Zach Maxwell

Maxwell could be saving games for the Reds as early as this summer, but he'll need to improve his strike throwing to do so. A burly 6-foot-6, 293-pound righty who cuts an intimidating presence on the mound, Maxwell overpowers hitters with a 70-grade fastball that sits in the 99-100 mph range and touches 102 mph and a 70-grade slider that sits in the 87-89 mph range. He had a 3.89 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 58:29 K:BB and five saves in 39.1 innings at Triple-A after excelling at Double-A to start the year. The lowest walk rate of his career was the 13.4 percent walk rate he logged at High-A in 2023, so Maxwell hasn't yet shown enough improvement in that area to generate confidence among saves speculators. If he can just find a way to keep his two dastardly pitches in and around the zone, he'll either be a great setup option or a high-strikeout closer. But if his control doesn't improve, he'll just be someone who tantalizes at times but never returns notable fantasy value. Read Past Outlooks