We’re officially into the thick of the MLB and fantasy baseball seasons. As the Stanley Cup Final and NBA Finals come to a close, baseball will once again take center stage. Saves are a key category in fantasy baseball leagues. We’re back with our Fantasy Baseball Closer Watch with relief pitchers to pick up for saves as Week 11 begins! Go here for the latest info on MLB probable pitchers.
We’ll primarily highlight players rostered in less than 50% of leagues. They’ll be listed in descending rostered percentage order, so they should be available in most of your leagues! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Ryan on Twitter (@RGilbertSOP) or in the SGPN Discord!
Fantasy Baseball Closer Watch: Relief Pitchers to Pick up for Saves
A.J. Puk (MIA – 7 Saves – 60% Rostered)
Puk is rostered in most leagues but is still worth mentioning here. The southpaw was activated from the injured list last week and has thrown three scoreless outings since then. He struck out the side against the Royals and struck out two against the White Sox on Saturday. He picked up the save in a perfect inning on Sunday.
Sunday was Puk’s seventh save of the season, tying him with Dylan Floro (25% Rostered) for the team lead. Floro is worth a look as a handcuff option, but Puk’s strikeout numbers (24 in 17.2 innings) with great ratios make him the top target in Miami.
A.J. Minter (ATL – 9 Saves – 35% Rostered)
Minter’s nine saves on the season are inflated a bit due to Raisel Iglesias missing the start of the year with an injury, but the southpaw is clearly Atlanta’s backup option. He also picked up the save on Saturday and got one earlier in the week against the Mets.
The setup man was great last season with a 2.06 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. Minter struck out 94 batters in 70 innings (12.1 K/9). He’s a solid option for someone looking to improve their ratios while picking up a rogue save every now and then.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Watch: Diamonds in the Rough
Adbert Alzolay (CHC – 3 Saves – 15% Rostered)
The Cubs have used four different pitchers to close out games this season. Alzolay leads the way with three saves. He is tied with Mark Leiter Jr. (25% Rostered). The 28-year-old Alzolay has not allowed a run in his last six outings, with just three hits allowed and no walks while striking out eight in 6.1 innings.
Alzolay has a 2.10 ERA and 0.83 WHIP to go along with his 30 strikeouts in as many innings on the season. It’s still a committee for the Cubs, though, and Leiter Jr. has more impressive stuff with 40 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.
Justin Lawrence (COL – 2 Saves – 11% Rostered)
The Rockies bullpen has been rocky all season long, and we have another Colorado closer on the list this time. Lawrence has emerged as a serious threat for saves in Colorado, and manager Bud Black said he’s a candidate to take over the role.
Since then, Lawrence threw two scoreless innings over the weekend against the Padres to bounce back from two outings in which he did allow runs. It’s still the Rockies, so half of the games are at the offensive-driven Coors Field, but Lawrence has good strikeout stuff and solid ratios.
