Top 15 Middle Relievers / Save Sleepers

February 27, 2019

Below are our top middle relievers for 2019. Note that these rankings are calibrated for traditional (saves only) leagues and are thus weighted toward players with the best chances of winning the closer role at some point this season. If you missed them earlier this week, check out our tiered closer rankings — a few of the guys in potential committees appear on both lists — and stay tuned for our holds rankings, which we’ll publish later this week.

1. Josh Hader – It probably comes as little surprise that Josh Hader tops our middle reliever rankings for 2019, as the lefty is looking to build on a year that saw him crowned the NL’s best relief pitcher. With 143 Ks in 81.1 innings in support of a sterling ERA and WHIP, Hader wouldn’t even need to ascend to the closer role to help your fantasy team. If he does, look for him to be a top 5 closer in baseball.

2. Andrew Miller – The man who birthed a new bullpen role synonymous with his name, Andrew Miller will probably be used… in an Andrew Miller-type role in 2019. That means high-leverage outs and occasional save chances when matchups are right. It’s possibly he wins the closer role in spring training — we think the smart money is on Jordan Hicks — but either way, he’ll be a valuable contributor for both the Cardinals and your fantasy team.

3. Ryan Brasier – A career journeyman whose contract was sold to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 2016, Brasier returned to the bigs in the middle of 2018. In the 33.2 innings that followed, Brasier posted a 1.60 ERA, tallying nearly a strikeout per inning. He threw an additional 8.2 innings in the playoffs (1 ER), and has worked his way in to the Red Sox closer competition. At the very least, look for him to be a solid 8th inning option, and if Matt Barnes can’t improve on his control issues, Brasier could ascend.

4. Wily Peralta – Another guy who might just up and win the closer role out of spring training, Wily Peralta boasts a 100 mph fastball and a track record of success in the 9th inning — he was 14 for 14 in save chances down the stretch last season. Recent signee Brad Boxberger wants to close, and we give him the slight edge to win the job, but he had some significant rough patches last season, none worse than in September, when he posted a 11.37 ERA. Look for Peralta to get a shot at some point.

5. Joe Jimenez – This one isn’t complicated. Shane Greene is not very good, and Jimenez is his clear handcuff. Stash him and wait for Greene to falter.

6. Will Smith – Mark Melancon says that he’s healthy, but we’ll believe it when we see it. Meanwhile, Will Smith did a spectacular job virtually every time he took the mound in 2018, racking up 71 Ks in 53 innings and posting a 2.55 ERA along with 14 saves. If you draft Melancon, we strongly suggest you handcuff him with Smith.

7. Sergio Romo – The original “opener” could potentially be part of a three-headed closer-by-committee for the Marlins when the season opens. As we mentioned in our NL East preview, we think Drew Steckenrider emerges here, but the wily veteran will be ready to step in if Steckenrider struggles to find his footing.

8. Blake Parker – It’s an open competition in Twins camp for the closer role, though most, including us, are pegging Trevor May (25.1 IP, 36 Ks, 3.20 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) as Minnesota’s most likely stopper. That leaves Proven Closer Blake Parker as the likely 8th inning man, and the probable candidate to step in if May falters. Also, like several others on this list, Parker could just up and win the job outright in spring.

9. Zack Britton – The continuing aura of Aroldis Chapman’s otherworldly fastball has masked the fact that the lefty has failed to strike out 100 hitters for three consecutive seasons now. It’s not that Chapman has gotten significantly less effective, but he’s dealt with minor injuries now and again the last few seasons and has occasionally had brief bouts of control issues. With the Yankees projected to win close to 100 games, it’s likely that Zack Britton nabs a handful of saves even if Chapman stays fully healthy and effective. But if not, the sky is the limit.

10. Greg Holland – A glance at Greg Holland’s 2018 numbers shows a tale of two seasons: a 7.92 ERA across 25 innings in St. Louis, followed by a 0.84 ERA across 21.1 innings in Washington. But dig a little deeper and you’ll see that he was actually only marginally better in Washington (2.97 FIP) than he was in St. Louis (4.56 FIP), and that his night-and-day splits were just the result of extremely bad luck followed by extremely good luck. What you’re left with is a perfectly decent (but not great) MLB reliever who nonetheless carries his Proven Closer title with him, making him a possible option for saves in Arizona, especially if Archie Bradley struggles this spring.

11. Seranthony Dominguez – Gabe Kapler might employ the same bullpen chaos theory that he did last year, making Seranthony Dominguez an attractive target even after the acquisition of David Robertson. Of course, this cuts both ways, as Dominguez might never become a full-time closer, even if Robertson is hurt or ineffective — and there’s also word that the Phillies may limit the amount they use him on consecutive days. Still, the talent here is impossible to deny, and Dominguez is worth grabbing, even in shallower leagues, as he’ll help contribute to percentages and strikeouts even if he’s never getting more than a couple saves per month.

12. Jared Hughes – Quick, of all the NL relievers who pitched 50+ innings last year, who had the best ERA? If you guessed Jeremy Jeffress, good job! (And, also, maybe think about drafting him? He barely missed this list, but he’s pretty good, too!) But coming in second place was the largely-unheralded Jared Hughes, who posted a 1.92 mark across 78.2 innings. With word that Raisel Iglesias will be used all over the place this year, Hughes could quickly become a valuable fantasy arm.

13. AJ Minter – Here’s another one that isn’t very complicated: Arodys Vizcaino is good, but he was hurt for a decent stretch of the season last year, allowing hard-throwing lefty AJ Minter to pick up 15 saves. No reason to think that it can’t happen again in 2019. (Minter’s value, of course, would take a significant hit if Craig Kimbrel returns to the Braves.)  

14. Trevor Rosenthal – Dave Martinez turned heads earlier this spring when he said that Trevor Rosenthal would get some save opportunities. It’s likely that this comment was more in regards to nights when Sean Doolittle isn’t available, but the fact that Martinez put it out there — coupled with Doolittle’s general fragility in recent years — earns Rosenthal a spot on this list.

15. Joe Kelly – Joe Kelly got a hefty deal in free agency to be the primary set-up man for the Dodgers going forward, and seems likely to be the man to benefit should anything befall Kenley Jansen. Simply put, you could do worse than the 8th inning guy for a team likely to threaten 100 wins.

2019 Tiered Closer Rankings

February 25, 2019

Here are the Monkey’s closer rankings for 2019. This year is a little unique since we have a few committees, some injuries (Brandon Morrow) and a top-flight closer un-signed (Craig Kimbrel) so we have extended this list to 35 names.  We’ve got them divided into tiers for your drafting ease.

Tier 1

1. Edwin Diaz
2. Blake Treinen
3. Aroldis Chapman

Edwin Diaz and Blake Treinen are new names at the top of the list but after last season, it’s hard to put anybody else there.  Diaz led the league with 57 saves, had an ERA under 2.00, a WHIP well under 1.00, and struck out over 100 batters. Oh, and did we mention he’s only 24 years old?  Treinen finished last season with an ERA of 0.78 (yes that is not a typo) and struck out 100 batters.

Tier 2

4. Sean Doolittle
5. Kenley Jansen
6. Brad Hand
7. Craig Kimbrel

Sean Doolittle had an incredible year in 2018 (1.60 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, and 10-1 K to BB ratio) and he would be tier 1 if not for injury concerns.  Brad Hand struck out over 100 batters for the second straight year and should be the undisputed closer for the contending Indians in 2019. Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel are getting a little older but are still close to elite.

Tier 3

8. Felipe Vazquez
9. Raisel Iglesias
10. Jose Leclerc
11. David Robertson
12. Roberto Osuna
13. Kirby Yates
14. Wade Davis

Tier 3 is an interesting group.  Vazquez is locked in as closer for the Pirates and his numbers are great, except for a high WHIP (1.24 last year).  Robertson and Osuna all have the potential to run away with the closer’s role for their respective teams, but their managers have not been shy to use multiple guys to close out games.  The Reds have already said that they want to use Iglesias in different ways.  Jose Leclerc is a guy to keep an eye on as he gave up a grand total of 3 hits in August and September while racking up 12 saves during that time.

Tier 4

15. Arodys Vizcaino
16. Ken Giles
17. Cody Allen
18. Corey Knebel
19. Jose Alvarado

Ken Giles, Cody Allen, and Corey Knebel were all top 10 closers going into last season but really struggled in 2018.  Alvarado is a young hard-throwing lefty who could prove to be a steal if the Rays commit to him as their closer for the full season.

Tier 5

20. Alex Colome
21. Archie Bradley
22. Mychal Givens
23. Mark Melancon
24. Jordan Hicks
25. Hunter Strickland
26. Drew Steckenrider
27. Brandon Morrow

This group has a lot more questions than answers, but a few of these guys are going to help you win saves in your league.  Mychal Givens has the least competition of the group but he is unproven and closing for the lowly Orioles. Archie Bradley and Jordan Hicks are excellent young relievers but they both have competition from veterans with more closing experience.  Brandon Morrow was fantastic last year but will miss the start of the year and is a big injury risk.

Tier 6

28. Pedro Strop
29. Matt Barnes
30. Shane Greene
31. Brad Boxberger
32. Josh Hader
33. Trevor May
34. Andrew Miller
35. Wily Peralta

Josh Hader and Andrew Miller are elite relievers who unfortunately are often used before the 9th inning.  Trevor May pitched well for the Twins at the end of last season and the 6’5 righty has loads of potential. Shane Greene’s numbers were pretty terrible last year (5.12 ERA and 1.37 WHIP) but he saved 32 games and will start the year as the closer for the Tigers.

2019 NL East Preview

February 21, 2019

Atlanta Braves – The Braves enter 2019 looking to defend their NL East title, and will hope that their largely-unheralded-but-mostly-effective bullpen can repeat its output from a year ago. They’re strong at the top, with Arodys Vizcaino and A.J. Minter as an enviable 1-2 punch in the late innings, with Minter wanting to become a Josh Hader-esque relief ace type. After that, it’s elder statesmen Jonny Venters and Darren O’Day, along with a slew of young holdovers, including Chad Sobotka, Jesse Biddle, Shane Carle, and Dan Winkler. Of this group, we like Sobotka to potentially break out as a valuable holds candidate; the 25-year-old righty posted impressive strikeout totals throughout the minors, and struck out 21 in 14.1 innings after a late-season callup last year. Finally, despite the lack of any substantive discussions, the Braves continue to pop up on various speculative lists as one of the logical landing points for free agent Craig Kimbrel, so keep an eye on his status as you assess both Vizcaino and Minter.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Vizcaino | Minter | Venters.
Holds candidates: Minter, Venters, Sobotka.

Miami Marlins – With Kyle Barraclough shipped off to the Nationals in an October deal, the team will likely turn closing duties over to recent acquisition Sergio Romo, hard-throwing righty Drew Steckenrider, or lefty Adam Conley. We think Steckenrider could have a slight edge right now — the Marlins might use Romo as an opener, among other things — but this could easily go to any of the three, or become a closer-by-committee situation. Regardless, it gets pretty thin after these guys, as the only two other relievers entering camp with significant MLB experience are Tayron Guerrero and Jarlin Garcia, neither of whom have ever been more than serviceable. Look for them to be joined by a mix of youngsters (Riley Ferrell is a former 3rd round pick and Jose Quijada has impressive minor league numbers) and/or whoever doesn’t win the 4th/5th starter jobs (Trevor Richards, Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara, etc.) 

Starting 2019 hierarchy: *Steckenrider | Romo | Conley.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Conley, Guerrero, Garcia. 

New York Mets – After posting the third-worst bullpen ERA in baseball in 2018, the Mets spent part of their busy offseason attempting to shore up their relief corps and have, on paper, flipped the script from a year ago, with their bullpen currently projected to be the third-best in baseball. They traded for one of the best relievers in the game, Edwin Diaz; brought back their former closer who they had dealt midseason, Jeurys Familia; and added veteran lefty Justin Wilson. That trio will join holdovers Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman to make up what will likely be the team’s top five relievers; rounding out this pen will be some mix of veterans (Luis Avilan, Hector Santiago) and youngsters (Paul Sewald, Daniel Zamora). 

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Diaz | Familia | Wilson.
Holds candidates: Familia, Wilson, Lugo.

Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies were among the more maddening bullpens for fantasy owners in 2018, as nine different pitchers logged saves, including five who managed to tally three or more. But the addition of David Robertson likely stabilizes the 9th inning for now, allowing Gabe Kapler to deploy the likes of Seranthony Dominguez and Hector Neris earlier in the game. Beyond those three, there’s a logjam of qualified guys in camp, and it’s likely to be a spring training battle for the remaining slots, with newcomers Juan Nicasio, Jose Alvarez, and James Pazos competing with holdovers Pat Neshek, Victor Arano, Tommy Hunter, Adam Morgan, and Edubray Ramos. 

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Robertson | Dominguez | Neris.
Holds candidates: Dominguez, Neris, Neshek.

Washington Nationals – Sean Doolittle (1.60 ERA, 0.60 WHIP in 2018) is doing what he can to make Nationals fans forget that they once had both Blake Treinen and Felipe Vazquez in their midst, and Washington is hoping to support him this year with two offseason acquisitions: former Marlins closer Kyle Barraclough and former Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal, who is fresh off of elbow surgery. (Dave Martinez has already said that Rosenthal will get a few save chances, though we’re a bit skeptical, given how good Doolittle has been.) Justin Miller, Matt Grace, Koda Glover, and Sammy Solis should round out this pen, which will likely see its share of saves and holds in support of their three top-tier starting pitchers. 

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Doolittle | Rosenthal | Barraclough.
Holds candidates: Rosenthal, Barraclough, Glover.

2019 NL Central Preview

February 21, 2019

Chicago Cubs – Brandon Morrow was the top arm in the Cubs bullpen last year, and was outstanding when he was healthy. However, the injury that shut him down last season resulted in surgery that will keep him out for the first month of the year, which means that last year’s trio of Pedro Strop, CJ Edwards and Steve Cishek will get the bulk of the chances while Morrow is recovering. Strop was the primary closer when Morrow wasn’t available last year, while Cishek was their most consistent reliever and saw a fair number of save chances himself. Edwards has always had a live arm, but has found himself in a perennial set-up role despite his high strikeout totals. Another arm to watch is free agent acquisition Brad Brach, who has some closing experience and is looking to rebound from a disappointing 2018 with Baltimore and Atlanta. Brandon Kintzler and Mike Montgomery are veteran relievers who will round out the Cubs bullpen to start. Joe Maddon has never been shy about playing matchups and the Cubs figure to be contenders again this year, so while Morrow is worth stashing until he is ready to come back, most of the Cubs relievers can be helpful in leagues that count holds.

Starting 2019 Hierarchy: *Strop | Cishek | Edwards.
* = closer-by-committee until Brandon Morrow returns
Holds candidates: Brach, Kintzler, Montgomery.

Cincinnati Reds – The Reds bring back closer Raisel Iglesias this season, and his main competition for the role will be first-year manager David Bell. Bell has said that he will use Iglesias in the most important spots in games, whenever they may be. Iglesias boasts solid numbers and job security, which make him a relatively valuable closer even though the Reds aren’t projected to win many games this year. Behind Iglesias the Reds will turn to Jared Hughes, who put together an excellent season in 2018 (1.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 78 IP), as the primary setup man. David Hernandez, Amir Garrett and Michael Lorenzen also return as holds candidates. The Reds added veteran lefty Zach Duke, which may free up Garrett to stretch out as a starter, but it is more likely that they use both lefties situationally, making them good candidates for holds.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Iglesias | Hughes | Hernandez.
Holds candidates: Hughes, Hernandez, Garrett.

Milwaukee Brewers – The Brewers bring back the NL’s best reliever from last year in Josh Hader, and the only reason he isn’t a top tier closer is because he isn’t really a closer. The Brewers have a three-headed monster in their bullpen featuring Hader, Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel, all of whom spent time closing out games last year. Hader won the Trevor Hoffman award as the NL’s best relief pitcher, and finished 7th in the Cy Young vote; Jeffress was a solid option all the way up until the playoffs last year, where he posted an ugly 7.71 ERA over 5 games; and Knebel struggled with injuries and inconsistency early in 2018, and even was sent down to AAA, but returned to put up staggering numbers in September (0.00 ERA, 18.2 K/9). All three figure to be prominent parts of the Brewers’ bullpen, but with Craig Counsell preferring to use Hader in the highest-leverage spots, it will likely be Knebel or Jeffress getting the first crack at saves in Milwaukee.

2019 starting hierarchy: *Knebel | Hader | Jeffress.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Hader, Jeffress, Jacob Barnes.

Pittsburgh Pirates – The Pirates enter the 2019 season with one of the more stable bullpens in baseball. Clint Hurdle has been known to stick with defined bullpen roles, and to start the year he has a pretty clear hierarchy to work with. Closer Felipe Vazquez saved 37 games last year, and will return to his spot at the back end of the Bucco bullpen. Keone Kela was perhaps the best pitcher for the Pirates last year, and will serve as the primary setup man, with Kyle Crick and Richard Rodriguez also getting late inning looks. The Pirates signed Francisco Liriano and Brandon Maurer to tryouts, and if they make the team they could add some bullpen depth, but a more interesting prospect is rule 5 draftee Nick Burdi. Burdi is coming off of Tommy John surgery, and the Pirates will have to hold on to him for at least 2 months or he goes on waivers. He has a lot of upside as a former top prospect, and with the Pirates in a bit of a rebuild, they may want to see what they have in the young righty.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Vazquez | Kela | Crick.
Holds candidates: Kela, Crick, Rodriguez.

St. Louis Cardinals – The Cardinals have a potentially lethal one-two punch at the back end of their bullpen with free agent acquisition Andrew Miller joining flamethrower Jordan Hicks. If Andrew Miller can wind back the clock to his 2017 form, and if Jordan Hicks can perform as well as he did last year,  they could be one of the best lefty-righty tandems in the majors, which is good for the Cardinals because it gets pretty shaky after that. Last season’s closer Carlos Martinez was an option, but now looks like he will miss the start of the season. Luke Gregerson is still on the roster, but is coming off a woeful 2018. The same is true for Brett Cecil. Dakota Hudson shows flashes of brilliance, but his walk rate was a scary 5.9/9 last year. John Brebbia quietly put up solid numbers last season including 2 saves, but spent the bulk of the year pitching in low leverage spots. The lack of stability means that the Cardinals might be looking to add arms via free-agency, with part-time closer from last season Bud Norris being a possible target. All of this uncertainty, and the likely split of 9th inning duties between Miller and Hicks, make the Cardinals a risky proposition in the early going.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: *Hicks | Miller | Hudson.
* = closer-by-committee
Holds candidates: Hudson, Brebbia, Gregerson.

2019 NL West Preview

February 21, 2019

Arizona Diamondbacks – Archie Bradley has his fingernail back (and, with it, his curveball), and so we peg the 26-year-old as the favorite in the Diamondbacks’ three-man closer competition. Also in the mix will be January signee Greg Holland and last September’s committee leader, Yoshihisa Hirano. There’s every indication that Torey Lovullo will pick one guy, so we’re not going to give the D-Backs a committee asterisk; watch this space for updates as draft day draws nearer.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Bradley | Holland | Hirano.
Holds candidates: Holland, Hirano, Andrew Chafin.

Colorado Rockies – With Adam Ottavino and his Bambino-baffling slider off to the Bronx, the Rockies will rely on veterans like Scott Oberg, Seunghwan Oh, and Bryan Shaw to get the ball to $18 million closer Wade Davis. Mike Dunn and Jake McGee are still around too, hoping to move past their disappointing 2018 seasons and finally give Colorado a bullpen that produces in line with its high price tag.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Davis | Oberg | Oh.
Holds candidates: Oberg, Oh, Shaw, Chris Rusin.

Los Angeles Dodgers – After (presumably) hurling Ryan Madson into Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers bullpen looks strong again in 2019. Kenley Jansen is feeling healthy and confident after heart surgery and a new, strict diet featuring absolutely no ice cream. To shore up the eighth inning, LA signed Joe Kelly, who was as dominant in the World Series as Madson wasn’t, and the team will also bring back key contributors like Pedro Baez, Scott Alexander, and Josh Fields. 

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Jansen | Kelly | Baez.
Holds candidates: Kelly, Baez, Alexander.

San Diego Padres – Kirby Yates should get the chance to build on his fantastic 2018 and start the year as the Padres’ closer. Craig Stammen should keep his eighth-inning role, with Phil Maton, Jose Castillo, Robert Stock, and newly-signed Aaron Loup also in the setup mix. Matt Strahm is another arm to watch in the late innings, but he has his eye on a rotation spot. Oh, and when Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. lead the Padres to the 2022 title, it’ll be current Sod Poodle Andres Munoz and his 103 MPH fastball striking out Aaron Judge to close out Game 6 at Petco.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Yates | Stammen | Maton.
Holds candidates: Stammen, Maton, Castillo, Loup.

San Francisco Giants – It’s a two-man race between Will Smith and Mark Melancon, and with Smith a pending free agent (and thus an ongoing trade candidate), we’ll give the slight edge to the guy with the $19 million salary. Sam Dyson, Tony Watson, and Reyes Moronta make up the second tier of Giants relievers. Pat Venditte probably won’t be too relevant to your fantasy team, but you better believe we’re going to mention he’s a Giant now.

Starting 2019 hierarchy: Melancon | Smith | Dyson.
Holds candidates: Dyson, Watson, Moronta.