Well, we are officially in the dog days of August. School has started again around here and in many parts of the world, which means we are getting to the end of the baseball season. Fantasy players everywhere are looking to make additions to their squads as they hope for a deep playoff run, while many of the brethren are preparing for fantasy football (I am not ready).
Let’s take a look at the current landscape and see if there are some relievers that you might be able to find in your leagues who are getting saves: Seranthony Dominguez, Jeff Hoffman, Lucas Erceg, and Aroldis Chapman are some names you might look at this weekend. Let’s dive in.
Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Report
AL East
Seranthony Dominguez is the closer in Baltimore. Veteran Craig Kimbrel has been moved to a middle relief role at this time and lost the game in his last appearance, which happened last Sunday. Dominguez has the last two saves for the Orioles, and that makes him the closer for now.
Clay Holmes, Jake Cousins, and Michael Tonkin all earned saves this week for New York. Holmes had only pitched once this week, throwing a staggering 45 pitches while earning a save, before earning another on Friday night. He has 26 saves on the season but has been struggling. It doesn’t seem that either Cousins or Tonkin are threats to close for the Yankees, and Holmes should retain the job.
AL Central
The Chicago White Sox don’t need a closer—next team note. Chad Kuhl earned the save Friday night in Houston. Gulp.
Emmanuel Clase got saves in four consecutive games this week, running his total to 37 on the year. He has a ridiculous 0.64 ERA and a 0.66 WHIP with 49 strikeouts in 56.1 innings. The only nitpick here is the lack of strikeouts, but that feels ungrateful. Clase is arguably the best closer in the game right now.
Jason Foley earned a save Thursday night for Detroit. Veteran Will Vest earned the other this week. I guess we can call this a committee, with lefty Tyler Holton also part of the mix.
Lucas Erceg, acquired at the trade deadline from the Oakland Athletics, appears to be the top choice in Kansas City with two saves this week, and Hunter Harvey is out due to injury. Jame McArthur has been pitching in a setup role and it appears, for now, that Erceg is the main guy in Kansas City. It doesn’t appear to be a committee at this point. If Erceg is available this weekend and you need saves, you might want to try and grab him.
AL West
Josh Hader: two more saves and a win this week for Houston. I was staying away from Hader this season and he’s proven me wrong: he’s got his ERA down to a manageable 3.48, with 26 saves and a 38.7%K% on the season. He continues to be outstanding and a top option in any league.
Mason Miller does not show any lingering effects from his injury and earned two more saves this week, running his total to 18 on the season. The strikeout rate remains absurd at 44.9%K%. The biggest question seems to be whether he has a future in the rotation; if he remains a closer, this guy looks like a top-10 option for saves and strikeouts in 2025.
NL East
Raisel Iglesias: two saves and a win this week. I thought this could be the year of his demise, but he has proven my gut wrong (which happens often). The veteran has 25 saves now with a 1.54 ERA and a 26.2%K%, which has been growing since the All-Star break. Iglesias is as solid as they come.
I’ve been waiting patiently to see what is going to happen in Philadelphia with Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman. Short answer: the tea leaves show that Hoffman is being used as the highest-leverage guy before the ninth inning and that manager Rob Thomsen may prefer to use Estevez in save situations. But we don’t have much data yet; Hoffman got the last two outs on Friday night in the eighth inning, ceding the ninth to Estevez…who promptly blew the save before earning the win when the Phillies walked off the Nationals. Here’s my take: I think Hoffman is the better pitcher, with better stuff, but for those of us who play fantasy baseball that doesn’t mean that guy is the closer. Estevez has given up runs in three of his last four outings. This will be one I am watching, and I have kept shares of Hoffman as we wait to see what happens…remains to be seen if that is a good move on my part or not!
NL Central
Hector Neris is still the closer but blew a three-run lead on Friday afternoon. Jorge Lopez and Porter Hodge are the top setup guys. Lopez has climbed into the higher leverage roles after being signed in July off the waiver wire.
We have witnessed the return of Devin Williams and the Airbender, earning three saves this week. Williams earned saves on Wednesday and Thursday, and Joel Payamps got the save on Friday as Williams took the night off. Payamps has worked his way back into the high-leverage spots in Milwaukee and has six saves and 13 holds on the season, lowering his ERA to 3.63.
David Bednar is on the hot seat. In two appearances this week, he blew a save and took a loss, and then started the ninth inning on Friday night ceding a home run to Jorge Polanco before locking down the save. Bednar’s ERA climbed to 5.83 despite the 21 saves on the year. It seems clear that the Pirates, who are fighting to stay alive in the NL Wild Card race, could go to veteran lefty Aroldis Chapman at any time. Chapman has 19 holds to go with his four saves and comedic 36.7%K%.
NL West
Arizona: interesting to watch here. Justin Martinez is the closer right now and has electric stuff. Paul Sewald lingers too, and they added veterans A.J. Puk and Dylan Floro at the trade deadline. This is a deep bullpen with a number of great options: Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson are here, too. With Martinez being a youngster who could struggle, and Sewald working through a mechanical tweak to help with his command, this will be an interesting bullpen to watch as we head into fall. Martinez blew the save on Friday night, giving up an unearned run in the ninth to take the loss. Thompson gave up three runs as well. If Sewald is able to continue to work through his command issues, he could find himself back in the role. Who knows?
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a committee situation at this time; Michael Kopech has been lights out since his arrival from the White Sox. He has pitched in seven games and has 11 strikeouts in 7.1 innings since his arrival, with two h0lds and a win this week. Daniel Hudson blew a chance on Thursday night, and former closer Evan Phillips got a win and a hold this week as well. Manager Dave Roberts may continue to mix and match here, but Phillips could take the job back if Hudson struggles. And don’t count out Kopech: he has the stuff to close if he can keep his mechanics intact. And lo and behold, Kopech earned save number 1o on Friday night with another scoreless inning.
San Francisco: Ryan Walker has taken over for the demoted Camilo Doval. He has only had one save chance since taking over the role, but he’s been terrific all year: seven wins, 21 holds, a 2.17 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts in 62.1 innings. He can do the job given the chance. Some were surprised that the job didn’t go to one of the Rogers twins or Jordan Hicks. But Walker has been quietly excellent and deserves the chance.