Eric KarabellMay 12, 2026, 01:00 PM ETCloseEric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of “The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments”.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Edwin Diaz, one of the top closers in fantasy baseball for years past and presumably in the future, earned his most recent save on April 7 at Toronto. A fortnight later, Diaz was not only on the team’s injured list, but surgery was scheduled to remove loose bodies from his valuable elbow. Most fantasy managers figured some combination of LHPs Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia and RHP Blake Treinen would share closing duties for the next several months, if not longer.
The current version of Scott is thriving and he isn’t sharing those saves. The Dodgers, annually among the top winners in the sport, win myriad contests by more than three runs, and their team save total of nine is below the league average. However, when there has been a save chance for the past month, manager Dave Roberts has chosen Scott. He has registered each of the team’s three saves (among 11 wins) over the past four weeks. It’s not Vesia and it’s not Treinen.
Scott, 31, enters Tuesday with a 1.65 ERA, an 0.61 WHIP and a top-20 fantasy point total among relief pitchers. Somehow, he remains available in roughly 80% of ESPN standard leagues. He may keep this closing role the rest of the season. You know what to do.
The right-handed Ryan Helsley (elbow) should reclaim the closer role later this month, but Garcia has permitted just one base hit among his 64 batters faced, posting an 0.47 ERA and an 0.42 WHIP with three saves. OK, so obviously this level of luck cannot continue, but something’s going right and Garcia should be more popular than 19.8% rostered.
Perkins, 26, was a starting pitcher through the minors and for last season’s Athletics, but like many hard throwers who don’t always know where the ball is going, his “stuff” has played better in relief. Perkins saved three Athletics wins late last season, compiling a 2.75 ERA in relief. That compares favorably to his 5.68 ERA when he started games.
He doesn’t lead the current Athletics in saves, but RHP Joel Kuhnel isn’t missing many bats (9.1% K rate). Perkins is. LHP Hogan Harris boasts the lone Athletics save in May, but Perkins, with his 1.74 FIP, should see more opportunities moving forward. It is possible that no Athletics hurler reaches 20 saves, but Perkins is the best bet to do so.
Pagan, 35, was one of last season’s top relief surprises, a fantasy free agent who saved 32 games with a 2.88 ERA and an 0.92 WHIP. He seems unlikely to approach those numbers in 2026, as recently he hit the IL due to a hamstring strain — and with a 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP.
The Reds may not notice his absence, as they boast several bullpen options who may be better anyway. RHP Tony Santillan, 29, was a top setup man last season with a 2.44 ERA and 33 holds, but he has struggled lately, so either RHP Graham Ashcraft or RHP Pierce Johnson may become manager Terry Francona’s choices. Regardless, feel free to move on from Pagan.
Walker, 30, seemed in control of the team’s saves are registering a pair in consecutive games against the mighty Dodgers in late-April, but then things changed. He permitted runs in four consecutive games (seven earned runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings) and earned himself a stunning demotion to Triple-A Sacramento.
Things haven’t worked out that way. Scott, one of the franchise’s major investments prior to the 2025 season, is finally performing up to prior expectations. Remember, the dominant Scott posted a 1.75 ERA and a 28.6% strikeout rate during the 2024 campaign for the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. He became the top closer on the free agent market and earned an astounding four-year, $72-million contract from the Dodgers. Months later he was one of the top fantasy busts, posting a 4.74 ERA with “only” 23 saves.
Latz, 30, boasts the last four saves for the Rangers, and he has thrown multiple innings in two of them. OK, so he is not the most conventional option, but it is hard to ignore an 0.87 ERA with an 0.43 WHIP. Those numbers cannot stay there, of course (not with a ridiculous .100 BABIP), but it’s not like the Rangers have an established closer returning from injury to burst the proverbial bubble in Latz’s value, either. Latz produced a 2.84 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP during his breakout 2025 season. Expect similar numbers from now on, only this time with valuable double-digit saves.
With relevant LHP Erik Miller (back) injured, RHP Caleb Kilian earned the team’s most recent save. Kilian, 28, is a former starting pitcher who has seemingly found his proper role in relief. The former Chicago Cubs prospect is throwing his fastball near 97 mph — better than the 94 mph range from when he was a starter. The Giants aren’t winning much, but Kilian has the team’s lone May save. He’s a walker with a deflated BABIP, so perhaps Kilian’s luck runs out soon (that seems a theme in today’s column), but someone here must close. Kilian is an option for deeper leagues. Move on from Walker.
Eric KarabellMay 12, 2026, 01:00 PM ETCloseEric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of “The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments”.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseEric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of “The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments”.Follow on X
Marlins RHP Pete Fairbanks (hand) should come off the IL on Wednesday and there will be no committee here. Fairbanks, assuming reasonable health, should surpass 25 saves.
It’s looking like Kansas City Royals RHP Lucas Erceg may keep the closing role for a while, as RHP Carlos Estevez (shoulder) is out at least another month, and perhaps considerably more.
Houston Astros LHP Josh Hader (biceps) is on his rehab assignment and likely to rejoin the parent club when eligible on May 24. He should handle the ninth-inning work right away. If you still roster RHP Bryan Abreu (currently 36.4% rostered) and his 9.24 ERA and 2.29 WHIP, what are you even doing?