2020 Reliever Rankings

by Matthew Pouliot

July 17, 2019, 5:11 am ET

Updated On: July 17, 2019, 5:11 am ET

I usually do this over the All-Star break, but time didn’t allow for it last week. So here now are my very, very preliminary 2020 player rankings. I’ve done my best to list players where they’ll be eligible next year, and the free agents-to-be are listed without teams. Players with options for next year are still listed with their current teams if those options have a legitimate chance of being exercised. Those players are noted with asterisks.

Along with the position rankings is a top 300 list for 2020. Click to see other preliminary 2020 rankings:

Top 300 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH

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2020 Relief pitcher Rankings

2020	RP	Team	2019	July
1	Edwin Diaz	Mets	1	3
2	Roberto Osuna	Astros	3	1
3	Josh Hader	Brewers	8	4
4	Craig Kimbrel	Cubs	6	9
5	Kenley Jansen	Dodgers*	5	6
6	Felipe Vazquez	Pirates	4	7
7	Aroldis Chapman	Yankees	7	5
8	Brad Hand	Indians	9	8
9	Blake Treinen	Athletics	2	16
10	Kirby Yates	Padres	11	2
11	Sean Doolittle	Nationals*	15	10
12	Ken Giles	Blue Jays	18	12
13	Raisel Iglesias	Reds	13	11
14	Jose Leclerc	Rangers	10	37
15	Wade Davis	Rockies	17	15
16	Alex Colome	White Sox	14	14
17	Will Smith		20	18
18	Pedro Strop		29	40
19	Reyes Moronta	Giants	44	30
20	Jose Alvarado	Rays	22	20
21	Hector Neris	Phillies	49	17
22	Ryan Pressly	Astros	23	21
23	David Robertson	Phillies	12	39
24	Shane Greene	Tigers	43	23
25	Luke Jackson	Braves	355	26
26	Joe Jimenez	Tigers	37	38
27	Hansel Robles	Angels	210	24
28	Dellin Betances		34	NR
29	Archie Bradley	Diamondbacks	38	49
30	Greg Holland		32	22
31	Taylor Rogers	Twins	57	25
32	Diego Castillo	Rays	27	29
33	Trevor May	Twins	24	42
34	Hunter Strickland	Mariners	19	33
35	Will Harris		73	73
36	Emilio Pagan	Rays	86	35
37	Kelvin Herrera	White Sox	48	57
38	Blake Parker	Twins	41	44
39	Ty Buttrey	Angels	59	41
40	Matt Barnes	Red Sox	25	45
41	Corbin Burnes	Brewers	41 SP	155 SP
42	Sean Newcomb	Braves	107 SP	48
43	Shawn Kelley	Rangers*	184	34
44	Lou Trivino	Athletics	46	67
45	Giovanny Gallegos	Cardinals	233	53
46	Andres Munoz	Padres	385	NR
47	Scott Oberg	Rockies	106	76
48	Steve Cishek		53	55
49	Seth Lugo	Mets	84 SP	54
50	A.J. Minter	Braves	26	47
51	Sam Dyson	Giants	110	50
52	Junior Fernandez	Cardinals	NR	NR
53	Michael Lorenzen	Reds	207 SP	56
54	Brandon Workman	Red Sox	149	36
55	Adam Ottavino	Yankees	74	52
56	Sergio Romo		35	27
57	Liam Hendriks	Athletics	136	31
58	Ryne Stanek	Rays	52	72
59	Yoan Lopez	Diamondbacks	213	NR
60	Justin Anderson	Angels	81	60
61	Nick Anderson	Marlins	176	65
62	Brandon Morrow		36	NR
63	Mychal Givens	Orioles	39	51
64	Ian Kennedy	Royals	192 SP	32
65	Hector Rondon		63	70
66	Joakim Soria	Athletics	78	66
67	Corey Knebel	Brewers	31	NR
68	John Gant	Cardinals	168 SP	28
69	Michel Baez	Padres	NR	NR
70	Amir Garrett	Reds	58	59
71	Cody Allen		21	NR
72	Carl Edwards Jr.	Cubs	70	NR
73	Keynan Middleton	Angels	224	NR
74	Robert Stephenson	Reds	250 SP	NR
75	Arodys Vizcaino		33	NR

There just isn’t much in the way of sure things here. The top 11 seems solid enough, but the best relievers after that could open next year as setup men, depending on how things shake out. Ken Giles might be traded to a team like the Yankees or Dodgers in the next couple of weeks. Will Smith will be pursued heavily as both a closer and an expensive setup man as a free agent. Reyes Moronta might take a backseat to a veteran in San Francisco once Smith exits.
The rather weak field in free agency would seem to make it more likely that Pedro Strop will get a closer’s gig somewhere. Dellin Betances might also want to go someplace that he can save games, and there will be plenty of teams looking to grab him if he’s able to get healthy down the stretch this year. Will Harris is another guy who could sneak into a ninth-inning job. He’s drifted back and forth between high- and low-leverage situations for Houston the last two years, but he’s almost always been effective. His ERA the last five years stands at 2.50.
There’s a case for Yoan Lopez as the high Diamondback on this list, but I still think Archie Bradley will shake off this year-long funk he’s been in and reemerge as the team’s best reliever. Lopez seems immune to giving up non-home run base hits this year, but Bradley still has the better peripherals of the two.