Tiers are a simple but effective way of plotting out a draft strategy that assures you won't fall behind at any position while maximizing your return on every pick. They serve an alternate form of rankings that groups players by expected level of production, denoting the points in the rankings where the most significant drop-offs occur. In the heat of a draft, you'll know which position to target by observing which one is closest to having its current tier depleted.
Below are the relief pitcher tiers for 2020, specifically focusing on those in line for saves. They reflect how changing attitudes toward the closer role have reduced the number of safe bets for saves.
The Elite: Josh Hader, Kirby Yates
The Near-Elite: Brad Hand, Aroldis Chapman, Roberto Osuna
The Next-Best Things: Kenley Jansen, Liam Hendriks, Taylor Rogers, Craig Kimbrel
The Fallback Options: Edwin Diaz, Ken Giles, Hector Neris, Brandon Workman, Emilio Pagan, Giovanny Gallegos
The Last Resorts: Sean Doolittle, Mark Melancon, Archie Bradley, Raisel Iglesias, Keone Kela, Jose Leclerc, Alex Colome, Scott Oberg
The Deep-Leaguers: Ian Kennedy, Hansel Robles, Joe Jimenez, Mychal Givens, Matt Magill
The Next in Line: Will Smith, Seth Lugo, Nick Anderson
