Yes, that is Timmy Trumpet you're hearing as Edwin Diaz enters the chat. He may have just brought his Statcast page to contract negotiations before signing his five-year, $102 million deal to return to New York. The 28-year-old was in the 100th percentile in xBA, K%, Whiff%, xSLG, and xERA/xOBA, which is exactly what you are looking for from a fantasy closer while racking up 32 saves. His xFIP was a ridiculous 1.04, and he stranded 90.4% of runners on base. While chances are good Diaz will not repeat these numbers in 2023, there is nothing to suggest that he won't return as an elite closer option with job security on a team that should win plenty of games. He'll probably cost you a second-round pick, but there isn't much downside if you're willing to pay for saves.

Emmanuel Clase led MLB with 42 saves last season, cementing his status as an elite closer and giving fantasy managers a reason to pay for saves in 2023. He pitched 72 2/3 innings, striking out 77, and maintaining a microscopic 1.36 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. He is in the 90th percentile and above in nine of 12 categories on Statcast, and even some slight regression in his overall numbers still leaves him in "elite" territory. Clase will turn 25 before the season and is locked into the closer role in Cleveland, making him and Edwin Diaz the clear top two at the position heading into 2023.

Josh Hader may come at a discount in 2023 due to those who fixate on a stretch of outings in August 2022 or look only at his final ERA. The surface stats are much uglier than fantasy managers have been used to seeing. The 28-year-old ended with a 5.22 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, both of which are career highs by a longshot. Looking beneath that, however, shows that his xERA was 3.51 with an xFIP of 2.94. His K% and Whiff% remain in elite status, and he still walked away with 36 saves. This is still a player with Top-3 closer abilities, so fantasy managers in leagues where others shy away due to a few outings in August should draft, sit back, and enjoy.

Spencer Strider arrived in MLB in 2022 and promptly helped many a fantasy manager make the playoffs. He pitched 131 2/3 innings, striking out an obscene 202 batters with a devastating slider that came after his 98 mph fastball. He struggled with free passes, issuing 3.1 walks per nine, but he more than made up for that with a 16.4% swinging strike rate and K% of 38.3. After he signed a six-year, $75 million contract, the Braves should allow him to throw more innings, probably in the 150-160 range, and he should still have RP eligibility, making him a points-league stud as well. Strider has the makings of a bona fide ace and is only 24 years old. Draft him with confidence.

Jordan Romano saved 36 games for the Blue Jays in 2022, and he is the clear-cut closer going into 2023. The two knocks against him are that he walks more batters than he should, and his xERA and xFIP were an entire run above the actuals. All the same, Romano struck out 73 batters in 64 innings while maintaining a 2.11 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. The 29-year-old does not fit the profile of a truly elite closer, but he should collect another 30 saves, securing a good base in 5x5 leagues.

Devin Williams played second fiddle to Josh Hader for most of four seasons before finally getting handed the ball after Milwaukee traded the latter to San Diego. Out of 14 Statcast pitching categories, the 28-year-old ranks in the 99th or 100th percentile in nine of them. His weakness - BB% - is the thing that keeps him in Tier 2 of closers for most fantasy analysts, but his talent and abilities cannot be ignored during drafts. Milwaukee is a pitching-heavy team that will offer plenty of save opportunities. Right now, Williams is the clear choice to get the first crack at them and rack up strikeouts for your team while doing so.

If spin rate is your jam, you'll love what Ryan Pressly has to offer. The 34-year-old closer for the World Series Champions is in the 97th percentile in fastball spin and the 100th percentile in curveball spin. He used a four-pitch arsenal to get 33 saves with a 2.98 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. He is not as highly sought after as the overpowering, high-strikeout guys above him, but he will provide everything fantasy managers need in a closer and then some.

Ryan Helsley used a devastating three-pitch combo to emerge as one of the top closers in baseball in the latter half of 2022. He added velocity to his fastball, resulting in a K/9 that jumped from 8.94 to 13.08 and grabbing 19 saves for the Red Birds. He should enter 2023 as the clear-cut closer in St. Louis, and if he continues to throw in the triple digits as often as he did last year, he can shore up your saves category while helping your ratios and strikeouts. He should easily be in the top 10 relief pitchers taken on draft day.

Raisel Iglesias signed a four-year deal with the Angels to be their closer before the 2022 season and found himself collecting holds out of the Braves bullpen in August. The 33-year-old still has a K% in the 92nd percentile in the league, though this did drop from 37.7% to 31.7% last year. Atlanta has a number of closer options, though Iglesias is the most experienced of the bunch and should get the first crack at it. He's a Tier 3 closer with a higher upside if he lands the job.

Felix Bautista is a hard-throwing righty who arrived in Baltimore and immediately became a high-impact reliever. He struck out 88 batters in 65 2/3 innings while maintaining a 2.19 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He collected 14 holds before the Orioles traded Jorge Lopez at the deadline, after which he notched 15 saves. As long as the 27-year-old continues to rein in the free passes, the saves should be plentiful and competition for the role won't be. Bautista is a Tier 2 closer worth targeting in drafts.

Cristian Javier began 2022 in the bullpen and then started 25 games, bringing joy to fantasy managers' hearts everywhere. The 25-year-old tossed a 94-mph fastball with a 77-mph curve and mixed in a slider and changeup to create an 11.74 K/9. He struck out 194 batters in 148 2/3 innings and held a 2.54 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. His BABIP and LOB% are both due for regression, and his xFIP was 3.53, so it's important to temper expectations in those departments. All in all, Javier will make a great SP3 with SP2 upside.

Camilo Doval went 27 for 30 in save opportunities in 2022 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, and he will enter 2023 as the clear-cut closer for the Giants. While his BB% is higher than we'd like from a truly elite closer, he creates weak contact thanks to a 99-mph cutter. Even with the walks, Doval is a Tier 2 closer you can get in the seventh or eighth round.

David Bednar holds the illustrious title of Best Closer on Worst Team heading into 2023. The 28-year-old mixes a 96-mph fastball with a 77-mph curveball and 90-mph changeup for a 32.9 K%. Even though he had an ERA of 2.61, his FIP was 2.44, which is a product of pitching in front of one of the worst defenses in baseball. Pittsburgh may not win many games, but Bednar is clearly the closer and should be dominant in any uniform.

 

Clay Holmes had two seasons in 2022. Before the All-Star Break, he had 16 saves, seven holds, an ERA of 1.34, and a 41:8 K:BB ratio. After the ASB, he hit the IL with a back strain and had four saves, an ERA of 4.44, and a 25:13 K:BB ratio. With the Yankees letting Chapman go to the Royals, Holmes currently stands alone on the closer depth chart. If you buy into his first half from 2022, he is a steal at his current ADP. If you don't, it is wise to stay clear.

Scott Barlow held a lot more fantasy appeal before the Royals went out and signed Aroldis Chapman. Barlow will still get his fair share of save opportunities, but this smells like a closer by committee to start the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liam Hendriks quietly had a very solid year for a disappointing White Sox team. He collected 37 saves, while pitching 57 2/3 innings and striking out 85 batters. He remained in the 90th percentile or higher in xBA, K%, fastball velocity, extension, xERA, and Whiff%. He missed some time with a right forearm strain; though there were no immediate signs of this lingering issue, it is something to take into consideration. He announced in January that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, so his timetable for return is in question.