Ryan Helsley DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Helsley held on to the Cardinals' 4-1 lead in their series finale win over the Astros on Wednesday to earn his third save of the season. He did issue a walk but stranded Isaac Paredes at first base after retiring Christian Walker and Yainer Diaz to end the game. Helsley hasn't been completely clean with either a walk or a hit allowed in all but one of his seven games. However, he has only given up a run in one of those outings and converted three of his four save opportunities on the season. After getting back to .500 with their win on Wednesday, the Cardinals head to New York for a four-game set with the Mets starting on Thursday night.

St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley had a blown save on Sunday in Game 1 of their doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox. Helsley entered the ninth inning with a two-run lead and allowed two runs on one hit while walking four batters and striking out two. The Cardinals would eventually fall to the Red Sox 5-4 in the 10th inning. The four walks were unlike him, as he had an 8.6 percent walk rate in 2024, and these were the first free passes he has allowed in his four innings of work thus far in 2025. Look for Helsley and the Cardinals to get back on track as they start a series on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher Ryan Helsley tossed a shutout inning en route to earning the save on Opening Day in their victory against the Minnesota Twins. Helsley struck out the first two batters he saw before allowing a two-out double to outfielder Harrison Bader. However, Helsley returned to form and struck out Matt Wallner to get the final out. Last season, Helsley was one of the most valuable relief pitchers in fantasy as he tallied 49 saves, the most in the National League. Across 66 1/3 innings, he posted a 2.04 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. He tallied 79 punchouts but held a modest 8.6 percent walk rate. Helsley also generated an elite 3.7 percent barrel rate and a 36,1 percent whiff rate. Even though the Cardinals may not be competing for the NL Central title this season, Helsley should see every save opportunity in St. Louis and remains a must-start option in all formats.

St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley set a franchise record and led the majors with 49 saves in 2024 before getting a raise in salary arbitration from $3.5 million last year to $8.2 million in 2025. Helsley was a prime trade candidate in the offseason heading into the final year of his deal in 2025 and with the Cardinals looking to shed payroll, but general manager John Mozeliak fully intended to hang onto him to keep a rebuilding club competitive. However, the two sides have not started any extension talks, and depending on the team's performance, the 30-year-old could come up in trade rumors at this year's deadline. With Mozeliak stepping down after the 2025 season and adviser Chaim Bloom taking over baseball operations, this could very well be Helsley's last year in St. Louis. Regardless of Helsley's potential future, he should be viewed as a lock as a top-10 fantasy closer in 2025.

According to Jeff Jones of BND.com, the St. Louis Cardinals and right-handed pitcher Ryan Helsley are not having contract conversations. Helsley said he was "almost certain" he was going to be traded during the winter due to a lack of contract discussions. The relief pitcher noted, "But you know, at the same time, it's a two-way street, and if only one side wants it, it's not going to work out." Throughout the offseason, the Cardinals have been shopping several top players, including third baseman Nolan Arenado, in hopes to clear salary. In addition, starting pitchers Erick Fedde and Steven Matz have also been around trade discussions. Last season, the 30-year-old was one of the top closers in the sport, as he posted a 2.04 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP with 49 saves across 66 1/3 innings of work. For now, fantasy managers should expect Helsley to operate as the clear ninth-inning option in St. Louis but could find himself on the trade block if they fall out of the playoff picture.