2023 Tiered Closer Rankings

The closer position seems especially volatile in 2023 after a significant injury to Edwin Diaz and Liam Hendriks was diagnosed with lymphoma. Diaz is likely to miss the entire season, while Hendriks is expected to miss at least a chunk of it, though it’s unknown how long he will be out. Best wishes to both studs on their recoveries!

This leaves the relief pitcher cupboard pretty bare up top, perhaps making these tiered rankings more valuable for you as you get ready for your drafts. If you’ve already drafted, let this guide you as you hit the waiver wire to start the season. Remember these rankings are based on traditional (5×5) leagues, so while WHIP and strikeouts are considered, holds are not. Stay tuned for our posts in the coming days where we’ll discuss middle relievers.

Tier 1
1. Emmanuel Clase, CLE
2. Devin Williams, MIL
3. Josh Hader, SD

Emmanuel Clase has emerged as the consensus top closer in the game, and last year’s numbers point to why: a 1.36 ERA, a 0.729 WHIP and 42 saves. The former Brewers duo rounds out the top three, with Milwaukee’s Devin Williams and his nasty changeup edging out former No. 1 closer Josh Hader, now with the Padres and coming off the worst season of his career (5.22 ERA, 1.28 WHIP in 56 games). Hader was dealing with some personal matters but re-emerged as a top-tier option down the stretch, finishing the regular season with 9.1 scoreless innings and 13 strikeouts against just one walk.

Tier 2
4. Jordan Romano, TOR
5. Ryan Pressly, HOU
6. Raisel Iglesias, ATL

This group features three steady veterans with guaranteed closer gigs on teams that are expected to be contenders. All could wind up being Tier 1-type closers by season’s end if they stay healthy.

Tier 3
7. Ryan Helsley, STL
8. Felix Bautista, BAL

This is a fun pair! Ryan Helsley and Felix Bautista are as electric as they come, but both carry some more uncertainty than the relievers ranked above them. Can Helsley (1.25 ERA, 0.742 WHIP) be as dominant again? And perhaps more important for this exercise, will he get the lion’s share of the team’s save chances, or will there be more sharing of the role with Giovanny Gallegos in 2023? Can Bautista repeat his success (2.19 ERA, 0.929 WHIP) and stay healthy? He has battled knee and shoulder ailments this month but recently made his spring debut.

Tier 4
9. Camilo Doval, SF
10. David Bednar, PIT
11. Clay Holmes, NYY
12. Kenley Jansen, BOS

This group should gather a ton of saves collectively, but each reliever has his own question marks. Will Gabe Kapler mix and match in the ninth even more with Taylor Rogers in the fold for the Giants? Can David Bednar stay healthy and collect a decent amount saves pitching for a bad Pirates club? Clay Holmes started strong in 2022 (1.31 ERA across 41.1 first half IP) but had a slower finish (4.84 ERA in the second half) — is he primed to hold the gig all season for the Yankees? Will this finally be the year the aging Kenley Jansen falters, or will he continue his run to the Hall of Fame? Also, the Red Sox might have their own issues contending this season, which could mean fewer save chances than Jansen is used to.

Tier 5
13 (tie). Alexis Diaz, CIN
13 (tie). Jhoan Duran, MIN
15. Pete Fairbanks, TB
16. Daniel Bard, COL
17. Scott Barlow, KC
18. Paul Sewald, SEA

Now we’re getting into some uncomfortable territory. In this group, Alexis Diaz and Daniel Bard appear to be locked into closer roles, but they both pitch for teams expected to disappoint in 2023. Jhoan Duran, Pete Fairbanks and Paul Sewald all pitch for teams we presume to be good, but they are in more “modern” bullpens where high-leverage situations can have them called upon before the ninth inning. And finally there’s Scott Barlow, who we presume is “the guy” but the Royals also employ Josh Staumont and Aroldis Chapman, with the latter possible to receive save chances to boost his trade value.

Tier 6
19. Craig Kimbrel, PHI
20. Evan Phillips, LAD
21. Alex Lange, DET
22. Jose Leclerc, TEX
23. Adam Ottavino, NYM

There are a lot of question marks here with performance (Alex Lange, Jose Leclerc), the role (Evan Phillips, Adam Ottavino) or perhaps both (Craig Kimbrel). If you target one of these closers, do so as a third option. Try to lock down at least two of our top 18 first.

Tier 7
24. Kyle Finnegan, WAS
25. Kendall Graveman, CHW

Kyle Finnegan is likely to share the role again in Washington for a bad Nationals team as manager Dave Martinez mixes and matches, potentially using Finnegan for higher-leverage situations early in games. Kendall Graveman, meanwhile, is no surefire bet to lock down the White Sox role given the other options currently there (Joe Kelly, Aaron Bummer and Reynaldo Lopez). Plus, Liam Hendriks could return at some point, too.

Tier 8
26. Matt Barnes, MIA
27 (tie). Brad Boxberger, CHC
27 (tie). Carlos Estevez, LAA
27 (tie). Andrew Chafin, ARI
30. Trevor May, OAK

No one in this group has a truly firm role on the job and they are in the messiest bullpens in the big leagues. It would not be surprising to see any or all of Matt Barnes, Brad Boxberger, Carlos Estevez or Andrew Chafin usurped in the season’s first week. Trevor May might be the most secure closer here to start 2023, but he pitches for what could be the league’s worst team and was not especially good in 2022 (5.04 ERA, 1.44 WHIP).

Dillon Tate to close in season’s final series

October 4, 2022

Kansas City Royals – Taylor Clarke got a 10th inning save on Monday, after the rest of the Kansas City hierarchy had already pitched. It was his third of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Barlow | Coleman | Garrett.

Toronto Blue Jays – Tim Mayza pitched the 7th inning with the Blue Jays up by three runs, and then ended up being credited with the save when the game was rained out in the 8th.

Hierarchy remains: Romano | Garcia | Bass.

New York Yankees – Committee leader Scott Effross picked up his fourth save of the season on Monday with a 1-2-3 inning. Miguel Castro got the 8th inning and might also be a late-inning option when matchups are right.

Hierarchy remains: *Effross | Loaisiga | Trivino.
* = closer-by-committee

Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes got the 9th inning on Monday, following John Schreiber and Ryan Brasier, who pitched the 7th and 8th, respectively. Barnes and Schreiber remain the likely committee leaders as the year winds down.

Hierarchy remains: *Schreiber | Barnes | Strahm.
* = closer-by-committee

Philadelphia Phillies – Converted starter Zach Eflin got his first save of the season, pitching a scoreless 9th in the Phillies 3-run, playoff-clinching victory. It doesn’t seem likely that Eflin will get another save chance, but he has been quite good as a reliever so far, with 1 ER allowed in 7.2 innings.

Hierarchy remains: *Robertson | Dominguez | Alvarado.
* = closer-by-committee

Detroit Tigers – Andrew Chafin got his 2nd save of the season, with Gregory Soto getting the night off. It might be the tail end of the season, but the VSW has still got it!

Hierarchy remains: Soto | Chafin | Lange.

Colorado Rockies – Justin Lawrence got his first save of the season, locking down a 1-run victory. Daniel Bard had pitched two innings on Sunday and got the day off.

Updated hierarchy: Bard | Lamet | Lawrence.

Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista is being shut down for the season with knee discomfort. It’s not serious and won’t affect his offseason, but the Orioles, who had a spirited season but ultimately fell short of the playoffs, are being cautious. Look for Dillon Tate to grab any remaining saves.

Updated hierarchy: Tate | Perez | Baker.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Dylan Coleman – Scott Barlow has pitched two straight.
2. Kendall Graveman – Liam Hendriks has gone back to back and four of five.
3. Adam Ottavino – The Mets have a doubleheader…
4. Carl Edwards Jr. – …with the Nationals.
5. Jonathan Loaisiga – The Yankees have one…
6. Jonathan Hernandez -…with the Rangers.
7. Andrew Chafin – And the Tigers have one…
8. Andres Munoz – …with the Mariners.

Tomorrow
1. Nick Martinez – If Josh Hader goes today, it’s back to back and three of four.

Felix Bautista is day to day with knee soreness

October 3, 2022

Baltimore Orioles – Felix Bautista is still day to day with some knee soreness, so the Orioles gave Sunday’s save chance to Dillon Tate, who converted for his 5th save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: *Bautista | Tate | Perez.
* = closer-by-committee

Miami Marlins – The fifth man out of the bullpen for the Marlins in Sunday’s 12-inning affair was Tanner Scott, and the lefty managed to strand the automatic runner and pick up his 20th save of the season. Dylan Floro remains the best bet for saves in the season’s final series.

Hierarchy remains: Floro | Scott | Bleier.

Houston Astros – Ryan Pressly got Sunday off after throwing 27 pitches on Saturday, allowing Rafael Montero to pick up his 14th save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Pressly | Montero | Neris.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Yimi Garcia – Jordan Romano has gone back to back and the Jays are unlikely to use him for three straight having recently clinched a playoff spot.
2. AJ Minter – Kenley Jansen and Raisel Iglesias have gone three straight.
3. Andrew Chafin – Gregory Soto has gone back to back.
4. Dillon Tate – If Felix Bautista still can’t go, Tate could get another save chance.

Tomorrow
1. Taylor Rogers – If Devin Williams goes today, it’s three of four.
2. James Karinchak – If Emmanuel Clase goes today, it’s back to back and three of four.
3. Adam Ottavino – If Edwin Diaz goes today, it’s back to back, and it seems unlikely he’d go three straight unless the Mets’ Tuesday game actually matters.
4. Wil Crowe – If David Bednar goes today, it’s back to back.
5. Kendall Graveman – If Liam Hendriks goes today, it’s back to back and four of five.

Edwin Diaz finishes outing with his fastest pitch ever, but does not earn save

September 2, 2022

New York Mets – Edwin Diaz, one day after this EPIC entrance, was anticlimactically called into Thursday’s game in the eighth inning to face the 3-4-5 hitters (Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Max Muncy) with a three-run lead. The drama built, though, as it became the most pivotal moment of the contest. He walked Freeman and hit Smith with a pitch before allowing consecutive sacrifice flies to make it a two-run game. Diaz, who after the game said he didn’t have the feel he wanted for his slider, escaped the inning by throwing the hardest pitch of his career (102.8 mph) to strike out Gavin Lux. The sport’s best reliever this season, Diaz has appeared in the eighth inning five times in his past 13 appearances. Adam Ottavino has been used in the ninth in some of those instances, including Thursday, when he retired the side in order for his third save.

Hierarchy remains: Diaz | Ottavino | Lugo.

Boston Red Sox — Tanner Houck has been shut down as his back issues are cropping up again. Manager Alex Cora said Houck might not pitch again this season. It’ll be a bit messy moving forward for Boston, with a group that includes John Schreiber, Garret Whitlock and Matt Barnes in the mix for saves.

Hierarchy remains: *Whitlock | Schreiber | Barnes.
* = closer-by-committee

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today:
1. Dillon Tate (BAL) – Felix Bautista has gone in two in a row.
2. Raisel Iglesias (LAA) – Kenley Jansen has also pitched in two straight.
3. Hunter Harvey (WAS) – Kyle Finnegan and Carl Edwards Jr. have each pitched in two straight. Harvey threw 32 pitches Thursday but is the most rested of the trio.
4. Seth Lugo (NYM) – Edwin Diaz and Adam Ottavino have gone in two in a row.
5. Jose Leclerc (TEX) – Jonathan Hernandez blew the game Thursday against Boston, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks (26 pitches). He might need Friday off. Matt Moore threw 26 pitches Thursday and has gone in two of three. Leclerc has also pitched two of three, but he’s the most-rested late-inning option.

Friday:
1. Domingo Acevedo (OAK) – A.J. Puk threw 27 pitches to record four outs Thursday and likely wouldn’t pitch Saturday if he goes again Friday.
2. John Schreiber (BOS) – A Friday outing would be two of three for Garrett Whitlock, and he might need Saturday off if it’s a multi-inning appearance.

David Robertson to shoulder the load amidst Phillies bullpen injuries

August 22, 2022

Milwaukee Brewers – Devin Williams wasn’t available Sunday after a heavy workload leading up, so Taylor Rogers got the 9th inning in a 3-run game, converting for his 29th save of the season — and his first since July 23.

Hierarchy remains: Williams | Rogers | Bush.

Cincinnati Reds – With a four-run lead, it wasn’t a save chance, but another dominant outing from Alexis Diaz means we’re removing the asterisk. Diaz has been as dominant as any reliever in baseball since the start of July, having allowed just 1 run in his last 17.2 innings — including a 16:1 K:BB ratio in August.

Updated hierarchy: Diaz | Kuhnel | Sanmartin.

Tampa Bay Rays – Pete Fairbanks got his second save in as many days, and he’s now collected all four of saves since July 27. Colin Poche only has one save in that span, so Fairbanks climbs up to first in line.

Updated hierarchy: *Adam | Fairbanks | Poche.
* = closer-by-committee

Texas Rangers – Taylor Hearn picked up a three-inning save in a Rangers blowout on Sunday. He doesn’t factor in to the usual late inning plans for Texas.

Hierarchy remains: Hernandez | Moore | Leclerc.

San Diego Padres – With Luis Garcia having pitched in two straight, Nick Martinez got the 9th inning opportunity for San Diego on Sunday, and converted for his 5th save of the season.

Hierarchy remains: Garcia | Martinez | Hader.

San Francisco Giants – The seventh man out of the San Francisco bullpen on Sunday was the one who ended up with the save, as Zack Littell got the job done in the 11th inning, thanks in part to a baseunning faux pas by Sam Hilliard, who made the game’s final out trying to advance to third on a fly ball.

Hierarchy remains: Doval | Leone | Brebbia.

Oakland A’s – The A’s used six relievers to navigate the final four innings on Sunday, leaving the final two outs of a 2-run game to veteran Austin Pruitt, who converted for his first save since 2018. The rest of the Oakland hierarchy appeared earlier in the game, though as Pruitt’s usage might suggest, none of them had a particularly impressive outing.

Hierarchy remains: *Jimenez | Jackson | Puk.
* = closer-by-committee

St. Louis Cardinals – With Ryan Helsley still on paternity leave, Giovanny Gallegos got his 12th save of the season, pitching a clean 9th inning. Helsley should return today, so we’ll slot him back atop this hierarchy.

Updated hierarchy: Helsley | Gallegos | Cabrera.

Philadelphia Phillies – As mentioned yesterday, Seranthony Dominguez is headed to the IL with a triceps injury; David Robertson will take over as closer while Dominguez is out. The Phillies also got news later in the day that Corey Knebel’s season is over due to a tear in his shoulder capsule.

Updated hierarchy: Robertson | Alvarado | Hand.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
Today
1. Zach Jackson/AJ Puk – Dany Jimenez, Zach Jackson, and AJ Puk have all gone back to back with a similar number of pitches. Whoever wakes up feeling good this morning gets the save chance.
2. Brandon Hughes – Rowan Wick has gone back to back.
3. Jose Alvarado – This whole bullpen is gassed, so even though Alvarado has gone two straight, we figure he’s got the best shot to get a save tonight.

Tomorrow
1. Adam Ottavino – Edwin Diaz threw 21 pitches Sunday; another long outing today and he’ll be off Tuesday.
2. Joel Kuhnel – If Alexis Diaz goes tonight, it’s back to back and three of four.