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Fantasy baseball bullpen report

Published

8 months ago

April 4, 2025

Although it’s only been one week of regular-season game action, the high-leverage landscape has changed drastically since my last preseason article. Things have been particularly challenging for Alexis Díaz and David Bednar. In 2023, they combined for 76 saves, but a closer’s performance can be erratic from year to year. Díaz was placed on the injured list before the season began with a hamstring issue. Bednar was demoted after a slow start, and he had a rough spring and lost the closer role last August.

In Texas, fantasy managers believed Chris Martin would be the preferred save option, but Luke Jackson has emerged in the role instead. Liam Hendriks also opened the season on the injured list after experiencing soreness in his surgically repaired elbow, resulting in Aroldis Chapman being the closer in Boston (unless matchups dictate otherwise).

I’ll touch on these topics and more below, but first …

Recognizing how a manager prefers handling high-leverage innings can create a competitive advantage. Here are our high-leverage pathway identifiers. Each team will receive one of the following labels:

Mostly linear: This is a more traditional approach, with a manager preferring one reliever in the seventh inning, another in the eighth, and a closer (when rested) in the ninth. There are shades of gray, but it’s usually a predictable leverage pathway.
Primary save share: The team prefers one reliever as the primary option for saves. However, the player may also be used in match-up-based situations, whether dictated by batter-handedness or batting order pockets in the late innings. This provides multiple relievers with save chances each series or week throughout the season.
Match-up-based: Usually, two relievers split save opportunities, sometimes based on handedness, rest, or recent usage patterns. While these situations usually rely on a primary and ancillary option, others can get into the mix. Some teams also prefer a match-up-based option, assigning pitchers a hitter pocket for a series, causing fluid save opportunities.
Closer competition: This team’s manager has not decided on his preferred closer option. Each league’s quick synopsis will highlight these situations.
In flux: His manager has not confirmed the projected closer based on past struggles or rough spring appearances.

Link: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2HTVI/2/

Notes and Observations

Baltimore Orioles: Command has been a slight issue for Félix Bautista, who is returning from Tommy John surgery. It’s a limited sample, but he’s posted three strikeouts against three walks with a 49% strike rate. Better days lie ahead for “The Mountain,” but with a managed workload, his initial projected save total may have been too aggressive.

Boston Red Sox: As referenced above, Chapman was named the preferred save share but made his first appearance of the year facing Corey Seager’s lineup pocket in the bottom of the eighth, not as a traditional closer. Justin Slaten secured the save in that contest, which represents the ancillary save option for those in deeper formats.

Chicago White Sox: This team has not produced a save chance, but Mike Clevinger has made both of his relief appearances in the eighth inning. He was mentioned as an option for closing, but until usage patterns form, it’s all speculation.

Detroit Tigers: Tommy Kahnle converted the team’s first save chance in the ninth inning of a win in Seattle. Will he remain atop the hierarchy? Last year’s saves leader (Jason Foley) began the season in Triple A, and the save leader from 2023 (Alex Lange) continues his rehab after being designated to the 60-day injured list, but he could be a factor later this season. Until clarity emerges, it’s reliever roulette with manager A.J. Hinch.

Kansas City Royals: A truncated spring may affect Carlos Estévez early on, but he opened the season as the preferred option for saves, with Lucas Erceg being the highest-leverage reliever (HLR).

Texas Rangers: One of the most challenging parts of projecting saves is volume, which can fluctuate. Luke Jackson has already converted three of four save opportunities. Can he be this year’s iteration of Kirby Yates for manager Bruce Bochy? Time will tell, but he’s earning a longer leash with each appearance.

Link: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/0i606/2/

Notes and Observations

Arizona Diamondbacks: A.J. Puk has the team’s first two saves, but Justin Martinez remains a leverage factor. Martinez was electric on Tuesday, striking out the side against the Yankees’ 3-4-5 hitters, including Aaron Judge. Without a closer being named, these two will share save chances based on lineup pockets in the late innings.

Atlanta Braves: Not addressing the leverage ladder’s depth this offseason may have been a mistake. Raisel Iglesias will continue being a trusted closer, but getting leads to him in the ninth will be an adventure unless someone emerges as a trusted option with Joe Jiménez out because of knee surgery.

Chicago Cubs: It’s early, but Ryan Pressly has not endeared himself to his new franchise’s fan base, though he has recorded two saves. However, his -15 K/BB percentage and 2.75 WHIP across his first four innings represent cause for concern. He’s leaning into his curve and throwing fewer four-seam fastballs. Will this be his path forward? If not, Porter Hodge awaits as a viable replacement. Stay tuned.

Cincinnati Reds: Díaz and Terry Francona did not feel like a match made in heaven before the former’s hamstring injury. The team has spun positivity about the closer finding his form, but Díaz’s command remains the primary concern for fantasy managers. Emilio Pagán has posted the only save through the Reds’ first six games, but the savvy long-term play may be Graham Ashcraft.

Colorado Rockies: Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen competed for the closer role all spring. Although Vodnik produced better numbers during spring training, he suffered a loss on Opening Day and worked in a set-up capacity on his second outing. Halvorsen has converted the team’s only save this season and taken over the top in our leverage chart. He has the velocity; the question is, can he command his arsenal well enough to keep his ratios manageable for fantasy managers? If not, saves may be fluid based on performance throughout the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers: There is still no clear definition of the totality of save chances for Tanner Scott. He has converted two of three opportunities but will share them with Blake Treinen and teammates throughout the season.

Miami Marlins: First-year manager Clayton McCullough indicated a save share could ensue between Calvin Faucher and Jesús Tinoco. Tinoco has been placed on the 15-day injured list, and Faucher has struggled while working with reduced velocities. Veteran Anthony Bender has recorded the team’s only save and could emerge as the preferred save share, but this remains a leverage ladder in flux.

Philadelphia Phillies: Jordan Romano and José Alvarado have presented themselves as the preferred options for save chances. However, how those chances are distributed remains unknown because of manager Rob Thomson’s “floating closer” concept during high-leverage events.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The combination of poor defense, a wild pitch and a minor-league option for Bednar have led to a demotion to Triple A for the Pirates’ erstwhile closer. It’s been a precipitous fall for the 2023 National League co-leader for saves. Can Bednar regain his confidence? In the Pirates’ first save chance since Bednar was demoted, Dennis Santana worked a scoreless ninth. He represents the likely short-term replacement. Since July 20 of last year, he has 32 appearances spanning 35.1 innings, with 38 strikeouts against nine walks (22.5 K-BB percentage), a 2.86 SIERA, and a 0.71 WHIP.

*Note: Relievers on the Rise, Closer Concerns, and Leaderboards will debut next week when a larger sample size has been accrued.

► Updated Tiered Rankings for Saves and SOLDS

Save Stashes

Graham Ashcraft (CIN)

Ancillary Save Options

Blake Treinen (LAD)
Yennier Cano (BAL)
Chris Martin (TEX)
Justin Slaten (BOS)
Tyler Holton (DET)

Ratio Relievers

*Multi-inning or bridge relievers who can vulture wins and help protect ratios.

Garrett Whitlock (BOS)
Ben Casparius (LAD)
Keegan Akin (BAL)

Statistical Credits (for games played through April 2): Fangraphs.com; Baseball-Reference.com; BaseballSavant.com; BrooksBaseball.net

For daily coverage of bullpens, check out my work at Reliever Recon and Closer Monkey.

(Top photo of Graham Ashcraft: Jeff Dean / Getty Images)

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Women’s Track & Field: Ariella Rogahn-Press Chosen MIAC Track Athlete of the Week

Published

13 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Ariella Rogahn Press 25 — **Rogahn-Press**

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sophomore Ariella Rogahn-Press (Albuquerque, N.M./Bosque School) was named the MIAC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week for the week ending Dec. 7, the conference announced today. Rogahn-Press won the 400 meters at the University of Minnesota’s M City Indoor Classic on Dec. 5 in her first competition of the new season.

Rogahn-Press, who was an All-American in the 400 both indoors and outdoors last year, won the 400 on Friday by over five seconds with a time of 57.43. The converted time currently ranks third in Division III. At this same meet a year ago, she broke the school record in the 400 with a time of 57.34 in her first collegiate competition.

This is the sixth MIAC Athlete of the Week award for Rogahn-Press, who earned the award three times during the indoor season and twice during the outdoor season last year. The MIAC Rookie of the Year both indoors and outdoors, she was sixth at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and fourth at outdoor nationals in the 400 meters to garner All-American honors.

Macalester resumes competition in January by hosting the Vanessa Seljeskog Classic on Jan. 24 in the Leonard Center Fieldhouse.

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Georgia State Beach Volleyball Announces Spring 2026 Schedule

Published

14 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

ATLANTA – Head coach Beth Van Fleet and the Georgia State Beach Volleyball team unveils its spring 2026 schedule, featuring a competitive slate of home events, marquee tournaments and postseason opportunities as the Panthers prepare for another championship-contending season.

The spring opens on Feb. 20–21 with a road competition at Florida State, where the Sandy Panthers will see matchups against Bakersfield, North Alabama, UAB and Florida State.
Georgia State then travels to the University of Arizona on Feb. 27-28, where they will face off against Arizona State, Oregon, Arizona and Grand Canyon.

March opens with a conference matchup at Coastal Carolina on March 6-7. The Sandy Panthers are set to face its first conference matchup against Coastal, as well as contests against Florida Atlantic, Cal Poly and Tulane.

After starting the first month on the road, the Georgia State Beach Volleyball team will return to Atlanta to host the annual Day of Duals on March 11. Head coach Beth Van Fleet and the Sandy Panthers will host Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech.

The team will enjoy a bye week on March 14-15 before traveling to Baton Rouge, La., to face off in the East Meets West tournament at LSU. The Panthers are slated for contests against Cal, Arizona State, Grand Canyon and Boise State.

The Sandy Panthers close out March hosting the Sun Belt Mid-Season tournament on March 27-28.

Georgia State stays at home to begin April, hosting the GSU Diggin’ Duals tournament on April 3-4. The Sandy Panthers will host a conference matchup against Mercer, along with contests against UAB, North Alabama and South Florida.

Following its last home tournament of the season, Georgia State hits the road once again for a one-day tournament at Chattanooga on April 11. The Sandy Panthers are slated for contests against Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky, Berry and UT-Martin.

The Sandy Panthers close out the regular season at Stetson on April 17-18. In addition to a matchup against Stetson, Georgia State is also set to face South Carolina and conference opponent UNC-Wilmington.

The Panthers head to the Sun Belt Championship tournament on April 23-25 to battle for a change at the NCAA tournament on May 1-3.

All dates, times and opponents are subject to change. For the complete 2026 Georgia State beach volleyball schedule and updates throughout the season, fans are encouraged to follow the program’s official channels and visit GeorgiaStateSports.com.

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CUNYAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Weekly Award Winners (Dec. 9, 2025)

Published

29 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

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2025-26 Women’s Indoor Track and Field: Schedule/Results | Top Performances

CUNYAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week

Toshel Goffe, Medgar Evers (Jr., Jamaica, West Indies)

Goffe won the 200 (26.10/25.71 converted) and placed fourth in the 60-meter dash (7.82) at the Crowell Invitational and Multi hosted by Army West Point. Her times in both events rank first in the conference and are No. 18 nationally in both events in Division III.

CUNYAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Field Athlete of the Week/Rookie of the Week

Brianna Lindo, Medgar Evers (Fr., Queens, N.Y.)

Lindo competed in the pentathlon at the Crowell Invitational and Multi, placing fourth with 2,888 points. She placed fourth out of 13 competitors and her point total is currently No. 16 in Division III. She finished second in the high jump (1.50m) and fourth in the 800 (2:37.30). Five of her six marks in the pentathlon currently rank first in the conference.

CUNYAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week (Honorable Mention)

Rachelle Griffith, Hunter (Fr., Valley Stream, N.Y.)

Griffith posted the best time in the conference in the 400 at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational, recording a time of 1:03.74. She also put down a time of 10.72 seconds in the 60 meter hurdles, good for thirdin the current CUNYAC rankings.

Previous Award Winners

Week	Track Athlete of the Week	Field Athlete of the Week	Rookie of the Week	Honorable Mention
12/9/25	Toshel Goffe, Medgar Evers	Brianna Lindo, Medgar Evers	Brianna Lindo, Medgar Evers	Rachelle Griffith, Hunter

Previous Results

Friday, December 5

Lehman at Armory Collegiate Carnival | Results

Saturday, December 6

Medgar Evers at Crowell Invitational and Multi | Results

CCNY, Hunter at Youree-Spence Garcia Meet | Results

This Week’s Schedule

Friday, December 12

CCNY, York at Wagner Seahawk Shootout

Medgar Evers, Lehman at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge

Saturday, December 13

Medgar Evers, Lehman at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge

2026 CUNYAC Indoor Track and Field Championship
Sunday, March 1 – Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory

For the latest news on the CUNY Athletic Conference, log on to cunyathletics.com – the official site of the CUNY Athletic Conference. Also, become a follower of the CUNYAC on Instagram (@CUNYAC), Twitter (@CUNYAC) and YouTube (@CUNY Athletic Conference), and “LIKE” Us on Facebook (CUNY Athletic Conference).

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Volleyball Inks All-Sun Belt Hitter Nina Moorer as Transfer – Ole Miss Athletics

Published

30 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

OXFORD, Miss. – Head coach Bre Henry and the Ole Miss volleyball program made an early splash in the transfer portal, signing All-Sun Belt honoree Nina Moorer as a transfer on Tuesday.

Moorer joins the Rebels after spending two seasons at Texas State. Moorer spent the previous two seasons at Louisville, redshirting in 2022 and has one season of eligibility remaining.

A native of Missouri City, Texas, Moorer joins the Rebels after a breakout season at Texas State in which she was selected as an All-Sun Belt Third Team honoree. Moorer recorded 252 kills on .202 hitting, while adding 72.0 blocks and 63 digs over 28 matches.

Moorer shined in big moments for the Bobcats, delivering several standout performances against top teams in the nation, including a 13-kill performance on .300 hitting against UCLA and 13 kills on .250 hitting and four blocks in a five-setter against No. 9 Arizona State.

Moorer’s career began at Louisville, where she redshirted on the 2022 team that reached the national championship match, before making her debut with the Cardinals the next season as a redshirt freshman. That Louisville team would go on to reach the Elite Eight.

Fans can continue to show support for the Rebels by joining the ACE Club. Funds from the ACE Club are a major component in helping the Ole Miss volleyball program compete at the highest level. For more information and to donate, click here.

Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Volleyball on X at @OleMissVB, on Instagram at @olemissvb and on Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball. See exclusive photo and video content from behind the scenes and connect in real time with everything Ole Miss.

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CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Weekly Award Winners (Dec. 9, 2025)

Published

45 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

2025-26 Men’s Indoor Track and Field: Schedule/Results | Top Performances

CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Track Athlete of the Week

Reco Griffith, Medgar Evers (So., Barbados, West Indies)

At the Crowell Invitational and Multi hosted by Army West Point, Griffith laid down the top time in the conference in the 60-meter dash in the prelims (7.00 seconds) and placed third in the final with a 7.05-second effort. He also ran a time of 23.11 (22.71 converted) in the 200, also the top time in the CUNYAC, and was part of the Cougars’ 4×400 relay that posted a time of 3:34.09.

CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Field Athlete of the Week

Chrisnel Nicolas, Medgar Evers (Sr., St. Albans, N.Y.)

Nicolas competed in the heptathlon at the Crowell Invitational and Multi, setting a school record with 3,615 points. He placed second in the high jump (1.76 meters), fourth in the pole vault (3.45 meters) and posted a 10.32 meter toss in the shot put (second in the conference) and a 5.66-meter long jump (third in the conference). Nicolas was ninth overall in a field consisting of primarly Division I athletes.

CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Week

Mustapha Abubakar, CCNY (Fr., Yonkers, N.Y.)

Abubakar placed fourth in the 200-meter dash at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational hosted by St. John’s at Ocean Breeze. He ran a time of 22.72, good for second in the conference. Abubakar also ran a time of 7.14 in the 60-meter dash, currently good for third in CUNYAC.

CUNYAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week (Honorable Mention)

Brian Arias, Hunter (Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Arias laid down the top time in the conference in the 3,000 meters at the Youree Spence Garcia Invitational Saturday, posting a time of 9:48.98. He placed 11th in a field of 28 runners.

Previous Award Winners

Week	Track Athlete of the Week	Field Athlete of the Week	Rookie of the Week	Honorable Mention
12/9/25	Reco Griffith, Medgar Evers	Chrisnel Nicolas, Medgar Evers	Mustapha Abubakar, CCNY	Brian Arias, Hunter

Previous Results

Friday, December 5

Lehman at Armory Collegiate Carnival | Results

Saturday, December 6

Medgar Evers at Crowell Invitational and Multi | Results

CCNY, Hunter at Youree-Spence Garcia Meet | Results

This Week’s Schedule

Friday, December 12

CCNY, York at Wagner Seahawk Shootout

Medgar Evers, Lehman at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge

Saturday, December 13

Medgar Evers, Lehman at Art Kadish Elm City Challenge

2026 CUNYAC Indoor Track and Field Championship
Sunday, March 1 – Nike Track and Field Center at The Armory

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Preston Receives AVCA All-Region Honors

Published

46 minutes ago

December 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rice’s Taylor Preston received AVCA Southwest Region All-Region Honorable Mention, the organization announced Tuesday morning.

Preston led Rice in kills in 25 of 31 matches this season and surpassed 1,000 career kills, adding two American Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors along the way. She also earned a spot on the American’s first-team all-conference team.

She averaged 4.32 kills and 4.78 points per set while starting every match for the Owls. Preston recorded six double-doubles and twice posted a season-high 27 kills, doing so against Temple and Wichita State.

Nationally, she ranks 36th in kills per set, 41st in total points and points per set, 10th in total attacks and second in attacks per set. Within the American, she is second in kills per set and third in points per set.

This is the Owls’ 19th consecutive season in which a player has been honored by the AVCA. Rice finished the season 21–10, claiming the American regular-season title. The Owls set a program record with a 17-game winning streak and went 15–1 in conference play.

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