Big league closers can come from a variety of pitching backgrounds. Some are relievers who have spent their entire careers, from college to the major leagues. Some starters had power (and sometimes a lack of command) that made them better suited to short stints in the bullpen. It is not always evident who can manage the strain of the ninth inning until they receive the ball.
Below is a list of 30 prospective future closers, with a clear overlap with our prior Top 10 ranking. Some are still in Minor League rotations, while others have already transitioned to the bullpen. This is a list to keep an eye on. Our 2022 future closers list included Félix Bautista, a 2023 All-Star, and Jhoan Duran, one of the game’s most dominant stoppers.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Connor Cooke, RHP (No. 19)
The highest-ranked pure reliever in the system, Cooke hasn’t gotten off to a tremendous start at Triple-A Buffalo (5.73 ERA, 10 K, 11 BB in 11 IP), but the pieces are there for him to return to dominance. His fastball still sits 94-96 mph, but it’s his low-80s slider that steals the show. The pitch has averaged 18.2 inches of horizontal sweep, seventh-most among Triple-A pitchers with at least 50 sliders thrown in ’24. If Cooke can work more in the zone and set up that slider to get swing-and-miss, he could be a bullpen arm in Toronto in short order.
Orioles: Juan Nuñez, RHP (No. 26)
The Orioles got Nuñez at the 2022 Trade Deadline in the deal that sent Jorge López to the Twins. He started for most of his first full season with his new organization, making it to High-A Aberdeen and missing bats (10.7 K/9) but also walking a lot of hitters (5.0/9). He’s both started and relieved back with Aberdeen this year and is throwing more strikes in the early going (3.1 BB/9) while still striking out more than 10 per nine. His fastball, which touches the upper-90s, could be even better in shorter stints and he has both a power curve and gyro slider that could be downright nasty late in games.
Rays: Yoniel Curet, RHP (No. 17)
Tampa Bay famously doesn’t employ a traditional closer – six different Rays have Major League saves this season – but go with us here. Curet is still being developed as a starter and has been a good one with a 1.93 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 28 innings for High-A Bowling Green, but control concerns remain. His upper-90s fastball and wicked slider are both potential plus-plus pitches, and he lacks much of a third pitch, another reason why he could be headed to the bullpen long-term. Added to the 40-man in the offseason, Curet would fly up the Tampa Bay chain if and when that role change comes.
