2025 End Of Season Closer Report


Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

A few days ago, I asked for help to double-check this season’s initial closers (full 2024 edition).

Here are the results, starting with the initial closers and their performance.

2025 Initial Closers
Team Eventual First Closer Going into season NFBC ME ADP Lasted Until Reason if Replaced Saves Team Saves % of Team Saves
Angels Kenley Jansen One Guy 132 EOS None 29 38 76.3%
Astros Josh Hader One Guy 42 8/12 Injury 28 45 62.2%
Athletics Mason Miller One Guy 38 7/31 Traded Away 20 35 57.1%
Blue Jays Jeff Hoffman One Guy 74 EOS None 33 42 78.6%
Braves Raisel Iglesias One Guy 51 6/7 Poor Performance 29 35 82.9%
Brewers Trevor Megill One Guy 124 8/27 Injury 30 45 66.7%
Cardinals Ryan Helsley One Guy 52 7/30 Traded Away 21 42 50.0%
Cubs Ryan Pressly One Guy 158 5/13 Poor Performance 5 44 11.4%
Diamondbacks Justin Martinez Committee 159 5/1 Injury 5 42 11.9%
Dodgers Tanner Scott Committee 75 7/22 Injury 23 46 50.0%
Giants Ryan Walker One Guy 66 5/26 Poor Performance 17 41 41.5%
Guardians Emmanuel Clase One Guy 38 7/28 Suspended 24 47 51.1%
Mariners Andrés Muñoz One Guy 57 EOS None 38 43 88.4%
Marlins Calvin Faucher Committee 309 EOS None 15 40 37.5%
Mets Edwin Diaz One Guy 47 EOS None 28 40 70.0%
Nationals Kyle Finnegan One Guy 170 7/31 Traded Away 20 37 54.1%
Orioles Felix Bautista One Guy 70 7/24 Injury 19 38 50.0%
Padres Robert Suarez One Guy 127 EOS None 40 49 81.6%
Phillies Jordan Romano Committee 143 6/15 Poor Performance 8 47 17.0%
Pirates David Bednar One Guy 169 4/1 Poor Performance 17 36 47.2%
Rangers Luke Jackson Committee 396 5/21 Poor Performance 9 37 24.3%
Rays Pete Fairbanks One Guy 152 EOS None 27 35 77.1%
Red Sox Aroldis Chapman One Guy 192 EOS None 32 45 71.1%
Reds Emilio Pagán Committee Not Drafted EOS None 32 41 78.0%
Rockies Seth Halvorsen Committee 414 4/30 Poor Performance 11 29 37.9%
Royals Carlos Estevez One Guy 169 EOS None 42 47 89.4%
Tigers Tommy Kahnle Committee 438 7/1 Poor Performance 9 40 22.5%
Twins Jhoan Duran One Guy 70 7/30 Traded Away 16 28 57.1%
White Sox Jordan Leasure Committee 450 EOS None 7 25 28.0%
Yankees Devin Williams One Guy 41 8/8 Poor Performance 18 43 41.9%

The one takeaway is the low totals from Jordan Leasure and Calvin Faucher. Since I started this report, I’ve never seen a team, let alone two, use a committee for an entire season. It might be from no one stepping forward in either bullpen. Or is it a new trend or a one-year anomaly? I have no idea.

The whiff on Emilio Pagán was an industry-wide failure. Scott Barlow, Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan, and Carson Spiers were all drafted in the Main Event, but not Pagán. Pagán only appeared in four Spring Training games, so maybe people forgot about him.

And here is how these incumbents compare to previous incumbents.

Overall Comparison of Initial Closer Performance
Year Saves by Initial Closer Team Saves % Saves by Initial Closer Total EOS EOS %
2013 927 1266 73% 15 50%
2014 746 1264 59% 11 37%
2015 737 1292 57% 11 37%
2016 797 1276 63% 11 37%
2017 668 1179 57% 10 33%
2018 759 1244 61% 5 17%
2019 573 1180 49% 7 23%
2020 202 422 48% 11 37%
2021 592 1200 49% 9 30%
2022 599 1232 49% 9 30%
2023 716 1241 58% 12 40%
2024 634 1225 52% 9 30%
2025 652 1201 54% 11 37%

I’ve got nothing actionable from these numbers since this year’s results are within the range of recent outcomes.

The final table looks at overall league-wide trends.

Save Trends
Year Players Getting Saves Players Getting > 4 Saves Players Getting > 9 Saves Non Incumbent > 9 Saves
2013 130 42 37 10
2014 134 49 39 15
2015 145 47 37 15
2016 148 53 42 15
2017 162 52 40 15
2018 165 59 43 14
2019 199 64 38 16
2020 131
2021 198 70 41 18
2022 222 64 35 12
2023 214 64 38 11
2024 223 53 39 16
2025 215 54 32 8

Two numbers stick out. The total number of pitchers and non-incumbents with 10 or more Saves are both new lows. Only a few relievers popped on the season, so fantasy teams struggled for closer options. While not a trend, there will be seasons when fewer guys emerge, so it’s best to pay up early for the best options.

A little more change than normal, but nothing drastically different.





Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.

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