bit but regained it at the end of the season. He walks entirely too many batters (in the bottom 1% of pitchers in walks) and does not have the nasty stuff to get away with it as much as a closer should. He throws his curveball at 57% to attempt to keep opposing hitters off balance which works well as he strikes out a good percentage of batters (99th percentage in whiff percent) but cannot be trusted to be more than a closer with average at best ratios that will put up saves for a bad Detroit team.
James McArthur/Nick Anderson/Will Smith (KCR): This bullpen is very muddy right now as it has 3 pretty good arms at the back. At first look Will Smith would be the most reliable closer of the 3 options, however he is the only lefty in the Royals pen and due to that one can expect that a righty may rise to be the 9th inning man. McArthur got a chance to close at the end of the 2023 season for KC and my guess is that he starts the year with the job. I think if he struggles and Nick Anderson stays healthy (big if) that Anderson may become the closer and run away with the job.
Carlos Estevez/Robert Stephenson (LAA): Estevez looked like two different pitchers pre and post all star break in 2023 with a disaster of a second half while new signee Robert Stephenson was even more shut down in the second half after posting a dominant first half. I believe the Angels give Estevez the job in the first half but he has never had the stuff to be a dominant closer with a poor walk rate and hard hit rate. Stephenson, if given the opportunity may run away with the job and would likely skyrocket on this list as his 2023 stats and stuff fits a closer role much better. Stephenson’s cutter was one of the best pitches in baseball (.101 BA against, 60% whiff rate, 46% put away rate) and Stephenson used it for nearly 40% of his pitches. Every closer should have a pitch that is near unhittable and Stephenson is someone I think may be worth a last round pick in case he steals the closer job early.
Robert Suarez (SDP): The Padres appear ready to give the closer job to Robert Suarez after Josh Hader departing. Between Suarez, Yuki Matsui and Woo Suk Go the Padres have 3 dominant closers from the Japanese and Korean leagues but none who are proven in the MLB. Suarez has the most MLB experience and was fairly successful. He posted solid overall numbers the past 2 seasons and missed enough bats to be adequate. I do not expect that the Pads will only have 1 main closer all year.
Mason Miller (OAK): Mason Miller entices me. His stuff screams closer and after getting injured as a starter last year, he is being moved to the bullpen. He has only been able to throw a total of 39.1 innings in 3 seasons in the minor leagues which shows how fragile he can be. Miller has the stuff to be a dominant closer but with his young age, lack of experience and high walk rate he will be tough to trust. He has an elite fastball and slider that should play up in relief. The A’s will not provide him with a lot of save opportunities but I think he can convert the majority of them. If there was one closer from the bottom third of this list I think could end up in the top 10 next year this is the guy however that will require him to stay healthy.
Tier 7
Kyle Finnegan/Hunter Harvey (WAS): Finnegan is the definition of mid. He has a good fastball, but gives up hard hits, walks guys and doesn’t strike out too many. He does not excite me one bit but can be someone to get you a few saves at the beginning of the season. I think there is a good chance Harvey stuff (plus fastball, good K rate and low BB rate) all point to him being the Nats closer by midseason 2024. Harvey may be a dark horse candidate to get 30 saves depending on when he becomes the closer.
Gregory Santos (CHW): Santos is on this list because the ChiSox are bad. Nobody else in their bullpen has the stuff to be a closer, has any experience as a closer and would be able to hold the closer job. Santos’ pitching is actually a little underrated from 2023. He showed elite ability to miss bats with a 100 percentile barrel rate a 98th percentile fastball and an xERA that was better than his was last year. This profile sounds pretty attractive but my biggest fear is prior to last year Santos walked batters at a 17% clip and only had an 11.8 strikeout rate. I think Santos will give you both some saves and some headaches this year, be warned.
Justin Lawrence (COL): Lawrence was a pretty average reliever last year who benefitted from the Rockies poor bullpen being led by Daniel Bard who just could not throw a strike. Lawrence had times where he looked like a good pitcher but ended up being what I like to call a JAG (just a guy). Pitching in a poor environment with a bad team while walking over 11% does not scream a pitcher I want on my team. Draft Lawrence only if you want a few saves and have a very solid pitching staff to offset poor ratios and occasional blow up games.
