Each week during the fantasy baseball season, I take a look at the relief pitcher landscape to aid in waiver wire decisions. We’re past the trade deadline in most leagues, so the waiver wire will have to do through the home stretch of the season.
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Lineup Assistant
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Saves + Holds League Advice: Week 21
There are 13 pitchers with 27+ saves plus holds:
| Player | Team | SV+H |
| Bryan Baker | TBR | 37 |
| Louis Varland | TOR | 33 |
| Riley O’Brien | STL | 33 |
| Mason Miller | SDP | 31 |
| Cade Smith | CLE | 31 |
| Tyler Rogers | TOR | 30 |
| Trevor Megill | MIL | 29 |
| Tanner Scott | LAD | 29 |
| Dylan Lee | ATL | 28 |
| David Bednar | NYY | 28 |
| Kevin Kelly | TBR | 28 |
| Aroldis Chapman | BOS | 27 |
| Jhoan Duran | PHI | 27 |
Takeaways
- Bryan Baker continues to separate himself from the pack. In his 49 innings, he’s posted a 1.47 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 10.1 K/9 and a 20.6% strikeout-minus-walk rate. He deserves to be at the top of the rankings with his performance.
- Louis Varland has rivaled Bryan Baker as the best reliever pickup of the year. He’s posted career-bests in ERA (1.26), WHIP (0.96), strikeout rate (31.7%) and groundball rate (55%). He didn’t start the year as the Blue Jays’ closer and didn’t get his first save until a month in, but he still has 28 saves, good for fifth in the league.
- Dylan Lee has been phenomenal for the Braves. In 56.1 innings, he’s posted a 1.92 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and an elite 33.7% strikeout rate. He’s benefited from Robert Suarez‘s extended absence, who is still without a clear timeline.
Saves + Holds Reliever Rankings
Here are my top 40 relievers for save-plus-holds leagues:
| Rank | Player | Team | Change |
| 1 | Bryan Baker | TBR | +1 |
| 2 | Mason Miller | SDP | -1 |
| 3 | Louis Varland | TOR | +2 |
| 4 | Josh Hader | HOU | – |
| 5 | Cade Smith | CLE | -2 |
| 6 | Trevor Megill | MIL | – |
| 7 | Riley O’Brien | STL | +1 |
| 8 | Jhoan Duran | PHI | -1 |
| 9 | Aroldis Chapman | BOS | – |
| 10 | Tanner Scott | LAD | +5 |
| 11 | David Bednar | NYY | – |
| 12 | Raisel Iglesias | ATL | -2 |
| 13 | Jacob Latz | TEX | – |
| 14 | Kevin Kelly | TBR | – |
| 15 | Dylan Lee | ATL | +1 |
| 16 | Tyler Rogers | TOR | +2 |
| 17 | Andres Munoz | SEA | -5 |
| 18 | Garrett Cleavinger | TBR | +5 |
| 19 | Adrian Morejon | SDP | +2 |
| 20 | Hunter Gaddis | CLE | +6 |
| 21 | Grant Taylor | CWS | +3 |
| 22 | Mason Montgomery | PIT | +14 |
| 23 | Eduard Bazardo | SEA | +4 |
| 24 | Alex Vesia | LAD | +6 |
| 25 | Yoendrys Gomez | MIN | +6 |
| 26 | Kenley Jansen | DET | -1 |
| 27 | Brandyn Garcia | ARI | +1 |
| 28 | Jacob Webb | CHC | +4 |
| 29 | Emilio Pagan | CIN | – |
| 30 | Jakob Junis | TEX | IL |
| 31 | Jeremiah Estrada | SDP | +2 |
| 32 | Rico Garcia | BAL | +2 |
| 33 | Ben Joyce | LAA | IL |
| 34 | Jeff Hoffman | MIN | +1 |
| 35 | Ryne Stanek | STL | +5 |
| 36 | Aaron Ashby | MIL | UN |
| 37 | Hogan Harris | ATH | – |
| 38 | Fernando Cruz | NYY | – |
| 39 | Steven Cruz | KCR | – |
| 40 | Daniel Duarte | NYM | UN |
Biggest Risers
Ben Joyce (RP – LAA) | Previous: Injured List; Current: 33
Ben Joyce returned from injury after over a year’s layoff and has pitched well for the Angels. In his six appearances, he has allowed only one hit and one walk with zero runs.
Joyce has struck out at least one batter in each inning and picked up three saves and a hold. His velocity is back to pre-injury form, and he’s getting plenty of whiffs. He can be a real difference-maker in saves plus holds and traditional formats.
Aaron Ashby (RP – MIL) | Previous: Unranked; Current: 36
Aaron Ashby has a 3.39 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, both of which don’t blow you away, but he has 11 holds, a save and 13 wins. It could be a trap, seeing all those wins and chasing what he’s done before.
However, Abner Uribe recently landed on the injured list (IL), and JoJo Romero is still on the shelf. Ashby has proven he can cover multiple innings, has a career-best 12.7 K/9 and has a clear path to valuable opportunities.
Biggest Fallers
Luke Weaver (RP – PIT) | Previous: 20; Current: Unranked
Luke Weaver has not registered a save or hold since joining the Pirates. In his three appearances, he’s allowed three runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
The Pirates have gone with Mason Montgomery and stuck with him despite the acquisition of Weaver. Montgomery has pitched well and is the best bet for strikeouts in the Pirates’ bullpen.
Edwin Diaz (RP – LAD) | Previous: 19; Current: Injured List
Edwin Diaz landed on the IL with neck inflammation. Despite the injury, he would have been a faller for his poor performance. In August, he’s allowed 10 runs on 13 hits, including two homers and five walks in seven games over 5.2 innings.
Diaz struggled in his first year with the Mets before going on to have five straight fantasy-relevant seasons. Hopefully, this is just a pattern whenever he’s in a new environment. Either way, Tanner Scott is the reliever to roster in the Dodgers’ bullpen.
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