Kirby Yates DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Kirby Yates recorded his first save of the season in Monday's 7-4 victory over the Marlins. The 38-year-old is coming off a 33-save season for the Rangers in which he posted a 1.17 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, and while he is not the team's primary closer, the veteran has been effective nonetheless. The righty owns a 2.76 ERA (1.78 xFIP), 1.04 WHIP, and an elite 34.8 percent K-BB% in 16 1/3 IP, along with seven holds. The Dodgers' primary closer, southpaw Tanner Scott, came on in the eighth to put an end to a Marlin rally, getting power-hitting lefties Matt Mervis and Kyle Stowers to record the final two outs of the frame. Yates should continue to be in the mix for saves, but expect them to be unpredictable and infrequent. As evidenced by the aforementioned stats, though, the 2x All-Star can still be relevant for fantasy by improving ERA and WHIP while adding Ks.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Kirby Yates allowed an unearned run in the 10th inning but still secured the win on Monday as the Dodgers walked off winners over the visiting Marlins. With the score tied 5-5, Yates came on to pitch the 10th inning and allowed the runner placed on second base to start the inning to come around to score on Jesus Sanchez's RBI double. He avoided further damage, though, and the Dodgers stormed back for two runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single from Tommy Edman. Yates' win was his third of the season, and he is now 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.82 FIP to go with 24 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings this season. He has no saves but six holds to go with his three wins, and he'll remain a high-leverage option out of the bullpen for the Dodgers going forward.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, right-handed reliever Kirby Yates and the Los Angeles Dodgers officially agreed on a one-year, $13 million deal on Tuesday, according to sources. Yates' deal could be worth up to $14 million if he appears in 55 games in 2025. With reliever Michael Kopech (forearm) dealing with forearm issues last fall, the Dodgers boosted their bullpen this offseason with the additions of both Yates and left-hander Tanner Scott, who is expected to see the majority of save chances in L.A. next season. The 37-year-old Yates was outstanding for the Texas Rangers in 2024 with a 1.17 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 85 strikeouts and 33 saves in 61 2/3 relief innings. While he'll certainly be a nice option for fantasy managers in holds leagues, he will be turning 38 in March and won't see nearly as many save chances with the World Series champions as long as Scott is healthy.