2023 fantasy baseball rankings: Relief pitcher

Here are the 2023 relief pitcher rankings for standard 5x5 leagues.

*The rankings have been adjusted after the season-ending injury to Edwin Diaz.

Rankings

Top 200 | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP

Why Hader is No. 1: Hader gets the nod after the unfortunate injury to Edwin Diaz during the World Baseball Classic. It was an uneven 2022 campaign for the left-hander. Hader was dominant to start the season in Milwaukee before running into some struggles with both the Brewers and Padres. A strong finish to the season combined with a sterling run in the postseason are enough to put Hader atop the rankings. The Padres should be able to provide him with a slew of save chances.

Dark-horse pick: The Reds right-hander put together a tremendous rookie campaign last season, accumulating 11.73 K/9 with a 1.84 ERA and 10 saves across 63 2/3 innings. Cincinnati is unlikely to provide Diaz that many save opportunities, but his ability to miss bats should enable him to emerge as a high-end fantasy closer if he can save 20 or more games this season.

Player worth reaching for: Lange is likely to go outside the top 20 at the position in most drafts. Much like the Reds, the Tigers are unlikely to provide their closer with an abundance of save opportunities. However, even bad teams usually win at least 60 games, so there will still be chances to lock down ball games. Lange is one of the last men standing after Detroit moved Gregory Soto and Joe Jimenez in trades. The 27-year-old broke out last season with a 3.41 ERA and 11.65 K/9. Lange does have some command issues but he should be able to deliver at least 20 saves with quality strikeout numbers, making him an ideal player to grab earlier than his ADP.