Before focusing on the upcoming trade deadline, which may or may not create ripple effects throughout the high-leverage ecosystem, reviewing results from MLB’s first half, though roughly two-thirds of the season has transpired, can help streamline targets in the next two weeks. This will include leaderboards from the first half, risers and fallers in underlying categories, a comparison the first half of 2025 versus the second half of 2024, and the leaders from the last statistical year (through July 13). Expanding the sample size could provide insight into how the rest of this season progresses for some key relievers of interest.
First Half Leaderboards
Saves Leaders
| Reliever | Saves |
| Robert Suarez | 28 |
| Carlos Estévez | 25 |
| Josh Hader | 25 |
| Jeff Hoffman | 22 |
| Andrés Muñoz | 21 |
| Trevor Megill | 21 |
| Emmanuel Clase | 20 |
| Emilio Pagán | 20 |
| Edwin Díaz | 19 |
| Ryan Helsley | 19 |
| Mason Miller | 19 |
| Tanner Scott | 19 |
| Félix Bautista | 18 |
| Kyle Finnegan | 18 |
| Aroldis Chapman | 17 |
| Kenley Jansen | 16 |
| Jhoan Durán | 15 |
| Will Vest | 15 |
| Pete Fairbanks | 15 |
| Camilo Doval | 15 |
Holds Leaders
| Reliever | Holds |
| Abner Uribe | 26 |
| Jason Adam | 23 |
| Bryan Abreu | 23 |
| Tyler Rogers | 20 |
| Griffin Jax | 20 |
| Bryan King | 19 |
| Jeremiah Estrada | 19 |
| Tony Santillan | 19 |
| Hunter Gaddis | 19 |
| Phil Maton | 18 |
| Cade Smith | 18 |
| Gregory Soto | 18 |
| Brendon Little | 17 |
| Alex Vesia | 17 |
| Jared Koenig | 17 |
| Jose A. Ferrer | 17 |
| Louie Varland | 16 |
| Lucas Erceg | 16 |
| Reed Garrett | 16 |
SOLDS Leaders
| Reliever | Saves | Holds | SOLDS |
| Robert Suarez | 28 | 0 | 28 |
| Abner Uribe | 1 | 26 | 27 |
| Tanner Scott | 19 | 7 | 26 |
| Carlos Estevez | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| Josh Hader | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| Jason Adam | 0 | 23 | 23 |
| Bryan Abreu | 0 | 23 | 23 |
| Emilio Pagan | 20 | 2 | 22 |
| Jeremiah Estrada | 3 | 19 | 22 |
| Camilo Doval | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| Jeff Hoffman | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Andres Munoz | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Trevor Megill | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Emmanuel Clase | 20 | 1 | 21 |
| Tony Santillan | 2 | 19 | 21 |
| Cade Smith | 3 | 18 | 21 |
| Tommy Kahnle | 9 | 12 | 21 |
K-BB Percentage and Swinging Strike Percentage Leaders
| Reliever | K-BB% | Reliever | SwStr% |
| Josh Hader | 33.7% | Josh Hader | 21.3% |
| Aroldis Chapman | 33.6% | Aroldis Chapman | 20.9% |
| Griffin Jax | 32.2% | Fernando Cruz | 20.5% |
| Fernando Cruz | 30.5% | Mason Miller | 20.2% |
| Randy Rodríguez | 30.1% | Griffin Jax | 20.2% |
| Alex Vesia | 29.2% | Kirby Yates | 18.7% |
| Edwin Díaz | 29.0% | Bennett Sousa | 18.5% |
| Gabe Speier | 28.8% | Brendon Little | 18.3% |
| Mason Miller | 28.2% | Bryan Abreu | 18.0% |
| Kirby Yates | 28.0% | Steven Okert | 17.1% |
| Braydon Fisher | 27.9% | Ronny Henriquez | 17.0% |
| David Bednar | 27.7% | Mason Montgomery | 16.7% |
| Steven Okert | 27.4% | Andrés Muñoz | 16.5% |
| Bryan Abreu | 26.4% | Edwin Díaz | 16.3% |
| Bennett Sousa | 26.1% | Jeremiah Estrada | 16.3% |
| Jeff Hoffman | 25.9% | Dylan Lee | 16.2% |
- Hader and Chapman are sitting first and second in both categories, pretty impressive for two southpaws.
- If Minnesota trades Durán, the underlying numbers confirm Jax could be a capable replacement.
- Relievers on the rise, Randy Rodríguez (K-BB%) and Ronny Henriquez (SwStr%) appear as well. Will their managers give them pathways toward larger leverage roles after the break?
2025 First Half vs. 2024 Second Half Risers and Fallers
*This uses qualified relievers from each half, which eliminates many, showing the volatility of the position.
Swinging Strike Percentage Rises 1H 2025 vs. 2H 2024
| Reliever | 1H 25 SwStr% | 2H 24 SwStr% | Difference |
| Fernando Cruz | 20.5% | 15.1% | 5.4% |
| Aroldis Chapman | 20.9% | 15.5% | 5.4% |
| Phil Maton | 14.5% | 9.5% | 5.0% |
| Brendon Little | 18.3% | 13.3% | 5.0% |
| Hunter Gaddis | 14.3% | 9.5% | 4.8% |
| Shelby Miller | 14.9% | 10.5% | 4.4% |
| Will Vest | 12.9% | 8.6% | 4.3% |
| Jalen Beeks | 13.8% | 10.4% | 3.4% |
| Alex Vesia | 15.0% | 11.6% | 3.4% |
| Spencer Bivens | 8.4% | 5.3% | 3.1% |
| Garrett Cleavinger | 15.8% | 13.2% | 2.6% |
| Seranthony Domínguez | 14.8% | 12.7% | 2.1% |
Swinging Strike Percentage Decliners 1H 2025 vs. 2H 2024
| Reliever | 1H 25 SwStr% | 2H 24 SwStr% | Difference |
| Daniel Lynch IV | 8.1% | 17.9% | -9.8% |
| Anthony Banda | 11.0% | 18.7% | -7.7% |
| Tommy Kahnle | 8.7% | 15.8% | -7.1% |
| Brock Burke | 10.3% | 16.5% | -6.2% |
| Ryan Pressly | 7.1% | 13.2% | -6.1% |
| Luke Jackson | 9.6% | 15.5% | -5.9% |
| Dylan Lee | 16.2% | 21.9% | -5.7% |
| Mark Leiter Jr. | 13.2% | 18.2% | -5.0% |
| Tyler Ferguson | 9.7% | 14.2% | -4.5% |
| Luke Weaver | 13.4% | 17.8% | -4.4% |
| Carlos Estévez | 7.4% | 11.7% | -4.3% |
| Cole Sands | 9.0% | 13.2% | -4.2% |
| Yuki Matsui | 14.7% | 18.9% | -4.2% |
| Jason Adam | 15.5% | 19.5% | -4.0% |
| Ryan Helsley | 15.1% | 19.0% | -3.9% |
Strikeout Percentage Risers 1H 2025 vs. 2H 2024
| Reliever | 1H 25 K% | 2H 24 K% | Difference |
| Brendon Little | 34.8% | 17.4% | 17.4% |
| David Bednar | 34.6% | 20.0% | 14.6% |
| Garrett Cleavinger | 32.9% | 22.7% | 10.2% |
| Fernando Cruz | 41.2% | 32.6% | 8.6% |
| Bryan Abreu | 37.9% | 30.1% | 7.8% |
| Shelby Miller | 28.0% | 20.7% | 7.3% |
| Hunter Gaddis | 26.2% | 19.8% | 6.4% |
| Jalen Beeks | 22.9% | 16.8% | 6.1% |
| Mason Miller | 40.1% | 34.3% | 5.8% |
| Robert Suarez | 26.7% | 21.1% | 5.6% |
| Will Vest | 27.9% | 22.5% | 5.4% |
| Josh Hader | 39.2% | 33.9% | 5.3% |
| Phil Maton | 30.4% | 25.2% | 5.2% |
- Having a rough second half last year puts David Bednar near the top of the list after rebounding from his early struggles in the first half. This enhances his trade stock, though it’s debatable what type of return he gets unless the team packages him and Dennis Santana, as some have reported.
- Setting up for Hader sometimes overshadows the talent of Bryan Abreu.
Strikeout Percentage Decliners 1H 2025 vs. 2024
| Reliever | 1H 25 K% | 2H 24 K% | Difference |
| Tony Santillan | 20.8% | 39.8% | -19.0% |
| Luke Jackson | 16.3% | 34.7% | -18.4% |
| Daniel Lynch IV | 14.3% | 32.0% | -17.7% |
| Erik Miller | 17.2% | 34.9% | -17.7% |
| Dylan Lee | 27.8% | 41.6% | -13.8% |
| Devin Williams | 31.3% | 43.2% | -11.9% |
| Keegan Akin | 22.3% | 33.9% | -11.6% |
| Cole Sands | 17.8% | 29.3% | -11.5% |
| Tyler Ferguson | 21.2% | 32.3% | -11.1% |
| Edwin Uceta | 29.4% | 39.8% | -10.4% |
| Luke Weaver | 27.1% | 37.5% | -10.4% |
| Tyler Kinley | 21.0% | 31.3% | -10.3% |
| Dennis Santana | 19.1% | 29.2% | -10.1% |
| Brock Burke | 19.3% | 29.0% | -9.7% |
| Ryan Walker | 22.9% | 32.5% | -9.6% |
| Lucas Erceg | 21.2% | 30.6% | -9.4% |
- Early-season struggles prompted the removal of Devin Williams from save situations, but he has since rebounded. Can he repeat his strikeout rate from last year’s second in this one as a pending free agent?
- Teammate Luke Weaver, also a pending free agent, would benefit from bouncing back in this category.
Walk Percentage Risers (not good) 1H 2025 vs. 2H 2024
| Reliever | 1H 25 BB% | 2H 24 BB% | Difference |
| Tim Herrin | 16.7% | 6.3% | 10.4% |
| Keegan Akin | 10.1% | 2.6% | 7.5% |
| Yuki Matsui | 11.5% | 4.6% | 6.9% |
| Anthony Banda | 12.7% | 5.9% | 6.8% |
| Brant Hurter | 9.3% | 2.6% | 6.7% |
| Jorge Alcala | 11.4% | 5.2% | 6.2% |
| Bryan Abreu | 11.5% | 5.7% | 5.8% |
| Seranthony Domínguez | 13.9% | 8.5% | 5.4% |
| Robert Garcia | 9.9% | 4.5% | 5.4% |
| Mason Miller | 12.0% | 7.1% | 4.9% |
| Jakob Junis | 6.9% | 2.1% | 4.8% |
| Edwin Uceta | 9.4% | 5.3% | 4.1% |
| Jhoan Durán | 8.8% | 4.7% | 4.1% |
| Phil Maton | 9.5% | 5.8% | 3.7% |
| Lucas Erceg | 6.8% | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| Ryan Helsley | 9.7% | 6.5% | 3.2% |
- Traffic has been an issue for Ryan Helsley, illustrated by his 1.42 WHIP at the break. Lowering his walk rate would help his prospective trade market. One wonders if the Cardinals missed an opportunity to maximize his return by not trading him this offseason.
Walk Percentage Decliners (good) 1H 2025 vs. 2H 2024
| Reliever | 1H 25 BB% | 2H 24 BB% | Difference |
| David Bednar | 6.9% | 16.8% | -9.9% |
| Tanner Banks | 3.3% | 11.8% | -8.5% |
| Alex Vesia | 7.1% | 15.0% | -7.9% |
| Josh Hader | 5.4% | 11.6% | -6.2% |
| Pierce Johnson | 7.6% | 12.2% | -4.6% |
| Garrett Cleavinger | 7.1% | 11.3% | -4.2% |
| Luke Weaver | 6.8% | 10.8% | -4.0% |
| Tanner Scott | 4.6% | 8.4% | -3.8% |
| Jared Koenig | 7.8% | 11.2% | -3.4% |
| Fernando Cruz | 10.7% | 14.1% | -3.4% |
| Adrian Morejon | 5.3% | 8.5% | -3.2% |
| Caleb Thielbar | 8.1% | 11.1% | -3.0% |
| Devin Williams | 9.5% | 12.5% | -3.0% |
| Jeremiah Estrada | 8.9% | 11.7% | -2.8% |
| Camilo Doval | 12.7% | 15.0% | -2.3% |
- There is that man, Bednar, again. Which iteration will a team get if they deal for him?
- On the plus side, Camilo Doval has reduced his walk percentage. However, it’s still at a dangerous level. Can he remain his team’s closer throughout the second half?
- Appearing again is Alex Vesia, who has displayed some skill growth in the first half of this year, although he flies below the radar in his leverage ladder.
K-BB Percentage Gainers 1H 2025 vs. 2H 2024
| Reliever | 1H 25 K-BB% | 2H 24 K-BB% | Difference |
| David Bednar | 27.7% | 3.2% | 24.5% |
| Garrett Cleavinger | 25.7% | 11.3% | 14.4% |
| Brendon Little | 19.8% | 5.5% | 14.3% |
| Fernando Cruz | 30.5% | 18.5% | 12.0% |
| Josh Hader | 33.7% | 22.3% | 11.4% |
| Alex Vesia | 29.2% | 18.0% | 11.2% |
| Tanner Banks | 22.2% | 12.6% | 9.6% |
| Pierce Johnson | 19.7% | 13.3% | 6.4% |
| Shelby Miller | 20.3% | 14.1% | 6.2% |
| Enyel De Los Santos | 13.7% | 8.3% | 5.4% |
| Jalen Beeks | 14.1% | 8.8% | 5.3% |
| Robert Suarez | 19.3% | 14.0% | 5.3% |
- If Bednar were in a golf league, he would be accused of sandbagging after the break last year.
- Can Robert Suarez avoid a second-half decline again this season?
- When people avoid high-priced free agents in their first year from a fantasy perspective, Josh Hader represents a perfect example of why, illustrated above.
K-BB Percentage Decliners 1H 2025 vs. 2H 2024
| Reliever | 1H 25 K-BB% | 2H 24 K-BB% | Difference |
| Daniel Lynch IV | 3.1% | 24.0% | -20.9% |
| Tony Santillan | 12.0% | 32.7% | -20.7% |
| Keegan Akin | 12.2% | 31.3% | -19.1% |
| Luke Jackson | 3.5% | 22.1% | -18.6% |
| Erik Miller | 1.6% | 19.8% | -18.2% |
| Yuki Matsui | 12.8% | 28.7% | -15.9% |
| Tim Herrin | 4.5% | 19.8% | -15.3% |
| Edwin Uceta | 20.0% | 34.5% | -14.5% |
| Anthony Banda | 6.4% | 20.8% | -14.4% |
| Tyler Ferguson | 7.1% | 21.1% | -14.0% |
| Cole Sands | 11.8% | 25.0% | -13.2% |
| Dylan Lee | 21.6% | 34.8% | -13.2% |
| Tyler Kinley | 7.7% | 20.8% | -13.1% |
| Lucas Erceg | 14.4% | 27.0% | -12.6% |
| Trent Thornton | 7.4% | 19.4% | -12.0% |
| Orion Kerkering | 9.2% | 21.1% | -11.9% |
| Ryan Helsley | 15.2% | 26.9% | -11.7% |
| Jhoan Durán | 18.2% | 29.9% | -11.7% |
- Focusing on the last three listed, Kerkering may not be ready to be the closer for the Phillies in 2025 or 2026 if these trends do not improve. Helsley has struggled with contact this year and working behind in counts; his slider cannot produce the same level of strikeouts. Durán has relied more on his split-fingered fastball and inducing ground balls, which has impacted his strikeout rate.
Last 365 Days Leaderboards (through games played on July 13)
*Some statistics, like ratios, are impacted by expanding the search to include relievers with at least 30 innings for these results, so SIERA and WHIP are not included.
First, from a skills perspective, these relievers have recorded a K-BB percentage greater than 20, a swinging strike rate percentage higher than 15, and a strike percentage above 66 percent over the last statistical year:
| Name | K-BB% | SwStr% | Strike% |
| Aroldis Chapman | 33.1% | 18.4% | 69.9% |
| Griffin Jax | 31.8% | 20.2% | 70.9% |
| Josh Hader | 29.1% | 22.1% | 68.9% |
| Cade Smith | 27.6% | 15.1% | 67.0% |
| Jeff Hoffman | 27.6% | 16.7% | 68.3% |
| Bennett Sousa | 26.1% | 18.5% | 68.8% |
| Dylan Lee | 26.1% | 18.1% | 68.9% |
| Edwin Uceta | 25.6% | 16.4% | 66.1% |
| Raisel Iglesias | 24.0% | 16.0% | 70.1% |
| Jeremiah Estrada | 23.8% | 17.2% | 68.3% |
| Tanner Scott | 22.1% | 15.7% | 71.0% |
Saves Leaders
| Name | Saves |
| Robert Suarez | 42 |
| Josh Hader | 41 |
| Emmanuel Clase | 39 |
| Ryan Helsley | 37 |
| Carlos Estévez | 35 |
| Mason Miller | 32 |
| Kyle Finnegan | 32 |
| Edwin Díaz | 29 |
| Andrés Muñoz | 28 |
| Tanner Scott | 28 |
| Aroldis Chapman | 27 |
| Devin Williams | 27 |
| Kenley Jansen | 25 |
| Jhoan Durán | 24 |
| Raisel Iglesias | 24 |
| Trevor Megill | 24 |
| Jeff Hoffman | 23 |
| Pete Fairbanks | 22 |
Holds Leaders
| Name | Holds |
| Bryan Abreu | 40 |
| Jason Adam | 37 |
| Tyler Rogers | 35 |
| Hunter Gaddis | 34 |
| Cade Smith | 31 |
| Griffin Jax | 30 |
| Jeremiah Estrada | 27 |
| Phil Maton | 26 |
| Abner Uribe | 26 |
| Alex Vesia | 24 |
| Gregory Soto | 24 |
| Lucas Erceg | 23 |
| Tommy Kahnle | 23 |
| Yennier Cano | 23 |
| Tony Santillan | 23 |
| Jared Koenig | 23 |
| Jose A. Ferrer | 23 |
| Anthony Bender | 22 |
| Reed Garrett | 22 |
| Edwin Uceta | 21 |
| Orion Kerkering | 21 |
| Brendon Little | 21 |
SOLDS Leaders
| Name | Saves | Holds | SOLDS |
| Tanner Scott | 28 | 17 | 45 |
| Robert Suarez | 42 | 0 | 42 |
| Josh Hader | 41 | 0 | 41 |
| Emmanuel Clase | 39 | 1 | 40 |
| Bryan Abreu | 0 | 40 | 40 |
| Aroldis Chapman | 27 | 12 | 39 |
| Jason Adam | 0 | 37 | 37 |
| Ryan Helsley | 37 | 0 | 37 |
| Lucas Erceg | 13 | 23 | 36 |
| Tyler Rogers | 0 | 35 | 35 |
| Carlos Estévez | 35 | 0 | 35 |
| Cade Smith | 3 | 31 | 34 |
| Kirby Yates | 21 | 13 | 34 |
| Hunter Gaddis | 0 | 34 | 34 |
| Devin Williams | 27 | 7 | 34 |
| Griffin Jax | 3 | 30 | 33 |
| Tommy Kahnle | 10 | 23 | 33 |
| Camilo Doval | 21 | 12 | 33 |
| Jeff Hoffman | 23 | 10 | 33 |
| Ryan Walker | 20 | 12 | 32 |
| Mason Miller | 32 | 0 | 32 |
| Kyle Finnegan | 32 | 0 | 32 |
| Jeremiah Estrada | 3 | 27 | 30 |
Strikeouts, Swinging Strike Percentage, and K-BB Percentage Leaders
| Name | Ks | Name | SwStr% | Name | K-BB% |
| Cade Smith | 109 | Josh Hader | 22.1% | A.J. Puk | 35.2% |
| Griffin Jax | 105 | Griffin Jax | 20.2% | Aroldis Chapman | 33.1% |
| Bryan Abreu | 103 | Mason Miller | 19.6% | Griffin Jax | 31.8% |
| Josh Hader | 103 | Bennett Sousa | 18.5% | Edwin Díaz | 31.5% |
| Edwin Díaz | 102 | Aroldis Chapman | 18.4% | Josh Hader | 29.1% |
| Aroldis Chapman | 101 | Mason Montgomery | 18.4% | Gabe Speier | 28.0% |
| Jeremiah Estrada | 100 | Fernando Cruz | 18.3% | Mason Miller | 27.8% |
| Edwin Uceta | 99 | Dylan Lee | 18.1% | Joe Jiménez | 27.8% |
| Jeff Hoffman | 93 | A.J. Puk | 17.9% | Jeff Hoffman | 27.6% |
| Jason Adam | 91 | Andrés Muñoz | 17.5% | Cade Smith | 27.6% |
| Alex Vesia | 91 | Bryan Abreu | 17.4% | Aaron Ashby | 27.2% |
| Mason Miller | 91 | Edwin Diaz | 17.4% | Bennett Sousa | 26.1% |
| Tanner Scott | 90 | Joe Jiménez | 17.4% | Dylan Lee | 26.1% |
| Mark Leiter Jr. | 90 | Jason Adam | 17.2% | Fernando Cruz | 25.9% |
| Fernando Cruz | 87 | Kirby Yates | 17.2% | Bryan Abreu | 25.6% |
| Jhoan Durán | 87 | Jeremiah Estrada | 17.2% | Edwin Uceta | 25.6% |
- If Cleveland or Minnesota are aggressive sellers at the trade deadline and move their closer(s), Cade Smith and Jax will be popular targets in August. If room allows, stashing them ahead of time in saves leagues or handcuffing Emmanuel Clase and Durán with them makes sense.
- It’s not a guarantee Joe Jiménez pitches again this season, but his rehab is ahead of schedule. If he does, it may be an audition for the closer role in 2026. Monitor this closely.
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