National League Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Add Devin Williams Now

The All-Star break is the unofficial halfway point of the MLB season, so it’s the perfect time to check in on closer situations around the league. Things have shifted throughout the season (and will all the way until the last pitch is thrown in October), but let’s take a look at each NL team’s top closer as things stand at the break:

Arizona Diamondbacks: Stable — Paul Sewald

Since Sewald’s return from the IL in early May, his 13 saves have tied him for 10th in all of MLB. No other Diamondback has recorded more than a single save over that time frame.

He has combined that dominance over Arizona’s save situations with a very impressive 0.80 WHIP and a solid 3.38 ERA, making him a solid, if unspectacular, bullpen option for fantasy purposes.

Atlanta Braves: Stable — Raisel Iglesias 

Fifth in the league with 22 saves through the break, Iglesias is one of the top fantasy options at the closer position. His 23% K rate is way down from his career averages, but he still boasts an elite WHIP (0.79) and ERA (2.02). 

Chicago Cubs: Stable (For Now) — Hector Neris

Early in the season, Neris split save opportunities with Adbert Alzolay. With Alzolay on IL since May, Neris has been the team’s clear top closer, recording seven saves and four wins over that timeframe.

However, Neris hasn’t exactly been dominant, with a 4.88 xERA and an especially concerning 16% walk rate. Meanwhile, Alzolay (who wasn’t particularly impressive himself before his injury) seems to be approaching a return, so this already unappealing situation may get murkier. 

Cincinnati Reds: Stable — Alexis Diaz

It hasn’t always been pretty, with a 4.33 ERA and a 14% walk rate, but Diaz ranks eighth in MLB with 19 saves so far this season on a respectable 90% save rate. A lower xERA of 3.90 is slightly encouraging, as is the fact that he has just one ER in his last nine appearances, but he is more of a backend fantasy reliever than an elite option for now.

Colorado Rockies: Dumpster Fire — Jalen Beeks, others

Beeks leads the Rockies with nine saves on the season but has an abysmal 60% save rate and a 4.89 ERA. Five other Rockies have at least one save, but no member of that group has an ERA below 4.11 (rookie Victor Vodnik, who has two saves in 47 appearances so far this season). I recommend avoiding this situation unless you are truly desperate, in which case Beeks is the best of a bad bunch.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Stable — Evan Phillips

Aside from a brief IL stint thanks to a hamstring injury, Phillips has been more-or-less solid in the ninth inning for the Dodgers. He has recorded 14 saves in 16 opportunities on a 2.73 ERA, with decent numbers in most peripheral stats as well.

Alex Vesia (1.28 ERA, five saves in seven opportunities) and Daniel Hudson (1.63 ERA, four saves in nine opportunities) are nipping at his heels, but this is Phillips’ job to lose for the foreseeable future. Given that the Dodgers are one of the best teams in the country, it’s a valuable job to have. 

Miami Marlins: Stable — Tanner Scott

Scott has all but two of the Marlins’ saves to his name … but the team’s struggles mean that number is just 14, landing him 23rd in the league. Still, Scott has been very impressive, with a 1.34 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. In fact, he has likely played himself out of a Marlins uniform, with his expiring contract meaning he is all but guaranteed to be moved to a contender before the July 30 trade deadline.

If (when) that happens, his value will depend on whether he lands in a closer role, while A.J. Puk is the most likely candidate to save games for Miami in his absence. 

Milwaukee Brewers: About To Change — Trevor Megill, Devin Williams

Megill has served, and served well, as the Brewers’ closer so far this season. He has recorded 18 saves in 20 opportunities, with a 2.05 ERA and a 30% K rate. However, that is all about to change.

Devin Williams, arguably the league’s best closer, is getting closer to returning from the stress fractures in his back that have kept him sidelined so far this season. He pitched for the first time in a High-A rehab assignment with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Sunday, striking out all three batters he faced on 14 pitches. As solid as Megill has been, Williams will reclaim this job upon his return, and he is absolutely worth stashing if he is available in your league. 

New York Mets: Stable — Edwin Diaz

On some level, this season has been anything but stable for Diaz. He has missed games due to injury, been demoted from the closer spot following poor performances, and even faced a 10-game suspension after being caught using a foreign substance. But underneath the hood, he still looks like one of the better relievers in the league.

Although his ERA is inflated at 4.05, his xERA is just 2.89, which is backed up by his 34% K rate and 1.16 WHIP. While he isn’t likely to return to his transcendent 2022 self, I expect the back half of Diaz’s 2024 to be much better than his first half.

Philadelphia Phillies: Committee — Jeff Hoffman, Jose Alvarado

The Phillies have used a committee approach to their closer position for the entire season, and it has worked, with the left-handed Alvarado and right-handed Hoffman combining for 22 saves. However, Hoffman may be pulling away with a more traditional closer role. He has always had better numbers (and been the better fantasy option), with a 1.12 ERA, 2.28 xERA, and 0.89 WHIP to Alvarado’s 3.92, 3.61 and 1.18.

But that gap has recently begun to show in the save column as well: Hoffman has four of the Phillies’ last five saves, including each of the last two. With that said, Alvarado still leads on the season, 13 to nine, so we certainly can’t call this anything but a full-blown committee. 

Pittsburgh Pirates: Stable — David Bednar

Bednar missed a few weeks with an oblique strain but returned just before the start of the All-Star break to record his 17th save of the season. His 5.01 ERA for the season isn’t particularly confidence-inspiring, but Aroldis Chapman, who took over ninth-inning duties while Bednar was sidelined, isn’t faring much better at 4.15. For now, this is clearly Bednar’s job to lose, even if he is in the middle of a down season that is capping his fantasy value. 

San Diego Padres: Stable — Robert Suarez

Suarez is sixth in MLB with 22 saves and has also provided stellar ratio production with a 1.67 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. It is worth noting that he has likely been a bit fortunate with his results so far: His 3.07 xERA is nearly double his xERA. With that said, he is still an excellent piece for any fantasy team, even if some regression is due.

San Francisco Giants: Stable — Camilo Doval

Doval hasn’t been as good this season as he was in each of the last two years, but he has still accounted for all but one of the Giants’ saves on the season (17 of 18). He may also be due for some positive regression, as his 3.66 xERA is better than his 4.38 ERA at the break. With that said, all signs point to Doval continuing the season as a middle-of-the-pack fantasy closer. 

St. Louis Cardinals: Stable — Ryan Helsley

Helsley leads all of MLB with 32 saves. His peripherals don’t match that lofty production, but he still has a stellar 2.62 xERA and a solid 28% K rate. He’s a great asset for any fantasy league (I’m sure you didn’t need me to tell you that).

Washington Nationals: Stable — Kyle Finnegan

Finnegan isn’t far behind Helsley, ranking third in the country with 25 saves (the rest of the Nationals’ bullpen has combined for just one). However, Finnegan’s peripherals aren’t just not-elite — they’re downright bad. Particularly concerning are his 4.18 xERA (compared to a 2.45 actual ERA) and 50% hard-hit rate, the latter of which is a second-percentile number.

Given that the rest of the Nationals’ bullpen hasn’t been particularly impressive, Finnegan may hold on to the ninth-inning role, but I expect a few more blow-up outings in his future. If you can tempt someone with his high save totals, I recommend moving Finnegan off your roster during this All-Star break.