2025 Fantasy Baseball: Bullpen Depth Charts Week 2

Many major league bullpens remain in flux after the first week of the season. Staying ahead of the curve in changing ninth-inning jobs can lead to gaining an edge in saves. Here's a look at the closing depth charts as of April 4th:

Fantasy Baseball Closer Report Week 2

2025 MLB Bullpen Depth Chart Part 1 | Shawn Childs

Arizona Diamondbacks

Seven games into 2025, A.J. Puk has a pair of saves, but he has also served up a solo home run in two appearances, along with one other hit and five strikeouts. Justin Martinez has been stellar over his first 2.2 innings (no runs, two hits, no walks, and five strikeouts), pushing him closer to saves. This bullpen will be a coin toss for saves until one arm establishes himself in the ninth inning.

Baltimore Orioles

Two games into his comeback season, Felix Bautista is batting .500 in his two appearances. His year opened up with a shutout innings with two baserunners and three strikeouts. Command (two walks) was his downfall in his next appearance, as he allowed two runs and two hits over one inning. Seranthony Dominguez tossed 2.2 scoreless innings to open the year with three baserunners, two strikeouts, and a win, putting him in a position to vulture saves if Bautista doesn’t regain his previous form.

On the mound for the first time since Aug. 25, 2023, Félix Bautista strikes out three in a scoreless inning. 👏 pic.twitter.com/wHtx7unJUu
— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2025

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox pitched Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning in his first appearance, followed by a converted save. He tossed two shutout innings with two baserunners and two strikeouts on the year. Garrett Whitlock has been sharp over his first three games, allowing one run, four baserunners, and striking out six while pitching two innings in each matchup. His fastball (96.4) has shown an uptick in velocity. Justin Slaten opened the year with a save, but the Orioles drilled him for four runs and four baserunners two games later while failing to record an out. I can’t dismiss Whitlock stealing closing chances.

Chicago Cubs

There have been cracks in Ryan Pressly’s pitching lines in two of his four appearances this year. He’s 2-for-2 in save conversions, allowing three runs, eight baserunners, and one home run over four innings, with one strikeout. Porter Hodge (no runs and five baserunners over four innings with five strikeouts) looks poised to steal the closing job for the Cubs if Pressly continues to struggle.

Cincinnati Reds

Alexis Diaz will start his road back to the majors on Friday night at High-A. He is a couple of appearances away from returning to the Reds. Emilio Pagan has yet to allow a run or hit over his first three innings with two strikeouts, leading to one successful save conversion. The Reds’ other closing considerations (Tony Santillan, Scott Barlow, and Graham Ashcraft) haven’t allowed a run over 7.2 innings with 10 baserunners and five strikeouts.

The #Reds today sent RHP Alexis Díaz to Triple-A Louisville on a rehab assignment. pic.twitter.com/qawS9PJ1sv
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 4, 2025

Detroit Tigers

The emerging favorite for saves for the Tigers is Tommy Kahnle after pitching two no-hit shutout innings with two strikeouts and one save. He has a 2.39 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts over his last 98.0 innings in the majors. Jason Foley has been sharp in his two appearances at AAA (no run, no hits, and two strikeouts).

2025 MLB Bullpen Depth Chart Part 2 | Shawn Childs

Miami Marlins

Three games into 2025, Anthony Bender pitched 2.2 no-hit, shutout innings with one strikeout, a win, and a save. The Marlins’ closing role appears to be his to lose. Calvin Faucher struggled in his last outing, allowing three runs, three hits, and one home run over one inning, which resulted in a blown lead. Despite poor spring training (nine runs, seven hits, a home run, and six walks over 3.1 innings with two strikeouts),

Miami called up Luarbert Arias last week. He tossed three scoreless innings with no baserunners and one strikeout in his only appearance. He went 25-15 over six seasons in the minors with a 3.12 ERA, 1.116 WHIP, and 383 strikeouts over 317.1 innings. Arias spent an entire year at AAA in 2024, going 8-6 with a 3.04 ERA, 1.191 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts over 68.0 innings while picking up four saves. He walked 3.0 batters per nine innings in his career, with success in his strikeout rate (10.9). Anyone rostering Bender should keep a close eye on Arias while possibly buying him as a handcuff in deep formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates shipped David Bednar back to AAA on April 1st after not fooling batters over his first three appearances (three runs, six runs, and a home run in one inning, with one strikeout) and struggling in spring training (nine runs, 14 baserunners, one home run in eight innings, 10 strikeouts). Heading into Friday night, Bednar has yet to make an appearance in the minors.

Santana’s seven-year MLB stats (4.76 ERA, 1.319 WHIP, four saves) don’t scream closer, but a career-best season in 2024 (2.44 ERA, 50 strikeouts in 44.1 innings) and spring success (two runs, four baserunners, one home run in 7.2 innings, three strikeouts) moved him on to fantasy radar as the next closing option for the Pirates. This year, he has given up one run and five baserunners over 3.1 innings, with three strikeouts and one save.

I don’t know his long-term viability for closing, but Santana has the job for now, giving the fantasy market a bridge-closing option until a better option emerges. He should added in all formats this week.

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