2025 Fantasy Baseball: Bullpen Depth Charts Week 1
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With the lights going on for the 2025 baseball season, many teams have unclear closing options. It's crucial to stay informed about major league bullpens to win fantasy league titles.
The Reds, Rockies, White Sox, and Tigers have unknown closers of the 15 teams listed above. Based on team moves and recent fantasy drafts in the high-stakes market, Mike Clevinger and Beau Brieske should have the first chances to save games for their teams. Cincinnati's ninth inning looks wide open while Colorado's closing job appears to be a battle between Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen.
Josh Hader appears to have the most risk of the top-tier options based on his struggles in spring training (eight walks over 6.2 innings, leading to three runs, two hits, and a home run with five strikeouts). He converted his first save for Houston despite allowing a run and three baserunners over one innings with two strikeouts.
The most intriguing bullpen to follow is the Diamondbacks due to A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez offering difference-maker upside if given most of Arizona's save opportunities.
In the second grouping of bullpens, Miami and Texas have the biggest questions about who will close this year. Both teams lack a standout arm, creating a flavor-of-the-week option until someone seizes their ninth-inning job.
Robert Suarez struggled all spring (eight runs, 11 hits, and four walks over 4.2 innings with six strikeouts), but he converted his first save try (one no-hit shutout inning with two strikeouts). If he trips up, Jason Adam or Jeremiah Estrada are the top options to steal his job.
Tampa Bay and Philadephia have the best reliever depth, creating a dilemma for any fantasy manager looking to roster their best closer in waiting. Jose Alvarado (no run over nine innings with three hits, three walks, and an impressive 20 strikeouts) and Mason Montgomery (7.1 scoreless innings with three hits and nine strikeouts) were elite in spring training.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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