Fantasy Baseball 2025: Relief Pitcher Rankings

Sorting relievers at this time of year is simply chaos. We don’t know which free agents will be going where, on top of the already enormous issue of bullpen roles and closer committees.

November isn’t the month to decide who your closer will be for the upcoming season. For that reason, I’ve taken the liberty of ranking guys who are mostly already solidified in their team’s closer role with no competition for saves. However, there are a few wild cards. 

When it comes to strategy, I typically wait on closers, but wait too long and you will be out of luck. Without further ado, below are my elite eleven closers.

11. Ryan Walker

I know I said that I’d stick with for sure closers. Yet, even though Walker may face some competition from former Giants closer Camilo Doval, I just don’t see it happening.

Doval was wild before he was taken out of the role, and you don’t want mayhem in the 9th inning, you want consistency and trustworthiness. Walker showed us both of those characteristics last season with a ridiculous sidearm delivery that netted him a 0.85 WHIP. It’s Walker’s job to lose.

10. Kirby Yates

Yates was quietly one of the most effective relievers in 2024. He filled in nicely at the back end of a Rangers bullpen that largely looked lost even in their 2023 World Series run.

Yates is a free agent, and after his elite performance closing in Texas, I would like to think he will be assigned the same role in his new city. If we knew his 2025 team, he’d probably be five spots higher on this list. Pay attention to his landing spot.

9. Mason Miller

It was often hard to focus on what was actually happening on the field during most Athletics games this past season. Despite the distraction of the team moving, Miller was one of the few bright spots in Oakland.

Now in Sacramento, nothing changes much for Miller. In fact, I see a positive change coming his way considering the young talent in this organization. With more wins come more saves. And when Miller gets the chance, almost every batter looks foolish against his stuff.

8. Félix Bautista

With many questions rising for the Baltimore Orioles offseason, there is one role that GM Mike Elias does not have to worry about anymore. After the Craig Kimbrel experience inevitably failed and Seranthony Domínguez was not much better, strong 9th-inning finishes were few and far between for the O’s in 2024.

The man known as The Mountain returns to action in 2025. In 2023, Bautista landed 33 saves while striking out 110 batters in just 61 innings. The numbers were almost identical in 2022, giving reason to trust him even more.

7. Raisel Iglesias

Heading into his age-35 season, Iglesias is as solid as ever. I always thought of him as one of the more boring picks when it came to closers, but once again, the boring tax pays off.

The metrics were elite, with him nearly landing in the top third or above in all the key Baseball Savant stats besides extension. A 0.74 WHIP through 69.1 innings was badly needed for a team like the Braves that was playing close games night after night.

Believe me, I won’t act like Iglesias is 100% trustworthy. For one thing, his strikeout rate dropped dramatically last season from 11.0 S0/9 to 8.8 SO/9. However, he’s been solid for the past decade, allowing him to land at #7.

6. Robert Suarez

Boy, what a value play this guy was. Not sure if I would’ve been able to win my dynasty league without this 27th-round pick.

In my opinion, Suarez also took home “best closer entrance” in 2024. Need I say more? Just kidding. But 36 saves on a team that could’ve won a championship looks just fine entering next season.

The only reason Suarez is not a bit higher is because hitters started catching up to his four-seamer as the season went on, and when you throw it as much as he does, that can be scary at times. Still, I like him a lot for 2025.

5. Josh Hader

Hader’s lowest qualified SO/9 throughout his career is 12.8. That’s a wild thing to think about, even as a closer.

The nasty southpaw has a little bit of attitude along with his hair flow, especially as of late. Yet, he has the right to show a little spunk considering he compiled eight wins and 34 saves throughout 71 innings in 2024. And playing for Houston, opportunity will always be present. Nothing here changes in my opinion, he’s still a top-tier shutdown man.

4. Devin Williams

Ah yes, the man who let Pete Alonso cook. After a half-season of being as solid as ever, Williams’ 2024 will be remembered for vaulting the Brewers into the offseason.

Yet just like Josh Hader before him, this guy is one of the best in the game, which has already pushed his name into trade discussions. If Milwaukee doesn’t want to pay to keep him around, a potential trade could be a possibility. But for the time being, his role is stamped down. Just look at his ERA year after year; it blew my mind finding such greatness.

3. Edwin Díaz

Díaz simply did not get a lot of opportunities in 2024. He only saved 20 games, causing me to raise an eyebrow. But I’m here to tell you that this is okay. It’s the harsh reality with many elite closers; even if they play on strong teams, a save chance isn’t guaranteed at the end of games.

This reasoning is why I like to wait on closers in my drafts. The Mets were winning by more than three runs often, on top of every game they lost and the ones that went to extra innings.

Regardless, I think things will be a lot different in 2025, allowing Díaz to get into more of a saves flow. Never forget the 2018 he produced with the Mariners, netting 57 saves and a 15.2 SO/9.

2. Ryan Helsley

MLB’s saves leader in 2024 came in the form of Ryan Helsley. That is a bit of a surprise considering the Cardinals weren’t particularly close to making the playoffs. But again, save chances are one of the weirdest aspects of fantasy baseball; a degree of randomness comes with them.

Helsley took advantage of almost every opportunity presented to him, blowing only four chances all year. After setting a Cardinals franchise record with 49 saves, he will once again be a strong closer option in 2025. Although I don’t think he reaches quite as high a saves total next year.

1. Emmanuel Clase

In 2022 it was 42 saves. In 2023 it was 44 saves. In 2024 it was 47 saves. So next year he’ll get 50, right?

The way in which the Guardians play on the margins benefits Clase in a big way. Most of their games are tight, and if they have a late lead, forget touching their bullpen. The setup men in front of Clase did a tremendous job this past year. I believe the same will happen in 2025.

The most surprising thing about Clase’s profile? His strikeout numbers aren’t high at all, a fact that’s almost unbelievable with how much success he’s had in his career so far. It’s worth keeping an eye on, but for now, he has earned his #1 overall closer status.