March 12, 2021
The addition of the 3 batter rule made holds a little harder to come by last season and took a lot of value out of one-out specialists. Unsurprisingly, this left the top holds list filled with high leverage setup men stuck behind a high-end closer. There also is some value to be found in managers who turn the keys of a close game over to the bullpen early. One final note, this list is about holds, so players who have a good chance of ascending to the closer’s role take a bit of a hit here.
Tier 1.
1. Devin Williams – MIL
Devin Williams is on his own level as a holds candidate. Elite stuff, but stuck behind perhaps the best closer in the game. Nobody else has that combination this year, so if your league values holds highly, Williams should be a priority target.
Tier 2
2. Aaron Bummer – CHW
3. Dellin Betances – NYM
4. Tanner Rainey — WAS
5. Adam Ottavino – BOS
6. Andrew Miller – STL
7. Chad Green – NYY
8. Jordan Hicks – STL
9. Tyler Duffey – MIN
10. Nick Wittgren – CLE
11. Blake Treinen – LAD
12. Jake Diekman – OAK
Tier 2 has a mix of solid pitchers who aren’t likely to close (Rainey, Bummer, Duffy) and elite pitchers who may find eventually find themselves closing (Ottavino, Treinen, Betances). This tier has plenty of opportunity for value in leagues that combine saves and holds into a single category, as these pitchers have a good chance to rack up some of both.
Tier 3
13. Pete Fairbanks – TB
14. Taylor Rogers – MIN
15. Tyler Rogers – SF
16. Sean Doolittle – CIN
17. Diego Castillo – TB
18. Daniel Hudson – WAS
19. Reyes Maronta – SF
20. Keone Kela – SD
21. Matt Wisler – SF
Tier 3 is a lot of pitchers who are reliable inning eaters, but who may not have the stuff or the job stability to move further up this list. Here you’ll find veterans who still have something left in the tank (Tony Watson, Sean Doolittle, Daniel Hudson) and players who are on teams that hand out a lot of hold opportunities (Tampa Bay, San Francisco).
Tier 4
22. Pedro Baez – HOU
23. Dan Winkler – CHC
24. Rafael Dolis -TOR
25. Tony Watson – PHI
26. Hansel Robles – MIN
27. Scott Barlow – KC
28. Drew Pomeranz – SD
29. Chris Martin – ATL
30. Hector Neris – PHI
Tier 4 is home to players who don’t have a lot of upside, but who should turn in reliable enough performances to get holds when they are available. While most of these players don’t have much of a chance to close, they should be in the late-inning mix for the entirety of the season.