2024 Fantasy Baseball Rankings (AL)

Josh Hader experienced the bounceback foretold last offseason. He dropped his ERA from 5.22 to 1.28, which was much more in line with his career numbers. He struck out 85 batters in 56 1/3 innings and collected 33 saves. His elite xBA of .157 is in the 100th percentile, and batters have yet to figure out how to get any barrel on the Southpaw's pitches. Hader's downfall will always be his BB% (13.0), but fantasy managers inclined to take a closer early in drafts should feel confident they're getting one of the top two here.

Emmanuel Clase led all of baseball with 44 saves, and he did so with a 7.93 K/9. His secret is a GB% of 56.6, which is in the 93rd percentile. His ERA, however, took a precipitous jump from 1.36 to 3.22. If you're planning to use an early-round draft pick on a closer, there are three Tier 1 guys before Clase, who seems a bit more of a risk in 2024.

Andres Munoz started 2023 in a "closer by duo" situation with Paul Sewald, but he should have the ninth inning to himself in 2024. He dealt with some injuries last season, which limited him to only 52 game appearances. Instead of the lights-out reliever we saw in 2022, fantasy managers dealt with a decrease in K% and massive increase in BB%. The good news is that he still has an elite Whiff% (39.4) and induces ground balls at a 59-percent rate. Munoz should rack up 25 saves with a K/9 around 12.0. He is a solid Tier 2 RP in 2024.

Pete Fairbanks racked up 68 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings on his way to 25 saves and a 2.58 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. The 30-year-old struggled with walks (3.97 BB/9), but his 13.50 K/9 helped compensate. The closer role should be his heading into 2024, and his current ADP of 131 seems absurdly low for his projected production.

Jhoan Duran is the reliever to target if you're looking to build your reliever roster with a guy who throws 101.8 mph. The 25-year-old struck out 84 batters in 62 1/3 innings while collecting 27 saves last season. Opposing batters had an xBA of .185 and a 32.9 K% against him. Things got a little messy in the Twins bullpen in 2023, but fantasy managers should expect 30 saves from Duran in 2024. And if the league has a K/9 or equivalent category, he should be an early target.

 

Jordan Romano saved 36 games for the Blue Jays in 2023 and struck out 72 batters in 59 innings. He continued with a decent K% (29), but his BB% jumped to 9.7, which is a concerning change for a high-end closer. He had a respectable ERA of 2.90, but the WHIP moved to 1.22, a full two-tenths higher than his 2022 number. Romano is on a good team, so crossing the 30-save mark shouldn't be an issue as long as he stays healthy.

Cole Ragans arrived on the scene in 2023 and has quickly risen to the top of the Darlings of Fantasy Baseball. It's not hard to see why. In 96 innings, the 26-year-old struck out 113 batters while maintaining a stellar 3.47 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. His fastball touches 96, but his changeup that induced a 35.6 Whiff% is the pitch that made him rise up draft boards this season. Projections have his ERA landing closer to 4.00 and his K% dropping a few points to the 25 range. (This is still solid.) As with every hot name in draft season, balancing value with excitement is essential. His current ADP of 101 feels right, considering we're not sure what we'll get from an entire season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ryan Pressly saved 31 games for the Astros in 2023, striking out 74 batters in 65 1/3 innings. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, his ERA took a big leap to 3.58 after being under 3.00 in 2021 and 2022. He also allowed harder contact than in previous years. Pressly is a closer with a strong positive (pitches for the Astros) and some downside (K/9 barely over 10, high ERA). When closers start flying off the board in the 7th-9th rounds, Pressly is a decent option. Just don't reach for him in the upper tier of RP.