In this week’s Saves and Steals, Mason Miller got straight to work after coming off the injured list on Wednesday, converting his 16th save. Ryan Helsley extended his MLB lead with his 36th save of the season. And Paul Sewald was removed as the closer in Arizona. In the steals department, Ernie Clement was looking to run on the bases this week, collecting three steals.
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Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Emmanuel Clase - Cleveland Guardians
Ryan Helsley - St. Louis Cardinals
Clase remains at 33 saves, tops in the American league. He pitched the 10th inning against the Diamondbacks on Monday and took the loss after Arizona brought the runner on second in on a bunt and sacrifice fly. The 26-year-old right-hander has posted an outstanding 0.69 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts over 52 1/3 innings.
Helsley leads all of baseball with 36 saves after picking up three this week. He’s having a stellar season, posting a 2.72 ERA 1.24 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts over 49 innings.
Tier 2: The Elite
Kirby Yates - Texas Rangers
Mason Miller - Oakland Athletics
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Josh Hader - Houston Astros
Yates made a pair of multi-inning outings, recording a four-out save against the Red Sox on Saturday before pitching two innings, striking out four, to earn the win against the Astros on Monday. In Oakland, Mason Miller was activated from the injured list after missing two weeks with a fractured finger on his non-pitching hand. He got to work right away, picking up a save Wednesday against the White Sox.
No save chances for Muñoz this week. He made an appearance against the Phillies on Saturday, striking out two over a scoreless inning. Hader had a busy week, locking down three saves to give him 24 on the season with a 3.75 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 77 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings. The duo of Hader and setup man Bryan Abreu leads all relievers in strikeouts.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves
Edwin Diaz - New York Mets
Devin Williams - Milwaukee Brewers
Craig Kimbrel/Yennier Cano - Baltimore Orioles
Kyle Finnegan - Washington Nationals
Kenley Jansen - Boston Red Sox
Clay Holmes - New York Yankees
Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays
Jhoan Duran/Griffin Jax - Minnesota Twins
Suarez locked down a save in his only appearance, his 24th of the season. The 33-year-old right-hander is having an excellent year, posting a 1.44 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over 43 2/3 innings. Tanner Scott and Jason Adam have made an impact on the team, with Scott recording two holds and Adam picking up a win this week.
Iglesias added a save against the Marlins last Thursday, giving him 23 with a 1.73 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings. Díaz struck out one batter in a clean inning of work in his only appearance. In Milwaukee, Williams has made a pair of scoreless appearances since returning from the injured list. Trevor Megill has resumed throwing after he landed on the injured list with a back issue and will be re-evaluated in the coming days.
Kimbrel has strung together three scoreless outings, though it was Cano who picked up a save for the Orioles this week, his fifth of the season. And after giving up five runs in a loss to the Diamondbacks last week, Finnegan bounced back with a pair of saves. He’s up to 30 on the season with a 3.30 ERA over 46 1/3 innings.
Jansen had a quiet week until Tuesday when he struck out three batters for a four-out save on only 13 pitches. The 36-year-old veteran is up to 21 saves with a 2.95 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts over 39 2/3 innings. Holmes made three appearances this week, picking up two saves for 24 on the season. And Fairbanks struck out two batters in a clean inning of work for his 21st save on Sunday.
No saves for Duran this week. He instead pitched the eighth inning against the bottom of the Cubs lineup on Monday while Griffin Jax recorded the save. Jax may just remain in the saves mix given his effectiveness this season. He’s recorded a 2.01 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 65 strikeouts over 49 1/3 innings.
Tier 4: There’s Upside Here
Jeff Hoffman/Carlos Estévez - Philadelphia Phillies
Alexis Díaz - Cincinnati Reds
Camilo Doval - San Francisco Giants
David Bednar - Pittsburgh Pirates
Chad Green - Toronto Blue Jays
Daniel Hudson/Michael Kopech/Evan Phillips - Los Angeles Dodgers
Justin Martinez/Ryan Thompson/A.J. Puk - Arizona Diamondbacks
No saves for the Phillies this week. Estévez did pitch the ninth inning in both of his appearances, while Hoffman pitched the sixth and eighth. The team may choose to keep Estévez in the ninth-inning role where he’s accustomed to pitching.
Díaz surrendered a solo homer against the Giants on Saturday but held on for his 22nd save. Doval followed on Monday with his 21st before making it 22 on the year Wednesday against the Nationals. Bednar also made one appearance, giving up a run before converting his 20th save against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. And Green added two saves this week. He’s up to nine with the Blue Jays while posting a 1.51 ERA across 35 2/3 innings.
The Dodgers’ situation remains a fluid one, but Hudson did pick up his eighth save against the Phillies on Monday. Kopech has been on an impressive run over his last eight outings, allowing no runs with 13 strikeouts to one walk over 8 2/3 innings. The Diamondbacks are in a similar situation after removing Paul Sewald from the closer role. Martinez has recorded the last two saves for the team, with Puk and Thompson also converting a save this week. Martinez may have the most upside of the group, though don’t count out Sewald working his way back into the mix.
Tier 5: Just Getting By
Hector Neris - Chicago Cubs
Victor Vodnik - Colorado Rockies
Jason Foley/Tyler Holton - Detroit Tigers
Hunter Harvey/James McArthur - Kansas City Royals
Ben Joyce - Los Angeles Angels
Calvin Faucher - Miami Marlins
John Brebbia - Chicago White Sox
Neris struck out two batters in a scoreless inning for his 15th save Friday against the Cardinals, then took the loss after giving up a run Saturday. In Colorado, Vodnik picked up two saves and a win with three scoreless outings. He’s up to six saves with a 3.64 ERA across 59 1/3 innings.
Foley has been stuck with 15 saves for nearly a month, with his last coming on July 10. He’s become matchup-dependent as he’s far more effective against right-handed batters. Holton picked up a save Tuesday for the Tigers, his fourth of the season.
With McArthur struggling, Harvey was given a chance to claim the closer role. He blew a save Saturday against the Diamondbacks, then bounced back Sunday with his first save of the season.
Joyce seems to be in a position to run with the closer role for the Angels. The 23-year-old right-hander recorded his first save of the season on Friday, a four-out save against the Mets as he hit 104 mph on the radar gun.
Faucher made back-to-back appearances against the Braves, blowing a save chance Friday before bouncing back for his first save Saturday. He recorded his second of the week Wednesday against the Reds. And the situation in Chicago is as bleak as they get. There’s no point in chasing any saves coming from the White Sox.
Injured
Jordan Romano - Elbow
Steals Department
In the speed department, Jose Ramirez had an aggressive week on the bases, collecting five steals over his last three games. The 31-year-old third baseman is having another first-round caliber season, hitting .282/.335/.548 with 30 homers, 85 runs scored, 96 RBI, and 25 steals across 481 plate appearances. With four steals this week, Jarren Duran set a new career-high with 27 on the season. He’s proven to be one of this season’s best breakouts, hitting .291/.348/.505 with 14 homers, 78 runs scored, and 58 RBI across 529 plate appearances. More widely available for deeper leagues, Ernie Clement is 3-for-4 on steal attempts over his last three games. The 28-year-old has been an everyday player for the Blue Jays, mixing in at third base, second base, and shortstop, hitting .271/.294/.411 with six homers, 32 RBI, and eight steals over 271 plate appearances.