After some Waiver Relief relief of my own, I’m back with the week’s top fantasy RP pickups.
My vacation last week turned out to be well-timed, as there hasn’t been any major closer news since we last spoke. So, I’m cutting the lengthy update in the Saves section and getting straight to the goods, with a few guys to grab if your league has been slacking. In the Holds section, I’m highlighting an emerging stud and two bigger names who have recently regained elite form.
(stats updated through Saturday, 6/28)
Saves
Dylan Lee (ATL) (15%-rostered Yahoo)
I’ve written up Dylan Lee as a pickup for a few consecutive articles, and not much has changed. Lee has tacked on an immaculate run to an already strong season; he hasn’t allowed an earned run since May 25th, and his line in the box score typically has more zeros than… man, I don’t know, some super big number. It’s hard coming up with these quips every week.
The point is, Lee’s been incredible, though he still only has one save in the last month to show for it. Meanwhile, the embattled Raisel Iglesias has stabilized somewhat, even vulturing one of the Braves’ two saves this week with Lee unavailable. Lee still looks like the guy here by any measure, but when a closer with Iglesias’s pedigree is on your tail, you really never know.
For save-only roto leagues this is a bit unpredictable, but Lee should emerge as a high-end option. For save+hold leagues, he’s undoubtedly as good as they come.
Orion Kerkering (PHI) (24%)
I’ve been chronicling the fall—and rise, and fall again—of Jordan Romano all season, and currently it seems Orion Kerkering is the leading beneficiary. While he’s shared closing duties with Matt Strahm, Kerkering is the only one of the two who’s been good lately, allowing just one earned run since May 6th.
I’d be lying if I said I were excited about any option here: Romano’s propensity for blowups—including a four-run clunker on Saturday—likely has him far removed from the ninth inning; Strahm has fallen off significantly following his incredible 2024; Kerkering walks nearly as many guys as he strikes out, and his 2.56 ERA is backed by almost nothing predictive.
For now, I’d ride the wave with Kerkering and Strahm (in that order), and leave Romano on waivers.
Seth Halvorsen (COL) (5%)
I’ve already made all of the obvious jokes when mentioning a Colorado reliever here, so just accept that this comes with the usual Himalayan rock-sized grain of salt.
Squint hard and look away from the logo; Seth Halvorsen has re-cemented himself as the Rockies’ closer, and he’s done so with aplomb. His last month has netted four saves, two holds, and a win, alongside a 3.38 ERA and sub-1 WHIP. The competition for saves here has been reduced to dust; Zach Agnos is back in Triple-A, and the likes of Jake Bird and Tyler Kinley have struggled mightily of late. Victor Vodnik is probably the closest thing to a threat to Halvorsen’s job; pitching for a terrible team does have its advantages.
Halvorsen has taken Calvin Faucher’s crown as the least-rostered closer in fantasy baseball. While that is likely his fitting spot in the rankings, it still makes him a worthwhile mention here, and a reasonable pickup in most roto leagues.
Grant Taylor (CHW) (5%)
I’ve been debating where to place recent callup Grant Taylor in this article for a few weeks now, and I’m still not sure I’m getting it right. While Taylor is the only South Sider with a save since June 10th (his first day with the team), you and I both know that’s not saying much. His usage is also inconsistent; his last two outings–which did include one save–were of the multi-inning variety, and it’s important to note that Taylor’s long-term path with the White Sox is almost certainly that of a starting pitcher. I wouldn’t even be shocked if the Sox gave him a shot at the role this season.
Still, Taylor has been terrific in his first ten major league innings, and his appearance here is a first for a White Sox reliever. He’s worth a look for saves in deeper roto leagues, and is rapidly becoming a premier option in holds and points leagues, particularly given his SP eligibility on Yahoo.
The Watchlist: Raisel Iglesias (ATL), Matt Strahm (PHI), Randy Rodríguez (SF)
Holds
Bennett Sousa (HOU) (1%)
If it seems odd to lead this section with a guy who has one hold (albeit two saves) in the last month, that should give you an idea of exactly how good Bennett Sousa has been lately.
No need to get too into the weeds here; the surface-level stats tell the story. Since the calendar turned to June, Bennett has conducted the best work of any Sousa since John Philip. In 12.1 innings across nine appearances, he allowed a mere five baserunners and one earned run while striking out sixteen. The season-long stats are somehow a near-match for this recent masterclass: a 1.78 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 11.27 strikeouts per nine innings.
Sousa’s emergence has been particularly well-timed for the Astros and fantasy managers alike, as it’s come alongside the falloff of fellow lefty reliever Bryan King. King had held the mantle as Houston’s top southpaw out of the bullpen, but his last month has been borderline disastrous. In fact, dropping King for Sousa is an exact transaction I’ve made in multiple leagues recently.
Given his rapidly improving team context and recent form, Sousa is this week’s top pickup for holds leagues, ranking even higher than the two bigger names below him here.
Michael Kopech (LAD) (10%)
I do cheat here occasionally in terms of name recognition and rostered percentage; in those terms, Michael Kopech is less of a cheat and more of a flat-out scam.
Nonetheless, given Kopech opened the season on the IL and only returned a few weeks ago, it would’ve felt like an oversight not to note how great he’s been since. After shaking off some rust, Kopech’s last two weeks were good for four holds, and he allowed just three baserunners across his six appearances. He’s right there with Kirby Yates and Alex Vesia among the Dodgers’ top setup men.
Now healthy, Kopech seems to be every bit the elite late-inning arm. He’s on the verge of cracking my top 30 RPs in holds leagues for the rest of the season, with the potential to rise quite a bit higher and fast.
Seranthony Domínguez (BAL) (4%)
This one is just cheating. Seranthony Domínguez is a well-known name in fantasy RP circles, which are the best kind of circles, narrowly edging out crop circles and circles of influence. Still, this is another spot where I need to highlight a surge in recent performance.
The entire Baltimore bullpen came on strong in the last month, but it’s Dominguez who led the O’s with eight holds, allowing zero earned runs and striking out 17 batters in 12.1 innings. Besides a 14.3% walk rate, the key metrics are glistening; Dominguez has allowed some of the weakest contact in the league (86.6 EV, 31.9% Hard-Hit rate) while excelling at avoiding any contact at all (34.9% Whiff, 31.6% strikeout rate).
It’s been an up-and-down past few seasons for Dominguez, but he’s currently as good as he’s ever been, and demands a roster spot in any holds league.
Honorable Mention: Caleb Thielbar (CHC), Dedniel Núñez (NYM), Braydon Fisher (TOR), Hoby Milner (TEX), Justin Wilson (BOS)
