Fantasy Baseball Saves Plus Holds Rankings & Advice (2025)

Each week during the season, I take a look at the reliever landscape to aid with waiver wire and trade decisions. The trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the reliever pool may change drastically.

Fantasy Baseball Saves + Holds League Advice

Here are the top 17 relievers in total saves plus holds (SV + H) through July 23rd.

Saves + Holds Leaders

Player	Team	SV+H
Robert Suarez	SDP	29
Abner Uribe	MIL	29
Josh Hader	HOU	27
Carlos Estevez	KCR	26
Emmanuel Clase	CLE	24
Bryan Abreu	HOU	24
Jason Adam	SDP	24
Jeff Hoffman	TOR	24
Jeremiah Estrada	SDP	24
Trevor Megill	MIL	23
Emilio Pagan	CIN	23
Andres Munoz	SEA	22
Devin Williams	NYY	22
Cade Smith	CLE	22
Camilo Doval	SFG	22
Tony Santillan	CIN	22
Bryan King	HOU	22

Takeaways

The San Diego Padres and Houston Astros are the only teams with three relievers with at least 20 saves plus holds. Both teams are in the top 10 in wins and top four in total saves plus holds. Jason Adam has been extremely good this year, but his WHIP of 1.32 stands out among this group.
Josh Hader is 10th among all relievers with at least 30 innings pitched in WHIP (0.85). He’s also seventh in strikeout rate (36.9%), eighth in batting average against (.159) and fifth in strikeout-minus-walk rate (29.6%). He’s a stud.
Emmanuel Clase has made fantasy managers completely forget about the early-season struggles. He has a 2.80 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 9.2 K/9 on the season. If there’s a chance he’s traded, Cade Smith would be a huge target in saves-only leagues.

Saves + Holds Reliever Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Change
1	Josh Hader	HOU	–
2	Robert Suarez	SDP	–
3	Edwin Diaz	NYM	–
4	Emmanuel Clase	CLE	–
5	Andres Munoz	SEA	–
6	Abner Uribe	MIL	–
7	Devin Williams	NYY	+1
8	Mason Miller	ATH	-1
9	Bryan Abreu	HOU	+1
10	Cade Smith	CLE	+3
11	Jason Adam	SDP	+1
12	Aroldis Chapman	BOS	+2
13	Carlos Estevez	KCR	-2
14	Daniel Palencia	CHC	+1
15	Griffin Jax	MIN	+1
16	Felix Bautista	BAL	+2
17	Jeff Hoffman	TOR	+3
18	Trevor Megill	MIL	+5
19	Alex Vesia	LAD	+11
20	Camilo Doval	SFG	-1
21	Emilio Pagan	CIN	+3
22	Jhoan Duran	MIN	-1
23	Lucas Erceg	KCR	-1
24	Jeremiah Estrada	SDP	+2
25	Ryan Helsley	STL	–
26	Luke Weaver	NYY	+3
27	Robert Garcia	TEX	–
28	Kirby Yates	LAD	+7
29	Tony Santillan	CIN	+2
30	Bryan King	HOU	+3
31	Reed Garrett	NYM	+6
32	Hunter Gaddis	CLE	+4
33	Kyle Finnegan	WSH	-5
34	Phil Maton	STL	-2
35	Matt Strahm	PHI	+3
36	Tommy Kahnle	DET	-19
37	Reid Detmers	LAA	+2
38	Tyler Rogers	SFG	+2
39	Brendon Little	TOR	UN
40	Will Vest	DET	UN

Biggest Risers

Kirby Yates (RP – LAD) | +7

Kirby Yates and Alex Vesia both get a boost with Tanner Scott going on the injured list (IL). I wrote about Alex Vesia moving up this list before the injury last week, so I’ll focus on Yates this time around.

Despite the poor surface-level numbers — 4.45 ERA and 1.32 WHIP — Yates has an impressive 38% whiff rate and 34% strikeout rate. He’s not giving up too many walks, but is giving up hard contact. If he can limit the homers and pitch closer to his 2.86 xFIP, he’ll take over the closer’s role outright.

Reed Garrett (RP – NYM) | +6

Reed Garrett has been lights out, other than two outings when he gave up four runs in late June to early July. Outside of those two outings, he’s only given up five runs in 40 appearances spanning 39.2 innings.

Garrett has only given up two home runs all season and has done an excellent job of limiting barrels. We’d prefer if he returned some of the strikeout rate he had last year, but we’ll settle for the low ERA on a great team.

Brendon Little (RP – TOR) | Unranked

Brendon Little has three holds in two innings post-All-Star break. He’s given up one hit and one walk while striking out four batters.

Little walks far too many batters, but his whiff rate (46.8%) is the best in the league. He gets plenty of strikeouts, and his expected batting average against is in the 99th percentile. His only issue is that he misses the strike zone too much.

Biggest Fallers

Tommy Kahnle (RP – DET) | -19

Tommy Kahnle gave up seven runs in two appearances before the All-Star break without recording a single out. Then, in his first appearance post-break, he gave up another two runs while recording three outs in the loss. His ERA ballooned to 4.73 with a 1.18 WHIP.

Will Vest has been steady all season with a 2.23 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 16 saves and a hold. The Tigers are tied for second in the league in wins, but only 23rd in total saves plus holds.