The baseball season has arrived, which means 30 teams are vying for a place in the World Series. Regardless of the odds, none of those teams can get to the Fall Classic without the security of a reliable closer out of the bullpen.
In this betting preview, we dive into the Reliever of the Year markets, with odds for both the American and National Leagues. This honor is awarded to the relief pitcher deemed to be most valuable in each circuit.
Last season, Félix Bautista of the Orioles and Devin Williams of the Brewers won the Mariano Rivera Award and Trevor Hoffman Award, respectively. Those honors are known as the Reliever of the Year awards.
Before making your selection from the Reliever of the Year markets, register with your favorite sportsbook from our list of MLB Sportsbooks and find a baseball promo offer that suits you.
American League Reliever of the Year Odds Favorites
Odds listed are from DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Josh Hader (+500)
The lean lefty begins a new career chapter as a closer for the mighty Astros. Hader has won the Reliever of the Year Award three times in the NL. He’s averaged 35 saves in his most recent four full-schedule seasons.
The southpaw can dial the radar gun up to 99 mph with his sinking fastball, and he even gets to 89 with his changeup. With Houston likely to win 90+ games, Hader will have many chances for a save.
Emmanuel Clase (+650)
86 saves in the past two seasons are the eye-popping figures from Clase’s credentials. But Clase blew 12 save opportunities last season and saw his ERA surge by nearly two runs.
That doesn’t bode well as a trend, and there’s also the fact that he’s pitching for Cleveland, which may struggle to win 70 games in 2024. Still, if the two-time defending saves leader does win the AL Reliever of the Year Award, a winning $100 bet will garner $500 to your sports betting account.
Jhoan Durán (+650)
Sticking in the AL Central, our third top candidate is the righthander from the Dominican Republic, who will close out games for the Minnesota Twins. Last season, Durán had just 27 saves, a low figure for a team leader.
Part of the reason is that the Twins had 28 blowout wins, or 32% of their games coming with a 5-run margin or more. Durán, however, has the peripheral stats to support his Reliever of the Year case: 191 ERA+ in his two MLB seasons and 12 K’s per nine.
AL Reliever of the Year Longshot
Carlos Estévez (+4000)
Entering last August, Angels’ closer Estévez was a frontrunner for this award. He had a 1.88 ERA and 23 saves through 106 team games. But two terrible outings in early August (9 ER in 1 1/3 IP) caused his ERA to balloon, and he finished ’23 with a 3.90 ERA. His 31 saves last season prove he can navigate a full season and log closeout performances.
If the Angels are a surprise team in 2024 (and we think they will be), Estévez could save 40+ and be in the thick of this award race. The odds of +2800 are very inviting, even if you do not believe in the Halos.
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National League Reliever of the Year Odds Favorites
Edwin Díaz (+300)
Díaz, the Mets’ closer, won this award in 2022. He’s saved as many as 57 games in a season. He strikes out an incredible 14.8 batters per nine innings, and in 2023, he put up 118 K’s in only 62 innings.
His K/BB ratio was 118/18 last season — yes, really. Doesn’t matter how many games the Mets win; Díaz is the NL ReOTY favorite for a reason.
Raisel Iglesias (+650)
At some point before the All-Star break, Iglesias will convert the 200th save of his career. He’s been great wherever he’s toed the rubber: for the Reds, Angels, and now the Braves. Seeing as how Atlanta may win 100-110 games, if there are enough close ones, the man they call “El Ciclon” could notch 40+. One of the only concerns about this righty is his penchant for surrendering the longball: 23 HR’s allowed in 187 2/3 IP the last three seasons.
Alexis Díaz (+1100)
Ask 50 baseball fans to name the Cincinnati closer, and wait while the sound of crickets fills your ears. No, Alexis Díaz is not a household name. He’s not even a rental household name. He’s largely unknown outside of southern Ohio, even though he represented the Reds in last year’s All-Star Game.
How little respect does Díaz get? He’s not even listed among active pitchers on Statcast, the official MLB service for advanced statistics. But trust us, Alexis Díaz exists. He will be in a Cincinnati uniform in 2024 and on the hill to close games for the Reds when they have a lead in the ninth. His two-pitch repertoire is nasty, and he has a chance to become the first pitcher besides a Milwaukee Brewer to win this award from the NL Central.
NL Reliever of the Year Longshot
Ryan Helsley (+1500)
In 2022, Helsely, a former fifth-round pick, was an unlikely All-Star for the Cardinals. Now, a few years later, he’s the BBOTB (Big Bird On The Bump) for the Redbirds as their ace closer.
Helsley blew a save on opening day in 2023, and spent the rest of his season trying to win over the St. Louis fans. He missed almost two months with a forearm strain but returned last September. The word is that the righthander is healthy, and if the Cards contend for the NL Central crown, which they may, he could corral 35+ saves, maybe more.
Your $100 bet would win $1,500 if the St. Louis pitcher won the NL Reliever of the Year Award.
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