Fantasy baseball 2020 tiered relief pitcher rankings

If you don’t want to spend a lot on a closer early, these relievers are good fallback options in the middle rounds.

Taylor Rogers, MIN

Rogers pitched to his best season after four years in the league. He had a 2.61 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1.4 BB/9 and 11.7 K/9 with 30 saves. He quickly proved that he was the best reliever in the Minnesota bullpen.

If you plan on waiting to draft your first closer, getting Rogers in Round 10 is not a bad pick. However, looking at the other names in the Twins bullpen, Rogers may not get every save opportunity. But when he is on the mound, he is dominant.

Edwin Diaz, NYM

After recording 57 saves in 2018, Diaz’s fantasy value plummeted after the 2019 season. In 58.0 innings with the Mets, he posted a 5.59 ERA, 1.379 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9 and just 26 saves. The Mets dealt with their fair share of injuries throughout the season, which didn’t help Diaz’s performance.

Entering this season, the front office added Dellin Betances for bullpen help. The offense looks healthy, but most teams will with the start of the season delayed. Diaz will rebound greatly but that’s not saying much after posting a 5.59 ERA. He’s a good back-end closer in 10-team leagues.

Brad Hand, CLE

Hand has not pitched well since joining the Cleveland Indians. In 57.1 innings, he posted a 3.30 ERA, 1.238 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9 and 13.2 K/9. The strikeouts look good but the amount of contact he’s allowing is going to catch up with him.

Hand’s ground ball rate dropped from 45.2 percent in 2018 to 26.7 percent last season. His hard hit rate also increased by eight percent. However, with a team option left on his contract, Hand could be traded for the final two months.

Kenley Jansen, LAD

The last two years have been a struggle for Jansen and his fantasy owners. He posted back-to-back seasons with an ERA over 3.00. His walk rate has been over 2.0 K/9 for the first time since 2014. Things may continue to regress for Jansen this season.

Opposing hitters are making harder contact against Jansen, likely due to his decreased fastball velocity. If you end up drafting Jansen, make sure you have a viable RP2 ready to draft. The ratios may not be what you expect from a top-10 closer. But, I don’t think his job is in jeopardy.

Liam Hendriks, OAK

Hendriks was bad for the first four years of his career. He settled down in 2015 and improved ever since. He took over the closer role from Blake Treinen around the end of June. Hendriks finished the season with a 1.80 ERA, 0.965 WHIP, 2.2 BB/9, 13.1 K/9 and 25 saves.

Hendriks is the perfect example of waiting to draft relief pitchers. He was a set-up man that emerged to be one of the best closers in the game. With a high strikeout rate and not many home runs allowed, he’ll have a chance to post a repeat performance. We just have to see if the skills remain or if 2019 was a one-and-done year.