I know that many of us fear discussing bullpens due to the high level of volatility in the role every week. It can be the task we least enjoy each week during the fantasy baseball season. Much conversation centers on where to find saves on the waiver wire if you (like me) largely refused to pay the premium prices on draft day.
I hope that this article can help you find some relief pitching options that can help stabilize your fantasy teams. Let’s look at the news of the week and find some potential gems on your waiver wire.
You can always DM me on Twitter/X @mdrc0508, and I will be happy to listen to your tales of woe and try to help you make decisions on players!
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MLB Bullpen Report
AL East
Ryan Helsley has not yet been cleared to begin a throwing program, so is the closer Rico Garcia? Some nights, and then some nights, maybe it is Anthony Nunez. Neither has pitched since Monday, but look for Garcia to get the next opportunity.
Boston: Aroldis Chapman continues to defy Father Time. He has nine saves, a 0.66 ERA, and a 36.5% K%. Tip your cap. Garrett Whitlock leads the team with eight holds.
Garrett Cleavinger is back in Tampa and cut into Bryan Baker‘s role a bit this week with his first save of the season. Baker has 11 saves, earning two more this week, and also blowing one on Wednesday. Yet Baker should continue to have a longer leash at the closer position.
Louis Varland is the closer in Toronto, but he has not had a save chance all week. He hs has five on the season to go with a sparkling 0.42 ERA and 36.8% K%.
AL Central
Chicago: Seranthony Dominguez actually gets games to close as the White Sox are competitive again. The bullpen has actually been a strength here, with Grant Taylor often going multiple innings and Bryan Hudson, Sean Newcomb, and Jordan Hicks providing quality innings in middle relief. Hudson and Newcomb both earned saves this week, but Hicks and Hudson were lousy on Friday night against the cross-town Chicago Cubs.
It appears that Kenley Jansen remains the closer in Detroit. He got the last save chance there this week and earned a win on Friday night. He has seven on the year now and has the ERA back under 4.00, with a whopping 37% K%. Keep rolling with the esteemed veteran.
AL West
It looks to still be a committee situation for the Athletics. Jack Perkins blew a save this week, and lefty Hogan Harris earned his third on Friday night. The committee looks like it will continue here despite Perkins having the best pure stuff in this bullpen. Luis Medina could quietly work himself into a higher leverage role.
Houston: Ace lefty Josh Hader started a rehab stint this week with Triple-A Sugar Land. We will be watching this carefully as he works his way back. The Astros desperately need him to be himself when he returns to the team. Bryan King earned his fourth save on Friday night, but is best used in a setup role.
In Los Angeles, do they even have a closer? If they do, it might be Ryan Zeferjahn, or it could be Sam Bachman. Kirby Yates is back, but is not getting save opportunities in his three appearances as he shakes the rust off. Zeferjahn has the only save in this group. Pass.
Seattle would love for Andres Munoz to right this ship, and so would fantasy managers. He did lock down his only save attempt this week, but his 5.29 ERA belies his eight saves and ridiculous 39.2% K%.
Jacob Latz is the clear top option in Arlington, and he added two more to his ledger this week and has five on the season. Jacob Junis and Cole Winn have settled in as the top setup men for holds here, for now.
NL East
Raisel Iglesias looked no worse for wear after coming off the IL. He locked down two more saves this week, running his total to eight on the season with an unblemished ERA. Robert Suarez and Dylan Lee remain top eighth-inning options.
Miami: Pete Fairbanks returned from the IL this week. He hasn’t had a chance yet since he returned from the IL this week, but it is safe to assume he will get the next one in Miami. Tyler Phillips will return to a setup role.
Devin Williams has pitched only once this week for the moribund Mets. He remains stuck on five saves with a putrid 5.27 ERA, but he is still the closer in New York. Keep using him; what choice do you really have at this point?
Philadelphia: Jhoan Duran is back in a big way with his astounding 40.4% K%. Brad Keller and Jose Alvarado are the top setup options here, and right-hander Orion Kerkering got his first save on Friday night.
In Washington, we had reason to believe that Gus Varland was the closer, but PJ Poulin and Richard Lovelady have the only saves this week there.
NL Central
Things are askew in Cincinnati. With Emilio Pagan out with a hamstring injury, this looks like a wide-open situation, and it has turned into a full-blown committee. Depending on the night and the situation, any of Graham Ashcraft, Pierce Johnson, Tony Santillan, Brock Burke, or Tejay Antone could get the save chance. On Friday, it was the freshly activated Antone; awesome to see based on his tumultuous road back to the major leagues. All five of those mentioned here pitched on Friday night. Will a favorite emerge? We know manager Terry Francona prefers to have one closer. This will be interesting to watch.
Milwaukee: Some turbulence noted here this week. Looks like this will be a co-closer situation for a while. Abner Uribe had a win, a loss, a save, and a hold this week. On Friday night, he earned the hold, with Trevor Megill earning his fifth save. It is very difficult to know how these situations play out, but forced to choose between the two, I think Megill gets the edge at the close spot due to Uribe’s role flexibility. Uribe has surrendered four runs in his last six outings, while Megill seems to have established himself on solid ground again after a tough April. Aaron Ashby leads baseball with eight wins in relief.
Gregory Soto looks to be the top option in Pittsburgh, but both he and co-closer in name Dennis Santana pitched poorly on Friday night. Soto has been the more effective pitcher and should expect to get the slight majority of the chances here.
Riley O’Brien has been a revelation in St. Louis, where he has 13 saves and a nice 2.45 ERA to go with a 29.4% K%. JoJo Romero leads the team with 14 holds, while George Soriano has moved into the higher leverage conversation with eight holds.
NL West
Paul Sewald has nine saves despite a rocky 4.70 ERA. He has a 31% K% to go with that. Juan Morillo and Taylor Clarke have pitched well in setup roles here, with both having eight holds on the season.
Mason Miller continues to astound in San Diego, with an incredible 55.7% K% and 14 saves. Those who spent the early pick on him in drafts look like geniuses right now.
Caleb Kilian has taken the closer role in San Francisco, who sent would-be closer Ryan Walker to Triple-A this week to work out some kinks. Kilian notched a save in his last appearance on Tuesday. Chances might be slim in San Francisco as the team struggles to get its footing.
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