With the 2025 MLB season two months, we’ve reached the power rankings portion of the offseason — and, we’ll start with the best relievers. For 2025, we’ve expanded our list to 10. And, thanks to some incredible performers from last year, some newcomers crash the party amongst the top five.
10. Tanner Scott
We start our list with Tanner Scott, who as of this writing is still a free agent. Scott earned this spot, as the left-hander went from middle reliever with plus raw stuff to an electric late-inning arm who harness it to dominate. Over the last two seasons, Scott is fifth among all primary relievers in total strikeouts (188) and third in ERA+ (224). The one area where Scott lacks is saves, as the 30-year-old didn’t become a closer until late 2023.
Scott is a two-pitcher hurler, with a fastball that can touch triple digits and a dangerous slider. His command isn’t pristine but Scott’s BB/9 (3.6) over the last two years has been good enough.
9. Jhoan Duran
The 2024 campaign was the worst of Jhoan Duran‘s three-year career. The Twins reliever threw only 54.1 IP thanks to injury, and conceded hits at the highest rate of his career. On the flip side, the numbers for Duran still were not bad; a 3.64 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 66 strikeouts, and 23 saves.
The theme across this list is velocity and Duran has plenty of it. His four-seam had a mean velocity of 100.5 MPH, tied for second-best in the league along with Justin Martinez. Duran pairs it with one of the game’s most unique splitters, a pitch that sits in the high-90s with hard sink.
8. Robert Suarez
Last year was Robert Suarez‘s first year as closer, taking over from Josh Hader. Suarez passed the test with flying colors, as the 33-year-old finished 2024 with the fourth-most saves (36) in the league, along with a 2.77 ERA.
Suarez isn’t a big strikeout pitcher; the Padres closer had below-average K% in each of the last two seasons. The 33-year-old is a unique pitcher, one with a hard four-seamer with carry, along with a carry two-seamer that looks like it’s rising and running. On that sinker last year, opposing batters hit just .182 off it.
7. Edwin Diaz
In our power rankings of the best closers last year — which only featured five players — Edwin Diaz took the biggest tumble, from #3 to #7. Much of that is thanks to midseason struggles that saw Diaz posted 5.00+ ERA figures in May & August. Still, the right-hander figured it out, as Diaz struck out 84 over 53.2 IP and ranked highly in K% (100th percentile) and Whiff% (38.1%).
Diaz largely repeated his formula from 2022, despite the overthrowing problems he had last year. He had a roughly 50-50 split between his four-seamer and slider, making him far more difficult to predict. However, the fastball velocity was at its lowest in five years.
6. Josh Hader
It’s hard not to have Josh Hader on this list. Hader was the only reliever in baseball between 2023-24 to finish top-five in strikeouts (190) and saves (67). Hader was his typical self in 2024, thanks to a plus-plus slider and a rising two-seamer that hits the high-90s. Last season with the Astros, Hader struck out 105 over 71 frames and secured 34 saves for Houston.
Much was made about Hader and how the now-Astros reliever wasn’t available to throw multiple innings or consecutive days back as a Brewer and Padre. But last season, Hader made seven appearances in which he recorded four or more outs in a game. And, 17 of his apperances came on back-to-backs.
5. Mason Miller
Our top five starts with arguably the biggest riser among relievers, Mason Miller. The Athletics closer came up as a starter but moved to the bullpen to keep him healthy. However, starting may not be in Miller’s future. The right-hander finished with the third-most strikeouts (104) among primary relievers, behind Hader and Fernando Cruz (109). His 28 saves ranked ninth-most.
No pitcher in baseball had a higher mean four-seam velocity than Miller (100.9), and his ability to command it up makes it a nightmare for opposing hitters. Another nightmare is his slider, nearly 14 MPH slower than the fastball.
4. Devin Williams
Devin Williams‘ 2024 season was defined for the wrong seasons; namely, injuries and a back-breaking home run allowed in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Round. Still, Williams was incredible despite the large blemish, with a Whiff% of 40% and 14 saves for the Brewers over the second half.
Williams is now a Yankee, thanks to a December trade that sent him to New York. Now, the “Airbender” is headed to The Bronx.
3. Felix Bautista
There were no whistles in 2024 down in the city of Baltimore, as Felix Bautista missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. Bautista remains the leader in ERA+ (277) among relievers with 60+ IP over the last two seasons, thanks to what was a supremely dominant 2024. The Orioles closer struck out 110 batters in 2023, second-best among primarily relievers and would have finished first had Michael King not moved into the rotation.
Bautista can dice hitters up with a fastball that can hit 102 MPH and had IVB that exceeded 20”, as well as use a hammer splitter and slider. While it’s unknown what condition the right-hander will be heading into 2025, baseball fans are well-acquainted with how Bautista can dominate a game.
2. Ryan Helsley
After an injury-riddled 2023, Ryan Helsley rebounded to have his career-best campaign. Helsley finished last year with 49 saves, most in the Majors, and 79 strikeouts over 66.1 IP. The right-hander was largely uneventful throughout the season, as Helsley only blew four games. Helsley’s dominance earned him the 2024 NL Reliever of the Year award.
The 30-year-old Helsley, much like other pitchers on the list, can hit the triple-digits. That fastball velocity is good for his slider, which sits in the low-90s and comes from an unusually high arm angle of 60°.
1. Emmanuel Clase
We’ll finish the list with Emmanuel Clase. Clase won the AL Reliever of the Year award in 2024 in what was an astoundingly dominant regular season. The right-hander picked up an AL-high 47 saves, had a ERA below 1.00, and was largely unhittable thanks to a triple-digit cutter and slider that play too well off one another. Clase finished third in the AL Cy Young vote.
Clase’s regular season dominance helped him notch 91 saves between 2023-24, 24 more than Hader and Raisel Iglesias for second-most in the league over that span. The one blemish on his 2024 campaign was the postseason. He conceded four home runs and eight earned runs over eight playoff innings.
Don’t forget to check out fantasy guide for which other MLB teams will see closer changes come 2025.