2025 Fantasy Baseball Closer Grid
Fantasy baseball closers – could there be a more debated and vexing position in the fantasy realm? That's precisely why Fantasy Alarm has been delivering the Fantasy Baseball Closer Grid for over a decade, a resource so valuable that countless fans bookmark it upon discovery.
So, what exactly is the MLB Closer Grid? It's straightforward. It's your ultimate reference for all things related to fantasy baseball relief pitchers and closers. We don't just name the closer for each MLB team; we delve two levels deeper into the bullpen, informing you who's next in line to secure saves for your fantasy lineups.
The landscape of MLB relief pitchers is always evolving, with new talents potentially climbing the fantasy baseball rankings and impacting our 2025 projections. Understanding the depth chart of each team's bullpen is crucial, particularly when dealing with injuries, scouting for waiver wire gems, or tracking top MLB prospects.
Identifying the clear successor for saves isn't always straightforward. We consider various factors like skill set, contact rates, pitch command, pitch variety, the balance of lefties versus righties in the bullpen, prior closing experience, performance in high-leverage situations, and crucially, job security. Make sure to also check the latest MLB player news for the most current updates on bullpen dynamics.
GREEN will be those with strong talent, abundant opportunities, and a high level of job security. The tier below will be in YELLOW followed by ORANGE and lastly RED to indicate who may have the job right now but could lose it with one bad hiccup.
MLB Closers 2025: Fantasy Baseball Rankings
*UPDATED: 5/20/2025
Player News
Taylor Walls delivered a game-winning sac fly as the Rays scored three times in the final two innings to edge the Astros 3-2 on Tuesday.
Walls’ fly to left was hit just 262 feet, but Christopher Morel took off from third anyway and Chas McCormick’s throw wound up wide of the plate. It was Walls’ second game-winner in two weeks, as he also had a bases-loaded walk to beat the Brewers on May 9. Walls is batting .186/.272/.229 in 136 plate appearances on the season.
Zack Littell tossed five innings of two-run ball and struck out six Tuesday against the Astros.
Littell left down 2-0, but the Rays managed to make that up and win the game 3-2. It’s the sixth straight start in which Littell has allowed either two or three runs. He’s 3-5 with a 4.25 ERA through 10 starts on the year, and he’s due to face the Twins next.
Manuel Rodríguez worked a scoreless ninth in a tie game and wound up with his first win Tuesday against the Astros.
Rodríguez has been one of the unsung heroes in the Rays pen, amassing a 2.42 ERA in 22 1/3 innings this season. He hasn’t earned any saves, so he doesn’t offer much fantasy value at the moment. Still, he should remain pretty valuable to the Rays until he’s inevitably shipped off for a couple of prospects at the 2026 trade deadline.
Brandon Walter shut out the Rays for five innings and struck out five in his first major league start Tuesday.
This should be plenty good enough to keep Walter around for now and probably earn him another start Sunday against the Mariners. He might offer some AL-only value while in the Astros rotation.
Zach Dezenzo finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Rays on Tuesday.
Dezenzo had been out of the lineup two of the previous three games. The Astros could opt to send him down once they activate Yordan Alvarez, though Cesar Salazar is also an option. Really, though, both Dezenzo and Cam Smith ought to be playing regularly, and it’s not great for Dezenzo that it’s not happening even with Alvarez absent.
Will Smith went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a walk in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
Smith doubled in the fourth inning to score Freddie Freeman and put the Dodgers on the board. It was the only run of the game until Arizona tied things in the ninth. Smith then got an at-bat with the bases loaded in the tenth and brought the game-tying run home after he was hit by a pitch. The 30-year-old catcher is hitting .339/.455/.508 with four homers, 26 RBI, and two steals across 156 plate appearances.