Saves and Steals: Yankees searching for ninth-inning solution

In this week’s Saves and Steals, Emmanuel Clase and Ryan Helsley continue to battle it out for the saves lead in baseball. Devin Williams is ending the season strong, positioning himself as one of the top closers once again going into 2025. Meanwhile, Clay Holmes has been relegated from the closer role in New York. In the speed department, Jake Fraley makes for a solid streamer in deeper leagues with six home games in Cincinnati next week.

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Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings

Tier 1: At the Top

Emmanuel Clase – Cleveland Guardians
Ryan Helsley – St. Louis Cardinals

Clase secured three saves this week, bringing his total to 44 with a 0.67 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts across 67 1/3 innings. Incredibly, every member of Cleveland’s bullpen holds an ERA under 4.00. Helsley matches Clase for the lead in saves with 44 after recording two this week.

Tier 2: The Elite

Kirby Yates – Texas Rangers
Devin Williams – Milwaukee Brewers
Mason Miller – Oakland Athletics
Andrés Muñoz – Seattle Mariners
Josh Hader – Houston Astros
Raisel Iglesias – Atlanta Braves

Yates had a busy week on the mound, locking down three saves with three scoreless appearances. He’s up to 29 with a 1.29 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 79 strikeouts over 55 2/3 innings. There’s no reason to hold Williams down the rankings at this point. There are few relievers I’d take over him after picking up his tenth save while striking out five over two innings of work this week. He’s now struck out 29 batters over 15 2/3 innings with three runs allowed.

Miller tossed a clean ninth inning against the Astros on Wednesday for his 24th save. Muñoz struck out two in a clean inning against the Padres on Wednesday for his 20th save. Hader didn’t see a save chance, pitching in two non-save situations. Iglesias made two appearances against the Blue Jays this week, picking up a win and his 31st save.

Tier 3: The Solid Options

Robert Suarez – San Diego Padres
Jhoan Duran – Minnesota Twins
Edwin Diaz – New York Mets
Kenley Jansen – Boston Red Sox
Ryan Walker – San Francisco Giants
Seranthony Dominguez – Baltimore Orioles
Carlos Estévez – Philadelphia Phillies

Suarez was hit for four runs in a blown save last Thursday, taking the loss against the Tigers. He bounced back with his 33rd save against the Mariners on Tuesday. Duran also had a mixed week, picking up a save last Thursday against the Rays before taking the loss with three runs allowed against the Royals on Saturday. He then picked up his 23rd save Wednesday against the Angels.

Díaz made four scoreless appearances this week, picking up a pair of saves. He’s up to 18 on the year with a 3.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 68 strikeouts across 45 innings.

Jansen was unavailable on Friday due to a lat issue, then returned Saturday with a clean inning against the White Sox for his 26th save. In San Francisco, Walker has now gone 16 straight appearances without allowing an earned run. He picked up two saves and a win this week, giving him nine wins and seven saves with a 1.82 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 95 strikeouts across 74 1/3 innings.

Dominguez is up to nine saves with the Orioles after recording two this week. And Estévez is 5-for-7 in save chances since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline. He blew a save chance against the Rays this week but fell in line for a win before recording his 25th save of the season on Wednesday.

Tier 4: There’s Upside Here

Kyle Finnegan – Washington Nationals
Alexis Díaz – Cincinnati Reds
Luke Weaver/Tommy Kahnle/Clay Holmes – New York Yankees
Michael Kopech/Evan Phillips – Los Angeles Dodgers
Porter Hodge – Chicago Cubs
Justin Martinez – Arizona Diamondbacks
Lucas Erceg – Kansas City Royals
Aroldis Chapman – Pittsburgh Pirates
Chad Green – Toronto Blue Jays
Edwin Uceta/Manuel Rodríguez/Garrett Cleavinger – Tampa Bay Rays

Finnegan picked up two saves in one day, recording one in each of Saturday’s contests during the team’s doubleheader against the Pirates. He’s up to 36 with a 3.41 ERA across 58 innings. Díaz had an excellent week on the mound, tossing three scoreless frames for a trio of saves, giving him 27.

Holmes was removed from the closer role in New York after blowing his last save chance. Weaver got the first save since Holmes’ demotion, recording the first of his career with a scoreless inning against the Cubs. Kahnle could be in the mix as the team figures to go to a committee for the time being. And manager Aaron Boone can always opt to go back to Holmes.

The Dodgers’ situation also remains fluid. Phillips was charged with a blown save with four runs allowed in the eighth inning against the Cubs on Tuesday before Kopech escaped trouble for his 13th save on Wednesday. Hodge ended up picking up the save against the Dodgers on Tuesday, his second of the week and fifth of the season as he’s taken control of the closer role in Chicago.

Martinez didn’t see a save chance this week. He struck out two in a clean inning against the Rangers on Tuesday in his only outing. Erceg continues to impress in Kansas City. He picked up two more saves this week with two scoreless outings.

Chapman saw the last four save chances for the Pirates, converting three as they’ve turned to the veteran left-hander as their closer. He’s given up runs in three of his previous four outings. In Toronto, Green has struggled over the last couple of weeks. He’s blown his last three save chances and gave up four runs to take the loss Wednesday against the Mets. Uceta picked up the only save for the Rays this week. He won’t be available for the next few days as he was handed a three-game suspension for throwing at a batter on Tuesday.

Tier 5: Just Getting By

Jason Foley/Tyler Holton – Detroit Tigers
John McMillon/Jesus Tinoco – Miami Marlins
Jose Quijada – Los Angeles Angels
Victor Vodnik/Tyler Kinley – Colorado Rockies
Chad Kuhl/Justin Anderson – Chicago White Sox

Both Foley and Holton recorded saves this week for the Tigers as the team goes to a matchup-based committee. With Calvin Faucher on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder injury, the Marlins could go to John McMillon and/or Jesus Tinoco to fill the closer role. Ben Joyce also landed on the injured list with an oblique issue. Quijada seems like the next best option to see save chances for the Angels. Vodnik returned from the injured list this week after Kinley recorded three saves. Kinley could remain in the saves mix over the final weeks.

Injured

Jordan Romano – Elbow
Pete Fairbanks – Right lat strain
Ben Joyce – Oblique
Calvin Faucher – Shoulder

Steals Department

In the steals department, Jake Fraley is hitting .333 with four steals in September while playing every day in Cincinnati. He’s up to 20 steals with four homers while slashing .278/.330/.386 across 333 plate appearances on the season. Available in 89 percent of Yahoo leagues, he makes for a solid streamer as the Reds play six games at home next week in the offensive-friendly environment of Great American Ball Park. Zack Gelof has been one of this season’s biggest disappointments, posting a .648 OPS on the season. Still, he’s hit 17 homers while collecting 23 steals, including three this week. The 24-year-old second baseman is having a strong end to the season, hitting .289 in September so far. Gelof is available in over 60 percent of Yahoo leagues.