The following is a compilation of 30 potential closing pitchers in the future, with some overlapping names from our previous Top 10 list. Some are still working in Minor League rotations, while others have already shifted to relief pitching. This is a noteworthy list to monitor. Our 2022 list of future closers featured standout players like Félix Bautista, an All-Star in 2023, and Jhoan Duran, who is regarded as one of the most dominant relievers in the sport.
The San Diego Padres have a rising young player in their ranks, Bradgley Rodriguez. He’s a right-handed pitcher and was drafted as the 28th overall pick.
In 2021, Rodriguez signed for 0,000 from Venezuela. Despite not pitching in the past two seasons, he has already played for two different teams in 2024: Single-A Lake Elsinore and High-A Fort Wayne. His fastball has reached speeds of up to 100 mph and consistently sits around 98-99 mph, making it a topic of discussion in the Padres organization. He also has a changeup and slider with speeds in the upper-80s, which are both considered above-average pitches and give him impressive abilities. However, if he wants to continue rising through the ranks, he will need to improve his control and decrease the number of walks he allows against more skilled hitters.
Top 10 team member for Nationals, Jarlin Susana, a right-handed pitcher.
Susana has an impressive fastball that clocks in at 103 miles per hour. He joined the Padres in January 2022 and his performance caught the Nationals’ attention, leading to his acquisition in a major trade involving Juan Soto. His slider, which reaches the high-80s, is also a strong asset, allowing him to strike out 151 batters in 124 1/3 innings in the Minors. However, Susana struggles with control and this has resulted in him being demoted back to Single-A. This has caused many evaluators to believe that he is better suited for relief pitching. Currently, he has shown improvement in his control with only five walks in 16 1/3 innings in 2024.
The players known as Pirates include Patrick Reilly, a right-handed pitcher with the number 22.
The Pirates have made a commitment to letting Reilly develop as a starter at the moment, so he can focus on improving his full range of pitches and overall control. However, it wouldn’t be unexpected if he ends up in the bullpen eventually. Reilly’s fastball typically reaches speeds of 95-99 mph and has good movement when thrown up in the strike zone. His slider, which sits in the mid-80s, could become even more effective in shorter appearances. So far this year with High-A Greensboro, he has shown improvement in throwing strikes compared to his time at Vanderbilt. As a reliever, he wouldn’t need to have pinpoint accuracy.
Unfortunately, this is a frequently recurring story. Last year at this same time, Gomez’s fastball was reaching speeds in the triple digits and he was creating a lot of excitement for the Mets, resulting in his promotion to a starting role with High-A Brooklyn. However, he suffered an injury just three games in and had to undergo Tommy John surgery. He has yet to make a comeback. If the 22-year-old can regain his pre-injury velocity, which is common for many pitchers after undergoing Tommy John surgery, he has the potential to become a reliable reliever. He also has a strong upper-80s slider, which is considered a plus pitch. Edwin Díaz won’t have any competition in Queens for the time being, but when healthy, Gomez has the potential to pitch at a closer level with his electrifying arm.
Players with the initial A whose name is Royber Salinas is a right-handed pitcher and is ranked as number 15.
Regarding the players acquired by team A in the December 2022 trade with Sean Murphy, Salinas has primarily been a starting pitcher throughout his Minor League career. He has shown talent in Double-A this year with a 2.59 ERA and 12.2 strikeouts per 9 innings. However, his high walk rate of 5.0 per 9 innings may hinder his ability to remain a starting pitcher. Nonetheless, his fastball, which can reach 98 mph, may improve even further, and his powerful slider has proven to be a challenge for opposing batters. Additionally, he has a reliable curveball in his arsenal.
The designated guardians are Andrew Walters, a right-handed pitcher, ranked at number 25.
Walters had a higher number of saves (26) compared to earned runs allowed (16) over the course of his three years in college. He maintained an impressive 1.41 earned run average and a 170/22 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 102 innings while playing for Miami. In 2023, he was selected by the Guardians in the supplemental second round. His top weapon is a deceptive fastball that can hit speeds of 94-96 mph and occasionally reaches 99 mph with a rising effect. This pitch has been instrumental in his early success as a pro, recording a 0.73 ERA, .178 opponent batting average, and 26 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings during his debut season in Double-A this spring.
The Marlins have selected Anthony Maldonado, a right-handed pitcher, as their 20th pick.
In 2019, Maldonado was selected as the 11th pick from Bethune-Cookman. As soon as he entered the professional level, he transitioned to a relief pitcher role. His main pitch is an 83-85 mph two-plane slider, which he throws two-thirds of the time. He also uses a low-90s sinker as a secondary pitch. Despite being called up in late April, he has not allowed a single run in five games in the major leagues and has struck out four batters in seven innings.
Though the Astros have deployed Ullola as a starter since signing him for ,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, his power repertoire (92-97 mph fastball with exceptional carry, short slider that reaches the upper 80s) and lack of finesse may fit best in the bullpen. He has recorded a 4.88 ERA, Texas League-best .120 opponent average and 38 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings in Double-A.
We have already witnessed the performance of this player in major league games, including the high-pressure atmosphere of the playoffs. He throws a sinking fastball that reaches speeds over 100 miles per hour, and his slider is top-notch with a high success rate in getting batters out. While he had some difficulty with accuracy in his first call-up to the major leagues last year, he has improved this season and is now similar to the pitcher who only walked an average of 2.0 batters per nine innings during his quick advancement in the Minor Leagues in 2023. For the time being, it is José Alvarado’s responsibility.
This is a risky move, but it could pay off. Wosinski joined the team as a free agent at 24 years old in May and is now 25 years old playing in High-A. However, he may not be at this level for much longer. Standing at 6 feet 8 inches, he has a deceptive delivery. His fastball can reach speeds of up to 97 mph, and he also has a 78 mph sweeping pitch and an 84 mph changeup. Both of these pitches have a miss rate of over 50 percent. He is currently striking out a high percentage of batters at 31 percent.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have Landon Sims as their No. 23 right-handed pitcher.
Sims already dominated as a reliever for Mississippi State during its national-title run in 2021, and after he underwent Tommy John surgery as a junior in 2022, the D-backs considered using that year’s 34th overall pick as a starter but have moved him back to relief this season at Single-A Visalia. Sims is ticking back up toward the mid-90s with his fastball, and his slider can be a wipeout pitch, giving him the two necessary weapons to dominate again in short bursts.
Yoniel Curet, a right-handed pitcher, is a member of the Rays organization and holds the number 17 ranking.
Instead of using a traditional closer, the Tampa Bay team has relied on six different players to save games this season. However, there is a prospect named Curet who is currently being trained as a starter and has been performing well with a 1.93 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 28 innings for High-A Bowling Green. Though he has impressive pitching abilities with his upper-90s fastball and strong slider, Curet still struggles with control. He also lacks a strong third pitch, indicating that he may be better suited for a bullpen role in the future. With his recent addition to the 40-man roster, if he does end up transitioning to the bullpen, Curet could quickly climb the ranks in the Tampa Bay organization.
Cubs rookie pitcher Michael Arias was selected as the 11th overall pick in the draft.
In 2018, Arias was initially drafted by the Blue Jays as a shortstop, but was released in May 2020 before ever playing in a game. After signing with the Cubs eight months later, he changed his position to pitcher and now throws fastballs in the mid-90s with sink and tail, changeups in the upper-80s, and sliders in the mid-80s. This spring, the Cubs decided to speed up his journey to Wrigley Field by making him a full-time reliever. In his 17 innings at the Double-A level, he has a 2.12 ERA and 19 strikeouts.
The Reds have chosen Zach Maxwell as their No. 27 Right-Handed Pitcher.
Maxwell’s dominant pitching style is attributed to his size and strength, showcased through his triple-digit fastball with impressive movement and a powerful 90 mph power breaker. Although there have been concerns about his consistency, he showed great potential by striking out 14.1 batters per nine innings in his first full season. In Double-A this year, he has continued to impress with a 99 mph average fastball and an outstanding 48 percent rate of strikeouts. This has resulted in a more manageable 17.5 K/9 and a solid 4.0 BB/9, as well as a recent 11 1/3 inning scoreless streak.
Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Kyle Hurt was selected as the 6th overall pick as a right-handed pitcher.
The 2023 Minor League pitcher of the year for the Dodgers, Hurt, had exceptional numbers for strikeouts throughout his season with 92 innings. He had a strikeout rate of 14.9 per nine innings, a strikeout percentage of 39.2, and a strikeout minus walk percentage of 27.8, leading all Minor Leaguers in these categories. He possesses a four-pitch skillset that is highly regarded by team officials, with a mid-90s fastball that has a low release and touches the plate, as well as a changeup in the upper-80s that has significant movement. Despite primarily being a starter in his professional career, some believe he may excel as a high-leverage reliever. Before being sidelined with shoulder inflammation, he had a solid 3.38 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
Ben Joyce, right-handed pitcher, is listed as the fourth highest ranked player on the Angels team.
Joyce’s potential has been talked about since he was drafted in the third round in 2022 from Tennessee. However, despite his impressive abilities, he has struggled to find a steady rhythm while using them. If he can learn to control his fastball, which has been clocked at an average of 99 mph and has reached 102 mph this season, and also utilize his slider in the upper-80s that has a 65 percent success rate, he has the potential to be a closer. However, his high walk rate of 8.3 BB/9 indicates that he still has room for improvement.
In 2021, Granillo was drafted in the 14th round from UC Riverside. Throughout his four years as a professional baseball player, he has exclusively been a relief pitcher and has a total of 209 strikeouts in 151 1/3 innings. This season in Double-A Springfield, he has relied heavily on his slider, which typically reaches 79-81 mph. This pitch has been successful, as shown by Synergy recording 97 of his sliders in 2024, with a whiff rate of 61 percent. He also possesses a fastball averaging 92-95 mph and a decent changeup. On May 12, the right-hander will turn 24 and may have the opportunity to pitch for the MLB later in the season.
Boston’s pitching prospect, Luis Guerrero (No. 30), is a member of the Red Sox organization.
After achieving the third-highest number of saves in the Minor Leagues last year, Guerrero has recorded a 2.08 earned run average, with a batting average against of just .156 and 17 strikeouts in 13 Triple-A innings. He was selected in the 17th round of the 2021 draft from Chipola Junior College in Florida, and his pitching repertoire is mainly comprised of a high-velocity fastball in the upper-90s and a devastating low-80s splitter that drops sharply towards the plate.
The New York Yankees have Jack Neely as their right-handed pitcher, ranking at number 24 on their team.
In 2021, Neely was discovered in the 11th round from Ohio State. Out of all Minor League relievers, he ranked fifth with a 40 percent strikeout rate and fourth with a 39 percent K rate last year, given a minimum of 50 innings. His mid-80s slider and mid-90s fastball continue to be effective in Double-A, where he currently has a 2.03 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.
“No. 9, RHP Wilmer Flores on Tigers roster.”
Last year, Flores’ fastball registered between 90-92 mph, but his velocity has improved this spring, coinciding with the Tigers adding him to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection. He has transitioned to a full-time relief role with Triple-A Toledo and now averages 95.8 mph with his fastball. His slider, which sits in the mid-80s, is his most effective pitch with a significant amount of movement. He also occasionally throws a curveball in the 79-81 mph range, primarily to left-handed batters. Although he has struggled with control at the start of the season, the 6-foot-4 right-hander is adapting to his new role and has potential for success in shorter outings.
Seattle Mariners: Troy Taylor, right-handed pitcher (ranked 27th)
Taylor has previous closing experience, successfully preserving six games for UC Irvine in 2022 prior to being selected in the 12th round of the Draft that same summer. In his first full season, he pitched at two levels of A ball and showed strong performance in the Arizona Fall League (1.74 ERA, 6.00 K/BB ratio). Returning to High-A at the beginning of this season, he has recorded four saves in nine appearances, demonstrating impressive numbers with only 3.7 hits allowed per nine innings and maintaining a high strikeout rate (10.2/9) with an impressive slider and a fastball that can reach 98 mph.
The Blue Jays drafted right-handed pitcher Connor Cooke at the 19th spot.
Ranked highly among relievers in the system, Cooke has not had a strong start at the Triple-A Buffalo level (5.73 ERA, 10 strikeouts, 11 walks in 11 innings pitched). However, he possesses the necessary components to regain his dominant form. His fastball consistently reaches 94-96 mph, but it is his slider in the low 80s that is most impressive. This pitch has an average horizontal sweep of 18.2 inches, making it the seventh-best among Triple-A pitchers who have thrown at least 50 sliders in 2024. If Cooke improves his control and effectively uses his slider to induce swings and misses, he has the potential to join the Toronto bullpen soon.
Due to a combination of injuries and difficulties with pitching control, many believed that Hill would be better suited for a relief role. This decision was initially put into practice during his successful performance in the Arizona Fall League last season. Since then, he has recorded four saves in eight appearances for Hartford’s team and has impressive strikeout (13.0 K/9) and walk (2.0 BB/9) rates. Despite this, he still possesses the skills of a starter, with a fastball reaching the upper-90s and a changeup and slider in the mid-80s that are considered at least above-average.
Rewritten: The Royals’ roster includes Will Klein, a right-handed pitcher ranked number 18.
The pitcher, standing at 6 feet and 5 inches and throwing with his right hand, struck out two players from the Detroit Tigers team in an excellent inning during his first game in the major leagues. He is expected to be a reliable option for the Kansas City team in future situations when a relief pitcher is needed. His fastball, which reaches the upper 90s in speed, along with his two breaking balls (thrown at 85-88 mph), have impressively high called-strike-whiff rates of over 30 percent in the Triple-A Omaha league. His only potential obstacle to a greater role in Kansas City may be controlling his pitches, as he has had nine walks in 14 1/3 innings.
The Brewers have a left-handed player, Mark Manfredi.
There’s a temptation to go with Jacob Misiorowski, who could be the right-handed Josh Hader, but we’ll go with a different arm here. Manfredi was a senior sign as a ninth-rounder out of Dayton last July, and he’s shown a fastball up to 97 with a promising slider at High-A Wisconsin. He’s fanned 42.4 percent of his batters faced in the Midwest League, thanks in part to deception and a low three-quarters arm slot, and he has a curveball and changeup to play with too. He’s piggybacking for now, but he’d fly as a bullpen arm who can dominate lefties.
The team known as the Rangers has selected Antoine Kelly as their 21st pick for Left-Handed Pitcher.
Kelly, a player selected in the second round from Wabash Valley (Ill.) CC by the Brewers in 2019, was traded to the Rangers in 2022 for Matt Bush. During his first full season as a reliever last year, he improved his accuracy significantly. His main strengths are his mid-90s fastball which can reach 99 mph with impressive vertical breaks and a sweeping slider in the mid-80s. Although he faced shoulder problems earlier this year and missed four weeks, he has been back and has maintained a 1.93 ERA with eight strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings in Triple-A.
The White Sox have selected Jordan Leasure, a right-handed pitcher, as their No. 16 pick.
In 2021, the Dodgers selected Leasure from Tampa University in the 14th round of the draft. Later, he was traded to the White Sox in a deal involving Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly. With a powerful fastball and slider, Leasure has emerged as the White Sox’s strongest relief pitcher this spring, boasting a 2.57 ERA and nine strikeouts in 14 innings in his first season.
The Giants have a left-handed pitcher named Reggie Crawford, who is ranked as the 8th top prospect.
The Giants took Crawford in the first round out of the 2022 Draft even though he had missed his entire junior season at Connecticut following Tommy John surgery. He worked just 20 1/3 innings in three years of college and only 19 as a pro last year while missing time with mononucleosis and an oblique strain, then strained a lat during his offseason program. San Francisco is using him as a reliever in Double-A — he has a 2.08 ERA, .103 opponent average and 16 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings — and his explosive upper-90s fastball and mid-80s slider with two-plane depth could make him a closer.
The second top-ranked Atlanta Braves player is Hurston Waldrep, who plays as a right-handed pitcher and is currently ranked at number 81 on the Major League Baseball list.
Despite attending both Southern Miss and Florida, there has always been a concern about reliever risk with Waldrep due to his high-energy delivery that can make it difficult to control his impressive abilities within the strike zone. After making it to Triple-A during his first professional season, he is currently playing with Double-A Mississippi as a starting pitcher. Waldrep has consistently thrown his fastball at speeds up to 99 mph and his upper-80s slider is also a strong weapon, leaving the possibility for him to reach triple digits with a dominant breaking ball in shorter outings.
In 2022, the Orioles acquired Nuñez during the Trade Deadline by trading Jorge López to the Twins. In his first full season with his new team, Nuñez primarily served as a starting pitcher and made it to High-A Aberdeen. He showed strong strikeout ability, averaging 10.7 strikeouts per 9 innings, but also struggled with walks, averaging 5.0 per 9 innings. This year, he has both started and relieved for Aberdeen and has shown improved control, averaging 3.1 walks per 9 innings while still maintaining a high strikeout rate. With a fastball that can reach the upper-90s and the addition of a power curve and gyro slider, he has the potential to be a dominant force in late-game situations.
