Bautista was sidelined for the entire 2024 campaign, but he began throwing off the mound in August and will be 16 months removed from Tommy John surgery by February. The 6-foot-5 hurler is not expected to have any restrictions at the start of spring training and as long as he looks good during Grapefruit League play, he should regain the closer role for Baltimore heading into 2025. "The Mountain" emerged as one of the top closers in the game during the 2023 season, posting 33 saves with a 1.48 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 61 innings with a 46.4 percent strikeout rate that was tops among qualified relievers. Achieving those types of numbers might be a tall order coming off a major injury, especially since Bautista has a 10 percent walk rate for his career. Expect some regression, but don't wait too long to click his name in the draft room, as his upside warrants a top-5 selection among closers. Read Past Outlooks