Fantasy baseball leagues that record saves + holds are becoming more popular. These kinds of leagues expand the relief pitcher pool and change strategy completely. Each week during the season, I’ll take a look at the relief pitcher landscape to aid with waiver wire and trade decisions.
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Lineup Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Saves + Holds League Advice
Saves + Holds Leaders
After the first week of the season, there are 30 pitchers with multiple saves + holds. Here are the 19 pitchers with multiple saves + holds who have yet to allow an earned run:
| Player | Team | SV+H |
| Erik Sabrowski | CLE | 3 |
| Braydon Fisher | TOR | 2 |
| Hogan Harris | ATH | 2 |
| Tyler Alexander | TEX | 2 |
| David Bednar | NYY | 2 |
| JoJo Romero | STL | 2 |
| Ryan Helsley | BAL | 2 |
| Jordan Romano | LAA | 2 |
| Matt Strahm | KCR | 2 |
| Chase Silseth | LAA | 2 |
| Kevin Kelly | TBR | 2 |
| Tim Hill | NYY | 2 |
| Riley O’Brien | STL | 2 |
| Jakob Junis | TEX | 2 |
| Paul Sewald | ARI | 2 |
| Pete Fairbanks | MIA | 2 |
| Jalen Beeks | TEX | 2 |
| Lucas Erceg | KCR | 2 |
| Tony Santillan | CIN | 2 |
Takeaways
- Pete Fairbanks made the move to Miami this offseason and locked down their first two save chances of the season. He’s been sharp and efficient to start the season.
- Carlos Estevez made one appearance before landing on the injured list (IL). Lucas Erceg has experience in this role for the Royals and is the best right-handed option. Matt Strahm is also in the same bullpen, but as a lefty, he likely won’t be used in the same way.
- Paul Sewald is the de facto closer for the Diamondbacks. Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk both had Tommy John surgery last year and are still recovering, leaving Sewald as the most experienced healthy closer option.
- The Cardinals were using Ryne Stanek quite a bit in the first week in their closer role, but that seems to have worked itself out. JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien have both been much better and should have the most opportunities moving forward.
Saves + Holds Reliever Rankings
Here are my top 40 relievers for saves plus holds leagues.
| Rank | Player | Team |
| 1 | Mason Miller | SDP |
| 2 | Edwin Diaz | LAD |
| 3 | Andres Munoz | SEA |
| 4 | Cade Smith | CLE |
| 5 | Jhoan Duran | PHI |
| 6 | Aroldis Chapman | BOS |
| 7 | Abner Uribe | MIL |
| 8 | Bryan Abreu | HOU |
| 9 | Jeff Hoffman | TOR |
| 10 | David Bednar | NYY |
| 11 | Ryan Helsley | BAL |
| 12 | Kenley Jansen | DET |
| 13 | Devin Williams | NYM |
| 14 | Ryan Walker | SFG |
| 15 | Daniel Palencia | CHC |
| 16 | Raisel Iglesias | ATL |
| 17 | Lucas Erceg | KCR |
| 18 | Emilio Pagan | CIN |
| 19 | Pete Fairbanks | MIA |
| 20 | Trevor Megill | MIL |
| 21 | Robert Suarez | ATL |
| 22 | Luke Weaver | NYM |
| 23 | Tanner Scott | LAD |
| 24 | Bryan Baker | TBR |
| 25 | Matt Strahm | KCR |
| 26 | Camilo Doval | NYY |
| 27 | Riley O’Brien | STL |
| 28 | Bryan King | HOU |
| 29 | Jordan Romano | LAA |
| 30 | Dennis Santana | PIT |
| 31 | Griffin Jax | TBR |
| 32 | JoJo Romero | STL |
| 33 | Matt Brash | SEA |
| 34 | Jeremiah Estrada | SDP |
| 35 | Will Vest | DET |
| 36 | Alex Vesia | LAD |
| 37 | Robert Garcia | TEX |
| 38 | Shawn Armstrong | CLE |
| 39 | Paul Sewald | ARI |
| 40 | Seranthony Dominguez | CWS |
Rankings Notes
- Edwin Diaz is my RP1 in a typical saves-only league. The Dodgers give him an advantage with the win total they should end up with. However, in a saves + holds league, I prioritize Mason Miller with his strikeout rate. You really can’t go wrong with either.
- Unlike traditional leagues, in a saves + holds league, a team that is expected to win a lot of games can support multiple relievers. Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe both have value despite only one of them being in the closer’s role.
- There are a few relievers left off this list due to injury. Josh Hader, Carlos Estevez, Kirby Yates, Edwin Uceta, Jason Adam and Hunter Gaddis are all currently on the IL but expected to have big roles for their teams.
- Ten of my top 40 relievers have not picked up a save or hold. It’s not concerning this early in the season.
- Aroldis Chapman is someone I was skeptical of this offseason because of his age. I’m still watching him with a side eye, but I can’t argue with the results. His sinker is sitting at 99 miles per hour (MPH), and he hasn’t walked anyone in the small sample size.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn