Although it feels like more teams are running matchup-based bullpens, save dispersal has remained somewhat stable compared with games played through April 12 last year. Yes, there have been many more pitches recording a save, as this chart illustrates, but the number of relievers with multiple saves has not been as varied:
Link: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/y0z5Y/1/
There have been hierarchical changes throughout the weekend, and Jakob Junis was the most targeted player in FAAB and waiver wires this weekend after recording three saves in his last three outings since April 6. He’s listed in our stock up relievers for saves leagues.
Stock Up
- Riley O’Brien (STL): He’s recorded a save in three of his last four appearances with four strikeouts and no walks while taking over the preferred save share for the Cardinals.
- Jakob Junis (TEX): There may have been concerns about him being the closer, but his usage patterns since last Monday indicate he’s earned his manager’s trust, securing all three save chances. Regression will affect him at some point, but if he’s accruing saves, fantasy managers are willing to take the risk.
- Bryan King (HOU): He has notched a save this season and owns a 1.05 WHIP with nine strikeouts versus three walks (22.2 K-BB%) through six appearances, spanning 6.2 innings. His teammate has struggled, opening the door for a larger leverage role.
Stock Down
- Ryan Walker (SF): Fantasy managers could accept his manager saying his appearances after Robbie Ray were about the matchups, but he’s not producing whiffs. Walker has recorded a save, but his 83.3 percent contact rate and a 5.7 swinging strike percentage do not inspire confidence during save situations. He may remain in the mix, but should be benched until further notice.
- Bryan Abreu (HOU): He’s been a focus in both Leverage Ledgers this weekend. Hope lies in his velocity rebounding, and he regains his confidence working in lower-leveraged situations. However, his 3.60 WHIP and 10.33 xERA do not inspire confidence right now.
On the Watch List
- Edwin Díaz (LAD): He’s also been covered in previous posts, but will he return to game action soon or require a stint on the injured list? As of Monday at 3:30, there has been no update on his status with the Mets in town for a three-game set.
When assessing the rankings, understand that they remain fluid as sample sizes grow. They are a mix of in-season results and rest-of-season potential. Rankings should be part of a fantasy player’s toolkit, not the sole source of evaluation.
Reliever Rankings for Saves
| Rank | Reliever |
| 1 | Mason Miller |
| 2 | Jhoan Duran |
| 3 | Andrés Muñoz |
| 4 | Cade Smith |
| 5 | Daniel Palencia |
| 6 | Riley O’Brien |
| 7 | Devin Williams |
| 8 | Edwin Díaz |
| 9 | Aroldis Chapman |
| 10 | Jeff Hoffman |
| 11 | Pete Fairbanks |
| 12 | Trevor Megill |
| 13 | Paul Sewald |
| 14 | Raisel Iglesias |
| 15 | David Bednar |
| 16 | Ryan Helsley |
| 17 | Jordan Romano |
| 18 | Emilio Pagán |
| 19 | Kenley Jansen |
| 20 | Lucas Erceg |
| 21 | Jakob Junis |
| 22 | Gregory Soto |
| 23 | Dennis Santana |
| 24 | Seranthony Domínguez |
| 25 | Bryan Baker |
| 26 | Bryan King |
| 27 | Clayton Beeter |
| 28 | Victor Vodnik |
| 29 | Tanner Scott |
| 30 | Ryan Walker |
| 31 | Garrett Whitlock |
| 32 | Cole Winn |
| 33 | Jacob Latz |
| 34 | Robert Suarez |
| 35 | Abner Uribe |
| 36 | Aaron Ashby |
| 37 | Joel Kuhnel |
| 38 | Cole Sands |
| 39 | Griffin Jax |
| 40 | JoJo Romero |
| 41 | Will Vest |
| 42 | Caleb Kilian |
| 43 | Keaton Winn |
| 44 | Elvis Alvarado |
| 45 | Hogan Harris |
| 46 | Bryan Abreu |
| 47 | Matt Strahm |
| 48 | Kyle Finnegan |
| 49 | Tony Santillan |
| 50 | Jack Perkins |
| 51 | Alex Vesia |
| 52 | Camilo Doval |
| 53 | Jonathan Loáisiga |
Reliever Rankings for SOLDS
| 1 | Mason Miller |
| 2 | Jhoan Duran |
| 3 | Riley O’Brien |
| 4 | Tony Santillan |
| 5 | Erik Sabrowski |
| 6 | Andrés Muñoz |
| 7 | Cade Smith |
| 8 | Daniel Palencia |
| 9 | Devin Williams |
| 10 | Jeff Hoffman |
| 11 | Jakob Junis |
| 12 | Gregory Soto |
| 13 | JoJo Romero |
| 14 | Dennis Santana |
| 15 | Paul Sewald |
| 16 | Pete Fairbanks |
| 17 | Raisel Iglesias |
| 18 | Alex Vesia |
| 19 | Jordan Romano |
| 20 | Edwin Díaz |
| 21 | Robert Suarez |
| 22 | David Bednar |
| 23 | Cole Winn |
| 24 | Aroldis Chapman |
| 25 | Tanner Scott |
| 26 | Rico Garcia |
| 27 | Lucas Erceg |
| 28 | Matt Brash |
| 29 | Emilio Pagán |
| 30 | Bryan Baker |
| 31 | Aaron Ashby |
| 32 | Garrett Whitlock |
| 33 | Ryan Helsley |
| 34 | Abner Uribe |
| 35 | Tyler Rogers |
| 36 | Juan Morillo |
| 37 | Graham Ashcraft |
| 38 | Kenley Jansen |
| 39 | Fernando Cruz |
| 40 | Louie Varland |
| 41 | Anthony Nunez |
| 42 | Brock Burke |
| 43 | Shawn Armstrong |
| 44 | Jordan Leasure |
| 45 | Jacob Latz |
| 46 | Dylan Lee |
| 47 | Nick Mears |
| 48 | Seranthony Domínguez |
| 49 | Jonathan Loaisiga |
| 50 | Brad Keller |
| 51 | Will Vest |
| 52 | Brooks Raley |
| 53 | Brennan Bernardino |
| 54 | Kyle Finnegan |
| 55 | Braydon Fisher |
| 56 | Blake Treinen |
| 57 | Yohan Ramírez |
| 58 | Grant Wolfram |
| 59 | Griffin Jax |
| 60 | Tim Hill |
| 61 | Jason Adam |
| 62 | Connor Brogdon |
| 63 | Trevor Megill |
| 64 | Ryne Stanek |
| 65 | Grant Anderson |
| 66 | Elvis Alvarado |
| 67 | Isaac Mattson |
| 68 | Camilo Doval |
| 69 | Antonio Senzatela |
| 70 | Matt Strahm |
| 71 | Tyler Holton |
| 72 | Taylor Clarke |
| 73 | Caleb Kilian |
| 74 | Mason Montgomery |
| 75 | Kody Funderburk |
Stock Up for SOLDS
- Cole Winn (TEX)
- Rico Garcia (BAL)
- Anthony Nunez (BAL)
Stock Down for SOLDS
- Abner Uribe (MIL): It may be a rough patch, but he’s allowed five hits and three earned runs across his last three appearances.
- David Bednar (NYY): Love the five saves, not the 2.25 WHIP with elevated contact percentages and fewer whiffs.
Reliever Rankings for Holds
| Rank | Reliever |
| 1 | Tony Santillan |
| 2 | Erik Sabrowski |
| 3 | Aaron Ashby |
| 4 | JoJo Romero |
| 5 | Robert Suarez |
| 6 | Matt Brash |
| 7 | Juan Morillo |
| 8 | Cole Winn |
| 9 | Rico Garcia |
| 10 | Jason Adam |
| 11 | Dennis Santana |
| 12 | Gregory Soto |
| 13 | Garrett Whitlock |
| 14 | Louis Varland |
| 15 | Abner Uribe |
| 16 | Jordan Leasure |
| 17 | Fernando Cruz |
| 18 | Will Vest |
| 19 | Brad Keller |
| 20 | Anthony Nunez |
| 21 | Juan Morillo |
| 22 | Shawn Armstrong |
| 23 | Tanner Scott |
| 24 | Alex Vesia |
| 25 | Antonio Senzatela |
| 26 | Graham Ashcraft |
| 27 | Jonathan Loáisiga |
| 28 | Braydon Fisher |
| 29 | Tyler Rogers |
| 30 | Brock Burke |
| 31 | Nick Mears |
| 32 | Tim Hill |
| 33 | Grant Wolfram |
| 34 | Kyle Finnegan |
| 35 | Connor Brogdon |
| 36 | Brooks Raley |
| 37 | Blake Treinen |
| 38 | Taylor Clarke |
| 39 | Yohan Ramírez |
| 40 | Brennan Bernardino |
Reliever Rankings for AL-only Saves
| Rank | Reliever |
| 1 | Andrés Muñoz |
| 2 | Cade Smith |
| 3 | Aroldis Chapman |
| 4 | Jeff Hoffman |
| 5 | David Bednar |
| 6 | Ryan Helsley |
| 7 | Jordan Romano |
| 8 | Kenley Jansen |
| 9 | Lucas Erceg |
| 10 | Jakob Junis |
| 11 | Seranthony Domínguez |
| 12 | Bryan Baker |
| 13 | Bryan King |
| 14 | Garrett Whitlock |
| 15 | Cole Winn |
| 16 | Jacob Latz |
| 17 | Joel Kuhnel |
| 18 | Cole Sands |
| 19 | Griffin Jax |
| 20 | Will Vest |
| 21 | Elvis Alvarado |
| 22 | Hogan Harris |
| 23 | Bryan Abreu |
| 24 | Matt Strahm |
| 25 | Jack Perkins |
Reliever Rankings for NL-only Saves
| Rank | Reliever |
| 1 | Mason Miller |
| 2 | Jhoan Duran |
| 3 | Daniel Palencia |
| 4 | Riley O’Brien |
| 5 | Devin Williams |
| 6 | Edwin Díaz |
| 7 | Pete Fairbanks |
| 8 | Trevor Megill |
| 9 | Paul Sewald |
| 10 | Raisel Iglesias |
| 11 | Emilio Pagán |
| 12 | Gregory Soto |
| 13 | Dennis Santana |
| 14 | Clayton Beeter |
| 15 | Victor Vodnik |
| 16 | Tanner Scott |
| 17 | Ryan Walker |
| 18 | Robert Suarez |
| 19 | Abner Uribe |
| 20 | Aaron Ashby |
| 21 | JoJo Romero |
| 22 | Caleb Kilian |
| 23 | Keaton Winn |
| 24 | Tony Santillan |
| 25 | Alex Vesia |
Thanks for being a part of the Closer Monkey community. Stay safe, and be well.
Statistical Credits: