Closer stock watch: Who's on the rise? Who can you...
Key takeaways
- Scott, one of the franchise's major investments prior to the 2025 season, is finally performing up to prior expectations.
- The current version of Scott is thriving and he isn't sharing those saves.
- Scott, 31, enters Tuesday with a 1.65 ERA, an 0.61 WHIP and a top-20 fantasy point total among relief pitchers.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Tanner Scott, who is available in about 80% of ESPN fantasy leagues, is poised to keep his role as closer for the Dodgers for the rest of the season. Luke Hales/Getty Images Eric Karabell May 12, 2026, 01:00 PM ETClose Eric Karabell is a senior writer for fantasy baseball, football and basketball at ESPN. Eric is a charter member of FSWA Hall of Fame and author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments".Follow on XMultiple Authors Email Print Open Extended Reactions Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Edwin Diaz, one of the top closers in fantasy baseball for years past and presumably in the future, earned his most recent save on April 7 at Toronto. A fortnight later, Diaz was not only on the team's injured list, but surgery was scheduled to remove loose bodies from his valuable elbow. Most fantasy managers figured some combination of LHPs Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia and RHP Blake Treinen would share closing duties for the next several months, if not longer.
Things haven't worked out that way. Scott, one of the franchise's major investments prior to the 2025 season, is finally performing up to prior expectations. Remember, the dominant Scott posted a 1.75 ERA and a 28.6% strikeout rate during the 2024 campaign for the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres. He became the top closer on the free agent market and earned an astounding four-year, $72-million contract from the Dodgers. Months later he was one of the top fantasy busts, posting a 4.74 ERA with "only" 23 saves.
The current version of Scott is thriving and he isn't sharing those saves. The Dodgers, annually among the top winners in the sport, win myriad contests by more than three runs, and their team save total of nine is below the league average. However, when there has been a save chance for the past month, manager Dave Roberts has chosen Scott. He has registered each of the team's three saves (among 11 wins) over the past four weeks. It's not Vesia and it's not Treinen.