2024 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Edwin Diaz was in line for another stellar campaign when a patellar tendon tear ended his season during the World Baseball Classic. We'll just run it back for 2024, though, as Diaz's Statcast page shows that he leads the world in almost every pitching metric. The 29-year-old probably won't come with much of a discount in 2024, and the latest reports are that he is fully healthy. Diaz is a minimal-risk, extremely-high reward reliever.

Josh Hader experienced the bounceback foretold last offseason. He dropped his ERA from 5.22 to 1.28, which was much more in line with his career numbers. He struck out 85 batters in 56 1/3 innings and collected 33 saves. His elite xBA of .157 is in the 100th percentile, and batters have yet to figure out how to get any barrel on the Southpaw's pitches. Hader's downfall will always be his BB% (13.0), but fantasy managers inclined to take a closer early in drafts should feel confident they're getting one of the top two here.

Emmanuel Clase led all of baseball with 44 saves, and he did so with a 7.93 K/9. His secret is a GB% of 56.6, which is in the 93rd percentile. His ERA, however, took a precipitous jump from 1.36 to 3.22. If you're planning to use an early-round draft pick on a closer, there are three Tier 1 guys before Clase, who seems a bit more of a risk in 2024.

Camilo Doval finished 2023 tied for the National League lead in saves with 39. He offers an elite mix of offerings, with his slider and cutter leading the way. His strikeout rate is 31.0 percent, xBA is .203, and he is in the 88th percentile of GB% at 52.5. Doval should cross the 35-save mark again in 2024, making him the last of the Tier 1 closers.

Raisel Iglesias finished in the Top 10 in saves with 33 last season. This number might seem low, but the Atlanta Braves didn't have many save opportunities while routinely blowing out opponents. Iglesias remains elite in Chase% (35.4), but batters lit up his fastball and sinker more than in past seasons. Iglesias will remain a Tier 2 closer because of the team he plays for, but look out for that to continue to be a double-edged sword when it comes to saves. There are other relievers with more ratio upside later in the draft.

Andres Munoz started 2023 in a "closer by duo" situation with Paul Sewald, but he should have the ninth inning to himself in 2024. He dealt with some injuries last season, which limited him to only 52 game appearances. Instead of the lights-out reliever we saw in 2022, fantasy managers dealt with a decrease in K% and massive increase in BB%. The good news is that he still has an elite Whiff% (39.4) and induces ground balls at a 59-percent rate. Munoz should rack up 25 saves with a K/9 around 12.0. He is a solid Tier 2 RP in 2024.

David Bednar finished 2023 tied for the National League lead in saves. He struck out 80 batters in 67 1/3 innings and had a 222 ERA+, which puts him in the elite tier of relievers just behind Josh Hader, Devin Williams, and Felix Bautista. There isn't much to dislike about Bednar, and as last year proved, a closer doesn't have to be on a good team to rack up saves. The 29-year-old should be going higher in drafts than he is, so take advantage of the discount.

Alexis Diaz finished second in the National League with 37 saves and had a 3.07 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. He also struck out 86 batters in 67 1/3 innings, and he held opponents to an xBA of .192. The knocks against Diaz are that he was in the sixth percentile in BB% at 12.6, and he pitches in Cincinnati, which always feels like playing with fire. The 27-year-old is a step away from being in the upper tier of closers, but he will provide plenty of saves if you can tolerate the walks.

Evan Phillips appeared in 62 games for the Dodgers in 2023. He struck out 66 in 61 1/3 innings and finished with a sparkling 2.05 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. While his xFIP of 3.37 suggests he benefited from some luck, his 28.2 K% also says he is good in his role. While it seems appealing to grab the L.A. closer, beware of the "Blowout Wins" issue that sometimes drags down save totals. Still, Phillips isn't going to hurt you as a second closer on your roster.

Pete Fairbanks racked up 68 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings on his way to 25 saves and a 2.58 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. The 30-year-old struggled with walks (3.97 BB/9), but his 13.50 K/9 helped compensate. The closer role should be his heading into 2024, and his current ADP of 131 seems absurdly low for his projected production.

Ryan Helsley had a shortened season due to injury, appearing in only 33 games before being shut down. When healthy, his strikeout rate continued at an elite rate (35.6 K%), and he sits above 99 mph with his fastball. Helsley mightily struggled with walks (4.17 BB/9), reminiscent of his pre-2022 profile. He should enter the season as the Cardinals closer and could touch 30 saves if his health allows it.

Jhoan Duran is the reliever to target if you're looking to build your reliever roster with a guy who throws 101.8 mph. The 25-year-old struck out 84 batters in 62 1/3 innings while collecting 27 saves last season. Opposing batters had an xBA of .185 and a 32.9 K% against him. Things got a little messy in the Twins bullpen in 2023, but fantasy managers should expect 30 saves from Duran in 2024. And if the league has a K/9 or equivalent category, he should be an early target.

 

Jordan Romano saved 36 games for the Blue Jays in 2023 and struck out 72 batters in 59 innings. He continued with a decent K% (29), but his BB% jumped to 9.7, which is a concerning change for a high-end closer. He had a respectable ERA of 2.90, but the WHIP moved to 1.22, a full two-tenths higher than his 2022 number. Romano is on a good team, so crossing the 30-save mark shouldn't be an issue as long as he stays healthy.

 

 

 

 

Paul Sewald split time in Seattle and Arizona last season, racking up 34 saves between the two clubs. Sewald's stuff is the real deal, with a K% of 32.1, xERA of 2.75, and xBA of .189. He walked more batters than his career average, but he has the makeup of a solid closer for a competitive squad in 2024. Fantasy managers should expect around 30 saves from the veteran.

 

 

 

Cole Ragans arrived on the scene in 2023 and has quickly risen to the top of the Darlings of Fantasy Baseball. It's not hard to see why. In 96 innings, the 26-year-old struck out 113 batters while maintaining a stellar 3.47 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. His fastball touches 96, but his changeup that induced a 35.6 Whiff% is the pitch that made him rise up draft boards this season. Projections have his ERA landing closer to 4.00 and his K% dropping a few points to the 25 range. (This is still solid.) As with every hot name in draft season, balancing value with excitement is essential. His current ADP of 101 feels right, considering we're not sure what we'll get from an entire season.

 

 

 

 

 

Devin Williams is going to miss at least three months of the season due to a stress fracture in his back. The injury news makes him a late-round draft-and-hope option. He saved 36 games in 2023 and struck out 87 in 58 2/3 innings. He had a sparkling ERA of 1.53, though this was somewhat misleading, with an xERA of 2.75 and an xFIP of 2.79. Williams consistently gives up more walks than fantasy managers would like, but we forgive him due to his 99th percentile K% (37.7 in 2023). Even with the walks, he finished with a 0.92 WHIP.

 

 

 

Ryan Pressly saved 31 games for the Astros in 2023, striking out 74 batters in 65 1/3 innings. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, his ERA took a big leap to 3.58 after being under 3.00 in 2021 and 2022. He also allowed harder contact than in previous years. Pressly is a closer with a strong positive (pitches for the Astros) and some downside (K/9 barely over 10, high ERA). When closers start flying off the board in the 7th-9th rounds, Pressly is a decent option. Just don't reach for him in the upper tier of RP.