Trevor Stephan

Stephan was among the league leaders in the holds category last season, but he regressed a bit statistically thanks to a rough final month that saw his 2.78 ERA and 1.18 WHIP balloon to 4.06 and 1.30, respectively, by season's end. The 28-year-old's pitch usage was nearly identical to 2022, as he tossed his mid-90's fastball nearly half the time along with a devastating splitter (28 percent usage) and inconsistent slider (24 percent). Stephan's splitter was one of the best in the league, as the pitch induced a 49.1 whiff percentage that was 7th-highest for that pitch type, while limiting opposing hitters to a mere .152 batting average. If he elects to throw his splitter more often in the future, his strikeout rate would likely climb back over 30 percent. Regardless, Stephan is still a solid target in leagues that count holds, as he's expected to reprise his role as the Guardians primary setup man in 2024. Read Past Outlooks