Saves plus holds (SV + H) formats are becoming a significant percentage of fantasy baseball leagues. An advantage to this format is not having to pay up for the top closers and playing the waiver wire.
Each week during the season, I take a look at the relief pitcher landscape to aid with waiver wire and trade decisions.
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Fantasy Baseball Saves + Holds League Advice
Saves + Holds Saves Leaders
Here are the top 15 relievers in total saves plus holds through April 8th.
| Player | Team | SV+H |
| Luke Jackson | TEX | 5 |
| Robert Suarez | SDP | 5 |
| Chris Martin | TEX | 5 |
| Kyle Finnegan | WSH | 4 |
| Andres Munoz | SEA | 4 |
| Tanner Scott | LAD | 4 |
| A.J. Puk | ARI | 4 |
| Tony Santillan | CIN | 4 |
| Alex Vesia | LAD | 4 |
| Jason Adam | SDP | 4 |
| Tyler Rogers | SFG | 4 |
| Lucas Erceg | KCR | 4 |
| Brendon Little | TOR | 4 |
| Robert Garcia | TEX | 4 |
| Porter Hodge | CHC | 4 |
Takeaways
- The Texas Rangers lead the way with three pitchers in the top 15. They also lead the league in both saves and holds with six and 14, respectively. Luke Jackson has been getting most of the save chances, but he’s been shaky. Chris Martin has been lights out as the set-up man and would likely get the first opportunity if they decided to go away from Jackson.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers are second in the league in total saves plus holds with 17. Currently, they have four pitchers with three or more and should continue to see plenty of chances as the season continues. Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates will see plenty of opportunities. While Ben Casparius has cashed in on his chances with three saves plus holds himself.
- The San Diego Padres have the best record in the league, and their bullpen is a big reason why. Robert Suarez, Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada have combined to give up only one earned run with 24 strikeouts in 17.2 innings pitched. They’re quietly becoming one of the best 1-2-3 punches to close out a game.
- Seattle is finally giving Andres Munoz all of the save opportunities, and it’s paying off. He has yet to allow a single run and his strikeout rate is over 37%. The walks are up a bit, but in a small sample size, it’s nothing to worry about.
- Brendon Little has come out of nowhere and been pitching great for the Toronto Blue Jays. His strikeout rate is over 37%, while his walk rate is under 5% — both excellent numbers. His xERA, FIP and xFIP are more than a run and a half lower than his actual ERA.
Saves + Holds Relief Pitcher Rankings
Here are my top 40 relievers for saves plus holds leagues.
| Rank | Player | Team | Change |
| 1 | Emmanuel Clase | CLE | – |
| 2 | Josh Hader | HOU | +1 |
| 3 | Edwin Diaz | NYM | +1 |
| 4 | Mason Miller | ATH | +1 |
| 5 | Andres Munoz | SEA | +3 |
| 6 | Devin Williams | NYY | -4 |
| 7 | Robert Suarez | SDP | +6 |
| 8 | Jeff Hoffman | TOR | +4 |
| 9 | Tanner Scott | LAD | -2 |
| 10 | Ryan Walker | SFG | – |
| 11 | Ryan Helsley | STL | -5 |
| 12 | Jhoan Duran | MIN | -1 |
| 13 | Cade Smith | CLE | +1 |
| 14 | Trevor Megill | MIL | +1 |
| 15 | Raisel Iglesias | ATL | -6 |
| 16 | Bryan Abreu | HOU | – |
| 17 | Jason Adam | SDP | +3 |
| 18 | Justin Martinez | ARI | – |
| 19 | Blake Treinen | LAD | -2 |
| 20 | Porter Hodge | CHC | -1 |
| 21 | A.J. Puk | ARI | +3 |
| 22 | Aroldis Chapman | BOS | +1 |
| 23 | Griffin Jax | MIN | -4 |
| 24 | Chris Martin | TEX | +1 |
| 25 | Lucas Erceg | KCR | +1 |
| 26 | Kenley Jansen | LAA | +5 |
| 27 | Pete Fairbanks | TBR | +5 |
| 28 | Jose Alvarado | PHI | – |
| 29 | Matt Strahm | PHI | +1 |
| 30 | Luke Weaver | NYY | -1 |
| 31 | Carlos Estevez | KCR | -9 |
| 32 | Jeremiah Estrada | SDP | +8 |
| 33 | Luke Jackson | TEX | +5 |
| 34 | Kirby Yates | LAD | – |
| 35 | Kyle Finnegan | WSH | +1 |
| 36 | Brendon Little | TOR | UN |
| 37 | Robert Garcia | TEX | UN |
| 38 | Tony Santillan | CIN | +1 |
| 39 | Alex Vesia | LAD | UN |
| 40 | Felix Bautista | BAL | -13 |
Biggest Risers
Robert Suarez had plenty of doubters in the offseason, and he’s made us look foolish so far. Through five appearances, Suarez is a perfect 5-for-5 in saves without giving up a run and striking out 41% of batters. He looks even better than he did at the beginning of last season, when he had a sub-1.00 ERA through the first two months of the season.
Jeremiah Estrada (RP – SD) | +8
Jeremiah Estrada is enjoying a nice start to the season. His strikeout rate is elite (35%) and he’s only allowed two hits and two walks through six appearances. He gives up a lot of fly balls, leading to higher ERA-indicator numbers. However, he overcame it last year and should see similar success this year.
Biggest Fallers
Devin Williams (RP – NYY) | -4
Devin Williams has not recorded a save or hold since Opening Day. He hasn’t looked nearly as dominant in a Yankees uniform. His strikeout rate is down from 43% to 25%, and he’s giving up more fly balls than usual. He should still be an elite fantasy option, but it’ll likely take him some time to settle in.
Felix Bautista (RP – BAL) | -13
Felix Bautista has yet to record a save or hold through his team’s first 13 games. He’s making his way back from Tommy John surgery, and there haven’t been a lot of save opportunities for the Orioles, leading to the zero total. Hopefully, as the season progresses, Bautista will be able to build up and get back to the dominant reliever he was in 2023.
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