In this week’s Saves and Steals, an injury to Pete Fairbanks gives a pair of relievers on the rise a chance to shine in the ninth inning. The Cubs shake up their bullpen by releasing Hector Neris. And Michael Kopech continues his excellent stretch with the Dodgers. In the steals department, Parker Meadows is heating up in Detroit.
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Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1: At the Top
Emmanuel Clase – Cleveland Guardians
Ryan Helsley – St. Louis Cardinals
Clase didn’t see a save chance this week. He did make two scoreless appearances, including two innings of work against the Yankees on Tuesday. Clase remains at 37 saves with a 0.61 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, and a 49/8 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings. Helsley did get a save chance, converting his MLB-leading 38th on Saturday against the Dodgers.
Tier 2: The Elite
Kirby Yates – Texas Rangers
Mason Miller – Oakland Athletics
Andrés Muñoz – Seattle Mariners
Josh Hader – Houston Astros
Devin Williams – Milwaukee Brewers
Yates took a loss and blew a save before bouncing back with a save and a win this week against the Pirates. He’s up to 22 saves with a 1.30 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 70 strikeouts across 48 1/3 innings. Miller picked up a pair of saves and lowered his ERA to 1.89 after four scoreless innings of work this week. His 44.4 percent strikeout rate leads all qualified relievers.
Muñoz didn’t have the best week after blowing two save chances, giving up four runs over his last two outings. Still, he’s posted a 1.88 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts over 48 innings. Meanwhile, Hader has been on an excellent run since the All-Star break, with a 1.88 ERA in the second half. He recorded his 27th save and picked up his sixth win this week. And Williams makes his jump to the elite tier with three more saves, giving him five since debuting off the injured list.
Tier 3: The Solid Options
Robert Suarez – San Diego Padres
Raisel Iglesias – Atlanta Braves
Edwin Diaz – New York Mets
Kenley Jansen – Boston Red Sox
Jhoan Duran – Minnesota Twins
Clay Holmes – New York Yankees
Carlos Estévez – Philadelphia Phillies
Alexis Díaz – Cincinnati Reds
Kyle Finnegan – Washington Nationals
One of this season’s biggest surprises, Suarez added two more saves this week to give him 29 with a 1.79 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across 50 1/3 innings. Iglesias also added two saves with…