MLB Spring Training 2025 is fully underway, and information is coming out of Florida and Arizona that will help fantasy baseball owners target the top Fantasy Baseball bullpens for 2025. 

These articles will focus attention on 2025 Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher rankings and more, with an emphasis on MLB closers but also taking a peek at those arms that offer hold production for leagues that employ that stat category.

 

 

 

2025 Fantasy Baseball Bullpen Targets

We will continue this week to look at some MLB closer situations that are not entirely settled as the spring progresses, thus offering potential for speculation when your turn in your fantasy draft appears, and aiding with your 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep.

Pitcher stats below are: Innings Pitched/Wins/Saves/Strikeouts/ERA/WHIP.

 

 

 

Chicago White Sox

Justin Anderson RHP

  • 2024 Stats 53.1/1/1/57/4.39/1.50
  • 2025 Projections 63.0/3/7/62/4.42/1.45

Fraser Ellard LHP

  • 2024 Stats 24.0/2/1/26/3.75/1.25
  • 2025 Projections 62.0/3/6/62/4.28/1.42

Prelander Berrora RHP

  • 2024 Stats 19.0/1/0/26/3.32/1.47
  • 2025 Projections 48.0/2/3/51/4.40/1.43

The White Sox lost an MLB record 121 games last season, and thus the save opportunities were limited over the course of the season. Certainly, it would be extremely unlikely that the team can recreate their 2024 level of futility, and it would be anticipated that their bullpen will see more chances to lock down victories. 

The primary closing option heading into the early going this spring is the 32-year-old righthander Anderson. Last season’s numbers certainly do not promise any tremendous return for those who take a late-round chance on him as a closing option in your 2025 Fantasy Baseball drafts, but with the other youngsters comprising the Pale Hose bullpen, he does offer some veteran stability. 

Ellard, as a southpaw, figures to be a match-up option for the White Sox in the late innings. He was mostly effective on the hill for the bulk of his first major league service, his numbers suffering due to some less-efficient end of the season work. He offers nice K potential with a 9.8 K/9 ratio over his 25 appearances last season for the big-league club but will need to find the strike zone more frequently if he is going to be called upon for high-leverage action (4.5 BB/9). 

The youngster Berroa has been targeted as one of the high-leverage arms that the Chicago team operating on the south side of town would be featuring, but he is sidelined with a right elbow strain. He is not expected to break camp with the team, rather likely being on the IL until mid-April at best.

Continuing a theme among the late-inning options the White Sox have on the roster, he needs to harness his control to build on the tantalizing strikeout skills (12.3 K/9 last year with the major league squad). This is an arm to keep on the radar, as his injury makes him less than attractive as a Fantasy Baseball draft target this draft season.

 

 

 

Colorado Rockies

Tyler Kinley RHP

  • 2024 Stats 64.0/6/12/72/6.19/1.47
  • 2025 Projections 64.0/2/18/66/4.75/1.42

Seth Halvorsen RHP

  • 2024 Stats 12.1/2/2/13/1.46/0.81
  • 2025 Projections 63.0/4/9/60/4.51/1.39

Victor Vodnik RHP

  • 2024 Stats 73.2/5/9/65/4.28/1.48
  • 2025 Projections 66.0/3/5/63/4.50/1.47

The Rockies did not overwhelm the world of baseball last season but were able to win enough games to allow their closers to rack up the occasional save. This should be the situation this season, as well, and the team is searching for their late-inning answer as spring training plays out. The veteran arm of the three most viable closer candidates, Kinley posted some horrific ratio stats while converting 12 of the 13 save opportunities presented to him.

His slider is his most effective offering while atop the bump, and he offers better than a K per inning but also struggles to find the strike zone on occasion, as evidenced by his 4.6 BB/9 ratio last season. It should also be noted that his season was shut down in September last year due to elbow inflammation, although you are most likely not relying on any Colorado late-inning option as your main closing selection in the upcoming Fantasy Baseball Drafts for 2025.

Should the veteran Kinley not hold onto the closer role, the Rockies have a candidate to consider in the 25-year-old righty Halvorsen. In limited big-league action in 2024, he posted a superior 13:2 K/BB ratio over his 12 appearances last year.

While his ratio stats were superb over his 12.1 IP in 2024, his minor league results hint that there will be negative regression as his innings at the major league level increase. He possesses raw talent that could be harnessed and thrust him into the closer role, but given the team he pitches for the save opportunities even were he to seize the job are going to be limited.

Of the three arms discussed here as potential late-inning options out of the Rockie bullpen, Vodnik probably offers the least-likely possibility to step into the closer role. He only converted 9 of his 15 chances to collect a save last season, and his ratio stats do not scream shut-down hurler.

Below-average K production and control (7.9 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 over the course of 2024) are concerns, although he does generate a ton of groundballs from opposing hitters and keeps the ball in the park for the most part: 54.4% GB, 0.9 HR/9 over his 64 appearances.

 

 

 

Kansas City Royals

Carlos Estevez RHP

  • 2024 Stats 55.0/4/26/50/2.45/0.91
  • 2025 Projections 64.0/5/21/62/3.85/1.24

Lucas Erceg RHP

  • 2024 Stats 61.2/2/14/72/3.36/1.05
  • 2025 Projections 67.0/4/14/74/3.40/1.26

With the signing this winter to a two-year deal, Estevez was considered the front-runner for the closer role in Kansas City. He is dealing with a lower back strain, however, which may or may not impact his ability to open the season as the ninth inning option out of the Royal bullpen. 

He is coming off an exceptionally productive 2024 season, where he posted superior ratio stats as noted above, and collected 26 saves (he did have 5 blown save chances). His control improved dramatically last season, dropping 5.3% from his 2023 levels. The improved control helps offset his lower than elite K rate of 8.2 K/9.

Should Estevez not be ready to take the ball in the final frame to open the season, the Royals have the arm that was slated to be their closer prior to the signing of the free agent last winter in the form of Erceg, who arrived via trade from Oakland at the end of July last season. 

The 29-year-old righthander collected 11 of the 15 saves the Royals were credited with after he joined the Royal bullpen and offers excellent strikeout production and demonstrates superb control: 10.5 K/9, 2.3 BB/9. In addition, he yields few dingers to the opposition as demonstrated by his 0.4 HR/9 rate over his 61 2024 appearances.

 

 

 

Texas Rangers

Chris Martin RHP

  • 2024 Stats 44.1/3/2/50/3.45/1.13
  • 2025 Projections 58.0/4/20/59/3.35/1.11

Robert Garcia LHP

  • 2024 Stats 59.2/3/0/75/4.22/1.19
  • 2025 Projections 64.0/5/9/74/3.49/1.20

Jacob Webb RHP

  • 2024 Stats 56.2/2/2/58/3.02/1.18
  • 2025 Projections 62.0/3/2/61/4.15/1.33

Jacob Latz LHP

  • 2024 Stats 43.2/2/0/40/3.71/1.51
  • 2025 Projections 62.0/3/2/61/4.16/1.29

At 38, Martin arrives in the Ranger bullpen as the elder statesman and has some serious skills that served him well last season as the set-up man in Boston. He has an inside track to become the closer in Texas and offers both command and control to back up his claim. 

He struck out better than a batter per frame in 2024 (10.2 K/9) and walked less than a hitter per inning (0.6 BB/9), both admirable qualities for the late-inning arm out of the pen. The fly in the ointment to being able to fully rely on him as one of your closers is the pronouncement from Ranger manager Bruch Bochy that he may not have a “set closer” on his staff. 

Lefty Garcia posted an inflated ERA last season, but a look under the hood at his peripheral metrics hint that he may have been unlucky to produce the exaggerated ratio stat, as his FIP came in at a useful 2.37 and his LOB% was definitely an aberration at 57.2%, as was a .329 BABIP. 

He was mentioned as a potential closer for the Nationals prior to being dealt to the Rangers, and although the bullpen is crowded in Arlington, he has the opportunity to make his case for at least part of a closer committee in 2025.

Webb is another set-up man imported to the Ranger bullpen this off-season. Unlike the two hurlers profiled above, he does have more trouble locating the strike zone than is desirable for a true closer. 

The strikeout potential is evident (9.2 K/9 in 2024 with the Orioles), and despite not generating an abundance of grounders, he does keep the ball in the park effectively. If Bochy is being candid about his intent to not have a designated closer, he will be in line for the occasional save but is more of a holds producer.

Latz hung with the Rangers for most of the season, at least until an injury to his forearm in August landed him in rehab and then a resumption of activity in Triple A to close out the season. As a lefthander, he will be competing this spring with Hobey Milner and Walter Pennington to secure a spot in the relief corps heading out of spring training.

He will need top notch up the Ks and harness his control to make that a reality, but his experience with the big-league team last season gives some hope. Unlike the southpaw Garcia profiled above, though, his peripherals insinuate that perhaps he was a bit lucky in 2024: 5.04 FIP v 3.71 ERA, 80.2% LOB, .280 BABIP. Information to keep in mind when thinking about drafting him in deeper leagues.

 

 

 

MLB Bullpens: Fantasy Baseball 2025

If you found this article to be useful or interesting, the good news is there will be weekly installments throughout the coming month. These are not the only bullpens in flux and other closer-by-committee situations will be discussed in coming weeks.

Peripheral statistical analysis is on the horizon as well, as we look to ground ball rates, xFIP, swinging K%, and more, and how those help us discover gems among the non-closer relievers. When you have satisfied your interest in end-game pitchers, make a point to check out the rest of the draft preparation on the site, including the Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide for 2025.