Top 50 Dynasty Keepers for 2025 – Relievers

The Major League Baseball season is still going as we are in the middle of the playoffs and barreling toward the World Series.

But when it it comes to fantasy baseball and dynasty leagues, the season is over. But while there are no lineups to to worry about, that doesn’t mean the this is the time to sit back and do nothing. When it comes to dynasty leagues, there is no offseason. If you are gunning for next year’s league title, then you should be busy trying to figure out who to keep or ditch as the 2025 season approaches.

Right now is the time to make trades or target potential free agents. In order to do that, making a list always comes in handy.

Lucky for you, I have already started that progress: welcome to the first installment of the 2025 Top Dynasty Keepers. When it comes to dynasty leagues, knowing which up-and-coming players to look for is just as important as knowing Shohei Ohtani is really good. It is easy to know you should target a top player like him. But in dynasty leagues, winning often comes down to adding the right young player who will become a key player for not just this current season but future seasons as well.

THE RELIEVERS

This week the first installment of 2025 Top Dynasty Keepers features relief pitchers.

This position is one in which I take a different view compared to other positions. Relievers are very inconsistent and have a shorter shelf life compared to other positions. Relievers could have had a great 2023 or 2024 season season, giving you lots of hope that you have a key member of your bullpen this year. Then they suddenly implode and are suddenly in the minors and not pitching in the eighth or ninth inning.

Knowing relievers are up and down, I don’t care as much about age of a reliever like I do other players, especially position players. If a reliever is 33 but has been consistent for several years, I’m going to take him just as quickly as I would a 25-year-old flamethrower who hasn’t figured it out on the mound yet.

And this list is not going to be a list of the top closers. In the dynasty leagues I run and others that I play in, holds are their own scoring category or holds + saves is a category. Either way, setup men are just as important to track as the closers, and this list will reflect their value.

Now, let’s get to the 2025 Top Keepers – Relievers.

JUST MISSING THE CUT

Jojo Romero had a nice season for the Cardinals, posting a 3.36 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 30 holds. That is a nice season, especially the 30 holds. But his K/9 rate fell to 7.8, nearly a full strikeout below his career 8.7/9 rate. In deep leagues, Romero is a nice player to have on your team as he will deliver holds. But for this list, he falls just outside the top 50.

While I mentioned how age does not play a factor as much with relievers compared to other positions when putting together a list and future roster, it still matters a little. And the next three players I talk about are basically outside of the top 50 due to their age.

Andrew Kittredge is the second St. Louis reliever to fall just outside the top 50. The right-hander, who will be 35 next season, had a solid season with 37 holds to go with a 2.80 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He averaged 8.5 K/9, striking out 67 batters in 70.2 innings of work. Kenley Jansen keeps producing as a closer, whether for the Dodgers, the Braves or the Red Sox. Jansen actually had a very good season, posting a 3.29 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 27 saves. He only allowed 38 hits in 54.2 innings while striking out 62 batters.

So why is Jansen not in my top 50? Because he is 37. That is basically the reason why. Can he keep producing at the level he is? Maybe? But at some point, he will hit the wall and I think that is going to be sooner rather than later.

The other player being dinged due to his age is Jansen’s teammate, Chris Martin, who is 38 and turns 39 during the middle of next season. Martin had a very good season with a 3.45 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He had a 10.2 K/9 rate and an outstanding 0.6/9 walk rate. He also recorded 15 holds to go with two saves. But at his age, give me a younger reliever who is going to get those 15 holds or more.

TIER 5

*Age as of April 1, 2025

Two Young Arms

There are a lot of good arms in the San Diego bullpen, but one reliever I have my eye on is Jeremiah Estrada. The 25-year-old is a StatCast king, ranking in the 92nd percentile or higher in xERA, xBA, fastball velocity, Chase %, Whiff % and K% this past season. In fact, his 37.3% K% ranked in the 99th percentile thanks to 94 strikeouts in 61 innings of work. I like any reliever who nearly has a 14 K/9 rate. He had 16 holds this season and only one save, but I fully expect those holds to increase next season while he may claim the closer’s role at some point.

If your league does not have holds as a scoring category and you are looking for a young closer to add to your team, then target Porter Hodge. The Cubs’ right-hander took over closing duties for the Cubs in August and finished the year with nine saves and nine holds. In September he racked up six of those nine saves in in eight appearances. He doesn’t have the gaudy strikeout rate like Estrada does, but it still was at 10.9/9, which is solid. Hodge needs to cut down on the walks, as he had a 4.0/9 rate this past season. But if saves is your thing, Hodge has a great chance to be the Cubs’ closer next year.

Expected Return to Form

You may be surprised to see Matt Brash listed. But remember, this is not a list of what have they done for me lately but more of a list of what will they do for me in the future. That is why Brash, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May, is listed here. Brash should return by June, and thanks to modern medicine, he should be as good as new when he takes that mound. That means you get a pitcher who has a career strikeout rate of 12.5/9 and throws a fastball that averaged 98.1 mph in 2023, leading to a 38.1 Whiff% and 34.7 K%, which both ranked in the 98th percentile.

TIER 4

The Older Group

Of all the tiers, this one feature the most players in their 30 with eight. But these eight players still have a lot to offer. Among those are Luke Weaver and Jordan Romano.

Weaver was used mostly as a starter in 2023 before pitching in relief exclusively this past season. In 62 games he had ww holds and four saves to go with an 11.0 K/9 rate, a 2.89 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. Using his four-seamer, change and cutter, his Whiff% ranked in the 94th percentile and his K% ranked in the 93rd percentile.

Jordan Romano never really got going this season as he did not pitch after May 29 due to a right elbow impingement that led to surgery. Before being sidelined he had 6.59 ERA. But when healthy, he has been one of the top closers in the game. From 2020-23 he had 97 saves and a 2.29 ERA in 200.6 innings of work. That is a pretty solid resume.

Playing for the Washington Nationals, Kyle Finnegan gets somewhat overlooked. But he has been a consistent reliever since his debut is 2020. After recording 11 saves in 2021 and 2022 and then 28 in 2023, Finnegan recorded 38 saves this year with a 3.68 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. In leagues that only have saves, Finnegan is a very solid closer to have.

TIER 3

The Veteran

There are a host of experienced arms in this tier, but the one I like the most is Pete Fairbanks, who had his season end prematurely this year due to a lat strain. Before landing on the IL, Fairbanks had 23 saves with a 3.57 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. The one stat I did worry about is his 8.7 K/9 rate, which is way below his 12.0 K/9 rate. I’m going with the theory that the lat strain put a damper on that number before leading to his trip to the IL.

The Young Guns

I don’t think Emmanuel Clase is going to lose his closer’s job anytime soon, but if he does or you want to hedge your bets with someone on the Cleveland staff who can claim that role, then Cade Smith is a good arm to go after. In his rookie season Smith recorded 28 holds and posted a 1.91 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. In 75.1 innings he struck out 103 batters for a 12.3 K/9 rate while only issuing 2.0 walker per nine innings. His xERA, xBA and K% all ranked in the 95th percentile or higher while he was in the 83rd percentile or higher in BB% and Whiff%.

If Fairbanks loses his closer’s job in 2025, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is Edwin Uceta who takes it. Tampa Bay is actually the fourth organization in four year for Uceta, who pitched in 14 games for the Dodgers in 2021, 10 games for Arizona in 2022, the Mets for one game in 2023 and then in 30 games for the Rays this season. In 41.2 innings he struck out 57 hitters while posting a 1.51 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. His fastball, which he throws 40% of the time, is not overpowering, but he also has a good changeup that he throws 34% and a cutter that he features 21% of the time.

TIER 2

Coming Into Their Own

Michael Kopech, Hunter Gaddis and Lucas Erceg are three relievers to really watch. For Kopech and Erceg, a change of scenery proved to be hugely beneficial for them. In his first season as a fulltime reliever, Kopech started the 2024 season with the White Sox and his performance in Chicago was not better than the rest of the team as he had a 4.74 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 43 appearances. When the Dodgers traded for him, Kopech was a new man on the mound. In 24 appearances he had 6 saves with a 1.13 ERA and 0.79 WHIP.

Like Kopech, Erceg started the season with a different team before going on to shine for a new team after the trade deadline. Erceg start the year in Oakland and was doing a solid job as he had a 3.68 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP with a 10.1 K/9 rate. After being traded to the Royals he became the team’s closer and finished the year with 11 saves in 23 appearances with a 2.88 ERA and 11.2 K/9 rate.

Gaddis is a very important member of a dominate Cleveland bullpen. Unlike many of the relievers featured in these rankings, Gaddis does not blow the ball past hitters as he had a 8.0 K/9 rate, but that is a big jump from the 5.1 K/9 rate he had in 2023 when he appeared in 11 games with seven of those being starts. Gaddis ranked fifth in the majors with 33 holds and posted a 1.57 ERA and 0.76 WHIP and I believe he should be able to duplicate those numbers over the next several seasons.

Close to Being Tier 1

Andres Munoz could be closer to the top of the Tier 1 group this time next season. In three seasons with Seattle covering 199 appearances he has a 2.65 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 271 strikeouts in 197 innings of work. While he records lots of strikeouts (95th percentile in K% and 99th percentile in Whiff%), he also induces a lot of ground balls, ranking in the 92nd percentile.

Reds closer Alexis Diaz didn’t have his best season in 2024 as he had a 3.99 ERA and 1.30 WHIP to go with his 28 saves. But in three years in the majors he has a 2.93 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 10/8 K/9 rate. I consider this season to be more of a blip and than a trend, especially since the xBA ranked in the 87th percentile.

TIER 1

Two Non-Closers

Ranked in my top 10 are two setup men – Bryan Abreu of Houston and Griffin Jax of Minnesota. On most teams these two players would be closers, but with the Twins and Astros, they are just dominate setup men.

Jax has been a very good reliever since 2022, but he went to a new level this past season. In 72 appearances he recorded 24 holds and 10 saves to go with a 2.03 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and a 12.0 K/9 rate while walking only 1.9 batters per nine innings. His walk% ranked in the 89th percentile while he was in the 97th percentile or higher in xERA, xBA, Chase%, Whiff% and K%.

Abreu has been one of the top setup men in baseball the past two years. After recording 24 holds and five saves with a 1.75 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 2023, the big right-hander led baseball with 38 holds with a 3.10 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. In 78.1 innings of work he struck out 103 hitters

Back to the Closers

Josh Hader had a very interesting debut season for the Astros. Overall, he had 34 saves and a 13.3 K/9 rate to go with a 3.80 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 71 innings of work. When called on to close games, Hader was outstanding. In his 38 saves opportunities, he had a 2.27 ERA and 0.73 WHIP to go with a 12.1K/9 rate. But in non-save situations, Hader was horrible, posting a 5.34 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 35.1 innings of work. A lot of ugliness came in April when the Astros as a team struggled. Hader appeared in 13 games, and only three of those were in save opportunities. In those 13 April games he had a 6.39 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. The rest of the season he had a 3.24 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP.

The Cardinals may have struggled on the field, but it wasn’t due to a leaky bullpen. I already mentioned Romero and Kittredge, and then there is Ryan Helsley. He notched 49 saves this season to lead the majors with a 2.04 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. His worst ERA since 2021 is a 2.45 mark in 2023 and his worst WHIP since that year was the one he posted this year. Helsley is consistent and that is hard to find in closers.

So Hader was a little Jekyll and Hyde on the mound this past season as he as great in save opportunities and horrid in non-save opportunities. But that is no reason to not want to have Hader on your team. He still strikes out a ton of hitters, limits his walks and hits allowed and will rack up the saves for you – a category that is hard to find consistent closers.

You may be surprised to see Felix Bautista ranked fourth. Well, as I said, these are dynasty rankings and not based solely on what a player did this year. This year was a bust for Bautista as he missed the entire season recovering Tommy John surgery. When healthy, Bautista is one of the top closers in the game. In two seasons with Baltimore he has accumulated 48 saves with a 1.85 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a 14.1 K/9 ratio over 126.2 innings. He should be fully healthy in 2025 and ready to be a top closer again.

The Top Three

Devin Williams was limited to 22 games this season thanks to two stress fractures in his back that sidelined him until late July. When back on the mound for the Brewers, Williams was his dominant self. He had 14 saves in 15 opportunities with a 1.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with a 15.8 K/9 rate. His career ERA in six seasons is 1.83 with a WHIP of 1.02 and a 14.3 K/9 rate. If you wanted to argue that he should be the top ranked reliever, I really couldn’t argue with you.

For three straight seasons Emmanuel Clase has led American League in saves. Since breaking in with the Rangers in 2019 before joining the Guardians in 2021, Clase has a 1.67 ERA and 0.89 WHIP and 158 saves in 318 innings of work. This past season he had a 0.61 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 47 saves in 74.1 innings. He limits walks and good luck getting a hit off him. Clase’s only “shortcoming” is the fact he has a career K/9 rate of 8.7.

So why, with those numbers, is Clase not my top-ranked reliever. Well, you can thank Mason Miller for that.

Whether he pitches for Oakland, Sacramento or Las Vegas, Miller is a reliever I want on my team. The numbers he put this season are simply ridiculous. In 65 innings of work he struck out 104 batters for a 14.4 K/9 rate. His xERA (1.76) , xBA (.151) and fastball velocity (100.9 mph) ranked in the 100th percentile. Oh, his Whiff% (40.1) and K% (41.8) also ranked in the 100th percentile. His Chase% only ranked in the 99th percentile.

He didn’t register tons of saves, but that through no fault of his own. As the Athletics improve, so too will Miller’s saves total.

Come Back Next Week

Thanks for reading and come back next week for the 2025 Top Dynasty Keepers – Starting Pitchers rankings.