Top 10 fantasy baseball relievers for the 2023 season

We continue on in our fantasy baseball rankings, this time with relief pitchers. This is the most volatile position every year, but these guys can provide immense value to your team. There are plenty of good options here, with some talented fantasy baseball relievers missing list.

This list is a ranking of the top 10 fantasy baseball relievers you should target for your team.

First, a few relievers who just missed the list:

Camilo Doval is nasty and very young, but unfortunately he just missed the list for two reasons. First, his team isn’t going to give him many save opportunities this year, similar to last year. Saves are similar to wins and losses in that they don’t really matter in real life, but they count in fantasy baseball, so the lack of save opportunities matters. The other reason is his walk issues. He walked 30 batters in 67.2 innings last year, which is a BB/9 of 4.0. He was good in many other aspects in 2022, with 80 strikeouts and a 2.53 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, and 160 ERA+.

Evan Phillips had an insane 2022 season. He pitched in 63 innings and allowed just 33 hits, eight earned runs, 15 walks, and struck out 77 batters. His ERA was 1.14, his FIP was 1.94, his WHIP was 0.76, and his ERA+ was a ridiculous 367. If you’re thinking he’s going to repeat those numbers, maybe stop thinking that, but he can still be a very reliable arm in the Dodger ‘pen. They typically don’t name one closer, but Phillips will be in the mix for saves as well as holds with Daniel Hudson and Brusdar Graterol.

Liam Hendriks is not only a great closer, but also a great person. Unfortunately he was recently diagnosed with cancer and will miss an undetermined amount of time undergoing treatment and recovering, but he has already said he plans to be back as soon as possible. In 2022, he pitched 57.2 innings, allowed 44 hits, 18 earned runs, 16 walks, and struck out 85 batters. His ERA was 2.81, his FIP was 2.68, his WHIP was 1.04, and his ERA+ was 142. Obviously his health comes first, but I look forward to seeing him come back at some point this season.

These are all guys that you should want on your fantasy baseball teams. With the honorable mentions out of the way, let’s look at the top 10 fantasy baseball relievers you should target for your team in 2023.

Fantasy baseball relievers #10: Jhoan Duran

Jhoan Duran was originally in the just missed section, but with Edwin Diaz’s injury, he slides on at #10. He pitched 67.2 innings and allowed 50 hits, 14 earned runs, 16 walks, and struck out 89 batters, good for a K/BB of 5.56. His ERA was 1.86, his FIP was 2.52, his WHIP was 0.98, and his ERA+ was 208. The only problem is that he will likely not be the full-time closer, since the Twins usually don’t anoint one. He will likely split save opportunities with Jorge Lopez, but he can still be really valuable as a fantasy baseball reliever because he will get holds as well as some saves.

Fantasy baseball relievers #9: Andres Munoz

Andres Munoz had a breakout season in 2022. He pitched 65 innings and allowed just 43 hits, 18 earned runs, 15 walks, and struck out 96 batters. His ERA was 2.49, his FIP was 2.04, his WHIP was 0.89, and his ERA+ was 149. Like some of the honorable mentions, the Mariners won’t name a closer. They tailor their reliever usage to the situation, which makes so much sense in real life, but doesn’t really help in terms of fantasy value. I chose Munoz as #10 because he is already one of the most dominant relievers in the game at 23 years old, with 13.3 K/9 and only 2.1 BB/9, good for a K/BB ratio of 6.4.

Fantasy baseball relievers #8: Clay Holmes

After a rough start to his career in Pittsburgh, Clay Holmes has come to life since being traded to the Yankees. In 2022, the righty tossed 63.2 innings and allowed just 45 hits, 18 earned runs, 20 walks, and struck out 65 batters. His ERA was 2.54, his FIP was 2.84, his WHIP was 1.02, and his ERA+ was 154. The one concern for him is that he doesn’t strike out as many batters as most of the other relievers on this list, but he is reliable and should get plenty of save opportunities on a Yankees team that will be very competitive.

Fantasy baseball relievers #7: Felix Bautista

Felix Bautista had an incredible rookie season in 2022. He pitched 65.2 innings and allowed just 38 hits, 16 earned runs, 23 walks, and struck out 88 batters. His ERA was 2.19, his FIP was 2.91, his WHIP was 0.93, and his ERA+ 183. Jorge Lopez started the year as the closer, but once he got traded to the Twins, Bautista took over and locked it down. There’s nobody in his way in 2023, so expect him to get the lion’s share of save opportunities for this Baltimore team that is on the rise.

Fantasy baseball relievers #6: Jordan Romano

Jordan Romano has pitched three consecutive seasons with an ERA below 2.15 and an ERA+ above 185. Read that again, because that’s crazy. In 2022, he pitched 64 innings and allowed 44 hits, 15 earned runs, 21 walks, and struck out 73 batters. His ERA was 2.11, his FIP was 2.82, his WHIP was 1.02, and his ERA+ was 185. He doesn’t get as many strikeouts as most of the other closers on this list, but he is still extremely impactful and he should get plenty of save opportunities for the Blue Jays this season.

Fantasy baseball relievers #5: Ryan Helsley

We’ve seen the potential from Ryan Helsley for a few years now and, in 2022, he finally took the Cardinals’ closer role from Giovanny Gallegos. He pitched 64.2 innings and allowed just 28 hits, nine earned runs, 20 walks, and struck out 94 batters. His ERA was 1.25, his FIP was 2.34, his WHIP was 0.74, and his ERA+ was 306. His fastball has become one of the most dominant pitches in the game, averaging triple digits and topping out at 104. The closer role should be his from the start, so expect more saves this year.

Fantasy baseball relievers #2: Josh Hader

Yes, Josh Hader struggled mightily in the middle of the 2022 season, Yes, Josh Hader, with the help of his coaches in San Diego, fixed his release point and returned to elite form at the end of the season. With those problems behind him, he’s still an elite reliever. Overall, his 2022 season was the worst of his career because he struggled so much in July and August. He pitched 50 innings and allowed 43 hits, 29 earned runs, 21 walks, and struck out 81 batters. His ERA was 5.22, his FIP was 3.45, his WHIP was 1.28, and his ERA+ was 75. He never lost the ability to get swings and misses, and his 0.87 ERA and 0.58 WHIP in September and October show that he is good to go heading into 2023.

Fantasy baseball relievers #1: Emmanuel Clase

Emmanuel Clase will turn 25 just before the start of the 2023 season, and he has already established himself as one of the most elite closers in the game. In 2022, he pitched 72.2 innings and allowed just 43 hits, 11 earned runs, 10 walks, and struck out 77 batters. HIs ERA was microscopic 1.36, his FIP was 1.98, his WHIP was 0.73, and his ERA+ was 281. He led baseball in saves (42), games finished (67), and appearances (77). He doesn’t strike out as many as you’d think, considering he throws 102 with cut, but he doesn’t walk as many either. His 1.2 BB/9 is the best on the list and 4th in MLB with a minimum of 60 innings pitched. With Edwin Diaz’s injury in the World Baseball Classic, Clase slides up to the #1 fantasy baseball reliever for 2023.

How would you rank your top fantasy baseball relievers? Let us know in the comments.