Jhoan Duran split the 2025 season between Minnesota and Philadelphia and emerged with a career-high 32 saves, recording 16 for each club.
The 28-year-old took firm control of the ninth inning in Philadelphia, handling the vast majority of save opportunities over the final two months of the season. That usage reflected a clear shift in manager Rob Thomson’s bullpen management and reinforced Duran’s status as a trusted late-game option.
His ability to secure high-leverage opportunities makes him one of the most dependable relief arms in fantasy baseball points leagues, where role stability and consistent save chances carry significant weight.
Jhoan Duran’s Strengths, Weaknesses, and 2026 Fantasy Baseball Projections
Although Duran’s strikeout rate (K%) dipped slightly in 2025, his overall effectiveness remained elite. He led all qualified relievers in ground ball percentage (GB%), driven largely by a splitter that continues to grow in importance within his arsenal.
The pitch accounted for 40% of his usage and generated a steep negative launch angle on batted-ball events, making it extremely difficult for hitters to elevate. Duran also mixed in a sweeper against right-handed hitters at a 5.9% overall usage rate, and the pitch produced a strong whiff rate, giving him another weapon to finish at-bats.
From a strengths perspective, Duran combines premium stuff with an improving pitch mix that limits damaging contact while keeping the ball on the ground. His growing reliance on the splitter has elevated his floor, particularly in points formats where preventing extra-base hits and home runs is critical.
Just as important, he has demonstrated the ability to handle a full closing workload across two organizations, removing much of the uncertainty that often surrounds the position.
The primary weakness is tied to the slight decline in strikeouts, as elite swing-and-miss numbers often separate the very top tier of fantasy closers from the rest. However, his groundball dominance offsets some of that concern, and his command within high-pressure situations continues to trend positively. As long as his pitch usage remains intact, there is little reason to expect meaningful regression.
Duran is favored to open 2026 as the Phillies’ primary closer, and his upside for 40-plus saves explains why he is typically the third closer selected in drafts. With a full season in a defined role, he projects as one of the safest high-end relief options available.
As far as relief pitcher hierarchy for fantasy baseball points leagues, I rank him at Tier 1, only behind Edwin Díaz and Mason Miller.
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