The second-to-last positional ranking is the top 10 relief pitchers for the 2024 season. Similar to Gerrit Cole, Devin Williams will be omitted from the list due to an injury. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Williams will miss at least three months of the season due to back fractures.
1. Jhoan Durán
With Williams’ significant injury, Minnesota Twins’ closer Jhoan Durán is No. 1 on the top 10 relief pitchers list. Unfortunately, Durán will open the season on the injured list, too. The 26-year-old right-hander is entering his third season in Major League Baseball, and he’s been stellar since his debut. Durán has notched 35 saves in his career, while pitching to a 2.16 ERA.
Durán allowed zero runs and only two hits for the Twins in the 2023 postseason. He becomes a free agent for the first time in 2028, so the Twins will have one of baseball’s best relief arms for years to come.
2. Josh Hader
Over seven seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres, Josh Hader has put together an incredible resume. He is a five-time All-Star and three-time Hoffman Reliever of the Year Award winner. Even better, Hader put together arguably his best season in 2023. He totaled 33 saves with San Diego last season while throwing to a 1.28 ERA.
Hader is one of baseball’s nastiest pitchers. The 1-2 punch of his fastball and slider has struck out 15 batters per nine innings in his career.
Hader parlayed his success with a five-year, $95 million contract with the Houston Astros in free agency. One of baseball’s best teams of the past decade added an arm that will pitch in important games down the stretch.
3. Edwin Díaz
One of the most heartbreaking injuries occurred to Edwin Díaz a few weeks before the 2023 season. While celebrating Puerto Rico’s victory against the Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Diaz suffered a knee injury to his right knee. Now back and healthy for the 2024 campaign, the New York Mets return one of baseball’s best closers.
It was a show every time Edwin Diaz took the mound for New York in 2022. Timmy Trumpet would play his famous song, “Narco,” and Diaz would jog onto the mound looking for another save. Diaz made 32 saves, boasted a 1.31 ERA and struck out nearly two batters per inning (17.1K/9). His performance earned him his second All-Star appearance, ninth in NL Cy Young Voting and a few votes for the MVP.
Emmanuel Clase is the fourth-best relief pitcher for the 2024 season. Entering his fourth full season, Clase is a two-time All-Star — both in the past two seasons. Since 2022, Clase’s 86 saves easily lead MLB. He has led the league in saves in back-to-back seasons, including notching 44 last year.
While his ERA more than doubled from 2022 to 2023, and he led baseball with 12 blown saves last season, Clase remains one of baseball’s elite closers. Clase will become a free agent in 2027, which means the Cleveland Guardians will have an important arm for at least the next three seasons.
5. Bryan Abreu
Bryan Abreu is next up on the top 10 relief pitchers list, and he’s the first non-closer. After a rocky campaign in 2021, Abreu has cemented himself as one of the most dependable arms out of the bullpen. Over the past two seasons, Abreu has thrown 132.1 stellar innings for the Houston Astros. Over that stretch, he had a sub-2 ERA in plenty of high-leverage innings.
Abreu allowed two earned runs in Game 7 of the 2023 American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers, but he was virtually before that. Abreu is already the second Houston Astro on the list, behind Hader, which means he’ll continue to pitch in more high-leverage, non-save opportunities in 2024.
6. Ryan Helsley
Entering his sixth season in MLB, Ryan Helsley is No. 6 on the top 10 relief pitchers ranking. Helsley may want to forget his first few seasons in the big leagues, but since 2022, he’s been lights out. Helsley has sported a 1.69 ERA over his last 100+ regular season innings, including an All-Star appearance in 2022. The Cardinals closer has completed 33 saves during that span.
7. David Bednar
Following a rocky first few seasons in MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar has been a shining star on a struggling Pittsburgh team. Bednar earned his first All-Star appearance in 2022, and he followed it up with an even better campaign in 2023. He tied for the lead in NL saves (39) last campaign and threw to a 2.00 ERA.
Bednar has made for an intriguing trade piece the past few seasons. He will become a free agent in 2027, and it’ll be interesting to see if Bednar remains in Pittsburgh until then.
Pete Fairbanks put together the best season of his five-year MLB career in 2023, The Tampa Bay Rays’ closer notched 25 saves while throwing to a sub-2.60ERA. He’s a perfect example of what Tampa Bay does best. In 2019, Fairbanks had a 9.35 ERA over eight appearances with the Texas Rangers. Midway through the season, he was traded to Tampa Bay, and he’s emerged as one of baseball’s top 10 relief pitchers.
Now entering his eighth season in MLB, José Alvarado assembled his best season in 2023, which helps squeak him onto the list. Alvarado did just about everything for Philadelphia during last season’s campaign. He threw in the middle innings, high-leverage situations and totaled 10 saves in his 42 appearances.
During the Phillies’ run to the NLCS, Alvarado got even better. He only allowed one run in eight appearances out of the bullpen.
10. Andrés Muñoz
The last arm on the top 10 relief pitchers list is Andrés Muñoz. He is entering his fourth season with the Seattle Mariners, and his last two seasons have showcased dependable stuff. Muñoz has combined for 17 saves and a 2.68 ERA since 2022. He leads the way for Seattle’s bullpen that takes over for one of the best starting rotations in baseball.
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