Closer Encounters: 2026 MLB Closer Rankings

Welcome to the 2026 fantasy baseball season!

Over the past several months, I've written more than 100 relief pitcher outlooks for RotoWire and have been continuously updating our 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers Grid to prepare for the upcoming season. I'm excited to share these initial closer rankings in hopes that you will reach your save category targets throughout draft season.

I've included my personal save projection for each relief pitcher listed, but keep in mind these numbers may differ from the RotoWire save projections seen on our Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings and player pages.

Step one of my process is forecasting team win and save totals for the 2026 MLB season. First, I aggregated projected 2026 win totals from FanGraphs, a sportsbook and Clay Davenport. Then I took the average of each team's save percentage of overall wins from the past three years to project team saves for 2026. It's not a perfect science, but it's what I have done for the past six years. Below are the results of this exercise.

Next, I list out probable closer candidates for each team.

Once I have my initial list of closer candidates by team, I review each player's percentage of team saves from recent seasons. I also consider their history of closing games, the strength of alternate options within each bullpen, leverage index, arbitration and free-agency status, health risk and trade risk before assigning a projected percentage of team saves for 2026. Then I multiply that percentage by the team's total save projection to come up with the player's individual save projection.

That brings me to my initial 2026 closer rankings!

Below the rankings, I've included previews for all 30 teams, plus several of my closer targets and fades for 2026. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts in the comments section.

2026 MLB CLOSER RANKINGS

Unranked relievers whom I have initially projected for 5-plus saves: Victor Vodnik (12), Joel Peguero (11), Elvis Alvarado (8), Scott Barlow (8), Alexis Diaz (7), Ben Joyce (6), Jordan Leasure (6), Matt Strahm (6), Cole Henry (6), Kyle Finnegan (5), Tony Santillan (5), Justin Topa (5) and Cole Sands (5).

Upside relievers to monitor this spring, who could make an appearance in my updated rankings within the next month or two: Hunter Harvey, Lucas Erceg, Jason Adam, JoJo Romero, Gregory Soto, Yimi Garcia, Louis Varland, Tyler Rogers, Cole Winn, Anthony Bender, Hunter Bigge, Paul Sewald, Drey Jameson, Kade Strowd, Drew Pomeranz, RJ Petit, Justin Lawrence, Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez.

2026 TEAM PREVIEWS

Arizona Diamondbacks - Injuries simply decimated this unit in 2025, with A.J. Puk (elbow), Justin Martinez (elbow) and Kevin Ginkel (shoulder) all suffering season-ending injuries last year. Only Ginkel enters 2026 healthy, as both Puk and Martinez continue their recovery from Tommy John surgery. Puk, who received an internal brace, indicated recently that "he hoped to be back in early May." Whether the team allows him to return that fast is a different story, but it appears he's likely to return before the 2026 All-Star break. Martinez is tentatively targeting a return in August. Meanwhile, Andrew Saalfrank underwent shoulder surgery and will miss the 2026 campaign. Ginkel might be the favorite to take on the bulk of closing duties early on, as he's set to become a free-agent in 2027. Paul Sewald could be in the mix as well, while the draft market has been showing love to Drey Jameson and recent trade acquisition, Kade Strowd, as a dark-horse candidates for saves, at least until Puk returns.

Sacramento Athletics - Following the team's trade of Mason Miller at last year's deadline, seven Athletics combined for the team's remaining 15 saves. Looking ahead to 2026, the team may take a similar approach to closing duties without a clear-cut closer on the roster. From a skills perspective, Justin Sterner and Elvis Alvarado stand out as the favorites for at least a share of closing duties. Recent free-agent signee, Scott Barlow, has the most experience with 59 career saves, while Mark Leiter has always been on fantasy radars as a potential save source, but his statistics have been trending in the wrong direction over the past few seasons. Hogan Harris led the A's with four of the club's 15 saves following the trade of Miller last year, though it's tough to project him as part of Sacramento's closer mix for 2026, as he owns a mere 21.0 percent strikeout rate and poor 10.9 percent walk rate for his career. Michael Kelley was also in the mix for saves last year, but his 6.1 K-BB percentage was one of the worst marks among relief pitchers, while his 10.2 percent walk rate for his career doesn't bode well for continued high-leverage opportunities. Ultimately, manager Mark Kotsay is likely to take a hot-hand approach to the ninth-inning in 2026 and deploy a closer committee until someone emerges.

Atlanta Braves - Raisel Iglesias accounted for 29 of Atlanta's 34 saves in 2025 for an 85.3 percent team save share that was 3rd-highest among closers overall. The veteran endured some struggles during his age-35 campaign, but finished last year strong by posting a 0.38 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and a league-leading 16 saves over the final two months. However, it's important to note Iglesias had no real competition for save chances. Now that Robert Suarez is with the team for the next few seasons, any signs of struggles from Iglesias - who the team indicated would close in 2026 after re-signing him to a one-year, $16 million deal - could result in a quick role change. New manager Walt Weiss could also turn to Tyler Kinley, whom Atlanta acquired at last year's deadline and re-signed this off-season. Kinley is coming off a career-year and should pitch important high-leverage innings for Atlanta in 2026.

Baltimore Orioles - Ryan Helsley, who signed a 2-year, $28 million deal with the Orioles this offseason, struggled last year, but is just one year removed from tallying an MLB-high 49 saves in 2024. He'll open 2026 as Baltimore's closer, and if his struggles remain, new manager Craig Albernaz could turn to Andrew Kittredge. Kittredge has endured durability issues throughout his career, but he might be the most skilled reliever (among those who are currently healthy) on Baltimore's roster.

Boston Red Sox - Boston's bullpen was a strength of the team in 2025, ranking second in the league with a 3.41 ERA while tying for sixth with 45 saves. In large part, this unit's success was thanks to closer Aroldis Chapman, who during his age-37 season dominated opposing hitters en-route to a 1.17 ERA and 0.70 WHIP that were tops among qualified relievers. Chapman's 37.3 percent strikeout rate ranked third and perhaps most remarkably, he delivered the best walk rate (6.6 percent) of his 16-year career. This amounted to a 30.7 K-BB percentage that was second among relievers. The southpaw racked up 32 saves (T-fifth) that were his most in a season since 2019. Chapman's strong performance earned him a $13.3M contract extension with Boston that will keep him in Beantown for at least one additional season. He has a vesting option for 2027 based on innings pitched, which becomes a mutual option if not triggered during the upcoming season. Chapman undoubtedly enters 2026 as the Red Sox unquestioned closer, while Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Greg Weissert figure to pitch important innings as part of the bridge to Chapman in the ninth. The Red Sox bullpen could still use a left-handed reliever or two, so there may be some changes before the 2026 season kicks off.

Chicago Cubs - The Cubs were one of four teams to have 10+ pitchers record at least one save during the 2025 season, as 12 different relievers combined for their 44 saves. However, rookie Daniel Palencia was the only one to record double-digit saves with 22; good for a 50 percent team save share. Cubs manager Craig Counsell was asked recently whether Palencia would get the ninth-inning if the regular season started now and he was pretty definitive with a simple "yes" as opposed to deflecting the question. As such, his stability increases a bit, even with the team signing a trio of successful high-leverage arms this offseason in Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey and Caleb Thielbar.

Cincinnati Reds - Reds manager Terry Francona is known for his preference of using one pitcher in the closer role and was true to that philosophy last season, using only four pitchers for saves (second-fewest in the league). Emilio Pagan re-emerged on the high-leverage scene, recording a career-high 32 saves that tied him for fifth in the league overall. His 78 percent team save share was sixth-highest among closers as the veteran right-hander managed to hold onto closing duties all year. Pagan's 0.92 WHIP ranked 15th among qualified relievers and his 30 percent strikeout rate was his highest mark since 2022, though he still had trouble keeping the ball inside the park (1.3 HR/9). Pagan re-signed with Cincinnati this offseason on a 2-year, $20 million pact. He figures to reprise his role as the Reds' closer to open the 2026 campaign.

Cleveland Guardians - While Emmanuel Clase's future in MLB is in jeopardy due to his alleged role in sports-betting, the Guardians and manager Stephen Vogt can take comfort with Cade Smith as their closer for the foreseeable future. Smith finished with 16 saves last year; 13 of which came after Clase was unavailable. This represented a 76.4 percent team save share from July 28 onwards. Ultimately, Smith was as dominant in 2025 as he was the season prior, being one of five relief pitchers to record 100+ strikeouts. Smith has typically been among the first five closers off the board in 2026 drafts and is worth the high draft pick. Hunter Gaddis is next in line for ancillary saves, while Shawn Armstrong should be part of that mix as well after a strong campaign with Texas in 2025.

Colorado Rockies - Colorado posted a league-low 43 wins last season, but recorded a save in an MLB-high 67.4 percent of those wins to rank 28th in the saves category overall. Only five Rockies tallied saves for the team in 2025, with Seth Halvorsen (11 saves, 38 percent team save share) and Victor Vodnik (10, 35 percent) accounting for the majority of them. Halvorsen's ratios were lackluster, but the right-hander proved to be the most reliable option within a pen that ranked 29th in bullpen ERA (5.18). He may have approached 20 saves if not for a season-ending elbow injury last August. For context, eight of Vodnik's 10 saves came after Halvorsen was hurt. Looking towards 2026, Halvorsen and Vodnik figure to remain atop Colorado's hierarchy for saves. First, Halvorsen will need to prove he is past the elbow injury that cut his 2025 campaign short.

Chicago White Sox - The White Sox ranked dead-last with 25 saves last season, with eight Chicago pitchers combining for those saves. Jordan Leasure (seven) and Grant Taylor (six) accounted for a little more than half of the team total. However, there should be more clarity heading into 2026 after the White Sox signed Seranthony Dominguez in January, with the early reports indicating that he'll fill the closer role. Despite the uncertainty at the back end last year, the bullpen overall performed much better than expected, combining for a 4.18 ERA that ranked 18th in the league (10 spots higher than 2024). Mike Vasil was a big reason why, posting a 2.50 ERA across his team-leading 101 relief innings. White Sox general manager Chris Getz indicated he expects Vasil to remain in the bullpen in 2026, while Taylor is expected to shift to more of a long-relief role with a goal of reaching 100 innings. Leasure was the favorite for saves prior to the signing of Dominguez after posting a 3.92 ERA and 11.3 K/9 in 2025, so he'll likely operate as Chicago's top setup man along with Taylor and Vasil.

Detroit Tigers - The Tigers bullpen ranked 26th in strikeouts (533) and 17th in ERA (4.05) last season, so there was a clear need to address the unit this offseason. Not only did Detroit re-sign Kyle Finnegan on a two-year, $19 million pact, they added future Hall of Famer, Kenley Jansen, on a one-year, $11 million deal. Speaking about his high-leverage relief options, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch recently said, "I think they're all going to get saves," before adding "I think we can pretty much guess how it's gonna go given that one of them has a historic number of saves." The latter comment was in reference to Jansen, whose only three saves away from third place on the all-time leaderboard and 24 away from 500 for his career. It doesn't mean the 38-year-old will finish the 2026 season as the Tigers' closer, but Jansen should open the year as Hinch's first choice to handle save opportunities. Will Vest and and Finnegan are next-in-line if Jansen slips up.

Houston Astros - Josh Hader's stability as Houston's closer has been as high as it comes in the league, but a season-ending left shoulder strain in 2025 and biceps inflammation to kick off 2026 spring training cloud his save upside for the coming season. Bryan Abreu - who has been one of the top closers-in-waiting candidates for the past few seasons - recorded seven of the Astros' final 11 saves after Hader got hurt last year. Looking towards 2026, Hader's availability for Opening Day is in question due to the biceps injury, and since the Astros won't push things with their star closer, Abreu will draw more appeal in draft rooms. Once healthy, Hader will reclaim closing duties since Houston is paying him $19 million per season through 2028.

Kansas City Royals - With a legitimate closer on the roster, Royals manager Matt Quatraro was more strict in his approach to the ninth-inning, as only five pitchers recorded saves for Kansas City in 2025. Carlos Estevez not only led the team - he led MLB - with a career-high 42 saves, while his 89.4 percent team save share was highest among closers. Estevez managed to find success last year despite posting below-average strikeout (20.1%) and walk (8.2%) rates along with a first percentile groundball percentage, in large part due to Kaufmann Stadium's spacious dimensions. His surface stats put him in line to open 2026 as Kansas City's closer once again, but monitor the team's performance around the 2026 trade deadline, as they hold a $13 million option ($2 million buy-out) on Estevez for 2027, which could make him a trade candidate.

Los Angeles Angels - With 2025 closer, Kenley Jansen, signing with Detroit this offseason, the Angels were left to revamp its bullpen, especially with Robert Stephenson (elbow) and Ben Joyce (shoulder) still recovering from lengthy injuries. Los Angeles signed two veterans with plenty of closing experience - Kirby Yates (98 career saves) and Jordan Romano (113) - but both appear to be on the downswing of their respective careers and will have to earn save chances under new manager Kurt Suzuki. Yates was hurt for most of last season, but he currently stands as the safest bet to open 2026 as the Angels' closer, at least until Stephenson and Joyce are healthy enough to return. Drew Pomeranz could also factor into the mix, but the southpaw only has 10 career saves along with a history of durability issues. Joyce is the Angels closer of the future, but health has been his biggest obstacle in his young career thus far.

Los Angeles Dodgers - 12 Dodgers recorded at least one save during the 2025 regular season, marking the fifth consecutive year that manager Dave Roberts used 10+ pitchers during a season to close out games. However, now that Edwin Diaz has signed a 3-year, $69 million deal with Los Angeles, Roberts may not have to deploy as many pitchers to close games as he has in the past. Tanner Scott (lower body) is coming off a rocky 2025 after signing a 4-year, $72 million contract with the reigning World Series champions last offseason, but the southpaw represents the next-in-line for saves. Edgardo Henriquez is a dark-horse candidate for ancillary saves, while it's worth monitoring Brusdar Graterol's (shoulder) health, performance and velocity during spring training to see if he's set to reclaim a high-leverage role for 2026.

Miami Marlins - Miami rebounded in 2025 under first-year manager Clayton McCullough, recording 79 wins - a plus-17 improvement from 2024 - to finish third in the NL East. Nine Marlins combined for the team's 40 saves with Calvin Faucher the only one to finish in double-digits with 15. However, he never fully solidified himself in the role, leading Miami to seek a more established closer this offseason, especially with 2025 breakout reliever, Ronny Henriquez (elbow), set to miss the upcoming campaign. Veteran Pete Fairbanks, who finally managed to stay healthy for a full season in 2025, signed a 1-year, $13 million deal with the Marlins to serve as closer in 2026. The short-term deal could make Fairbanks a trade candidate later this summer, but he should receive the majority of Miami's save chances for the first four months of 2026.

Milwaukee Brewers - Both Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe make strong cases to open 2026 as the Milwaukee's closer. Megill currently sits atop this hierarchy after racking up 30 saves last year, but Uribe is one of the top closer-in-waiting candidates and could easily wrestle away the job that he held as recently as the 2025 playoffs. Uribe is even being drafted ahead of Megill in some drafts, which might be the correct call or huge blunder. Uribe's playoff usage last year makes him a favorite among many drafters, but Milwaukee's trade of Freddy Peralta this offseason makes it more likely Megill sticks around with the club due the salary savings the team gained with the trade. Spring training performance will be closely monitored for both Megill and Uribe, but hopefully manager Pat Murphy offers more clarity before the regular season kicks off.

Minnesota Twins - Minnesota traded its four best relievers at last year's deadline, leaving its bullpen in a depleted state for the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Over the final two months, Minnesota recorded just seven saves, with five different relievers combining for them. Justin Topa was the only one to record multiple saves during that span with three. While the Twins didn't provide much help to fantasy managers in the saves category last year, perhaps there's more reason to be optimistic for 2026. Rocco Baldelli was ousted as Twins manager and replaced by Derek Shelton, who has demonstrated a willingness to commit to a primary closer in the past. Unfortunately, due to Minnesota's relief pitcher "fire sale" last year, no one currently stands out as the favorite to close for 2026. Taylor Rogers, who returned to Minnesota after spending the first six years of his career as a Twin, has the most experience with 83 career saves, but the southpaw has only recorded two over the past three seasons combined. Liam Hendriks (116 career saves) was signed to a minor-league contract and could be an option if he makes the team. For now, this looks like a team to avoid when drafting for saves.

New York Mets - The Mets were forced to rebuild its bullpen yet again, as long-time closer Edwin Diaz declined his $18.5 million option to become a free-agent before ultimately signing a multi-year pact with the Dodgers. Enter Devin Williams, who was one of the first free-agent relief pitchers to sign this offseason. He joins the Mets on a three-year, $51 million deal after an up-and-down 2025, but closed the campaign strong. Luke Weaver and Luis Garcia also signed with New York for added depth behind Williams.

New York Yankees - After four consecutive top-6 finishes in bullpen ERA, the Yankees slipped all the way to 23rd (4.37) last year. New York didn't do much to improve its bullpen for 2026 either, losing out on the star free-agent closers while also witnessing Devin Williams and Luke Weaver sign with the Mets this offseason. David Bednar remains, who recorded 10 of the Yankees' final 13 saves for a 77 percent team save share after New York acquired his services at last year's trade deadline. Bednar is under team control through the upcoming campaign and is the heavy favorite to open 2026 as the Yankees closer. Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz remain with the team and line up for ancillary saves, but both allow too much traffic on the basepaths to reliably handle full-time closing duties.

Philadelphia Phillies - Phillies manager Rob Thomson's typically fluid approach to the ninth-inning was more narrowly focused after the Phillies acquired Jhoan Duran at last year's trade deadline. Prior to the trade, the Phillies split save chances between a handful of relievers. Over the final two months of 2025, Duran racked up a team-leading 16 saves for an 80 percent team save share after August 1. The flamethrowing righty enters 2026 as the Phillies' unquestioned closer, while Jose Alvarado and newcomer Brad Keller fill important setup roles that should provide the occasional ancillary save opportunity. Orion Kerkering is still worth monitoring in dynasty formats, but he may not be the team's closer of the future after all.

Pittsburgh Pirates - Pirates manager Don Kelly summoned Dennis Santana for 10 of the team's final 12 saves (83.3 percent team save share) after longtime closer David Bednar was traded last season. Pittsburgh was active on the free-agent market this offseason, but didn't sign a bona-fide closer that figures to challenge Santana for closing duties to open 2026. The team did add Gregory Soto through free-agency and Mason Montgomery via trade, but neither are likely to overtake Santana, who has combined for a 3.04 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over the past two campaigns. It's worth noting that Santana will be a free-agent in 2027 and his tenure as Pirates' closer may come to an end at or near the 2026 trade deadline if the team is out of playoff contention. Justin Lawrence and Kyle Nicolas are worth monitoring in deeper formats as potential second-half save sources.

San Diego Padres - For the second consecutive season, the Padres made the biggest splash on the relief market, giving up top prospect Leo De Vries to acquire Mason Miller from the Athletics at the 2025 trade deadline. With 2025 closer, Robert Suarez, declining his $8 million option for 2026 to become a free-agent before ultimately signing with Atlanta, Miller was recently named the team's closer by new manager Craig Stammen. Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam figure to be important contributors once again. Estrada led qualified relievers with 108 strikeouts in 2025 and finished fifth with 30 holds, while Morejon ranked among the top-15 in innings pitched (73.2), ERA (2.08) and WHIP (0.90). Both relievers picked up multiple saves in 2025, recording three apiece.

Seattle Mariners - New manager Dan Wilson summoned only three Mariners for saves during the 2025 season (fewest in the league) with Andres Munoz leading the team with 38 (third in the league). His 88.4 percent team save share was second-highest among closers, as his manager's approach to the late innings was more strict than Scott Servais' was during years prior. Under Wilson, Matt Brash (four saves) was the only other Seattle reliever to record multiple saves last season, which speaks to the saves upside Munoz carries with him into 2026. After coming within one game from the franchise's first World Series appearance, the Mariners should win plenty of games in 2026 to give Munoz a realistic chance for 40-plus saves. With Brash and Gabe Speier - whose breakout campaign in 2025 went a bit under-the-radar after the southpaw led Seattle relievers in appearances (76), holds (24), WHIP (0.87) and K-BB% (29.1%), - setting him up, Munoz should continue to be among the top closers drafted in 2026.

San Francisco Giants - Ryan Walker opened the 2025 season as the Giants' closer, but a rough April-May (4.91 ERA) forced a change and he didn't reclaim the job until the end of the campaign when Camilo Doval (traded) and Randy Rodriguez (injured) were no longer available. Walker actually pitched much better in-between his stints as the Giants' closer last season, which suggests he may be better off in a more fluid role. However, that will be up to new manager Tony Vitello, who takes over in 2026 after Bob Melvin was fired. Vitello has no MLB experience as a player, coach or manager, but was a three-time National Coach of the Year in college and led Tennessee to its first College World Series championship in 2024. Walker currently sits atop San Francisco's hierarchy for saves, but that could change quickly if his performance is not up to par. Joel Peguero is one of the next-in-line candidates for the Giants. He is inexperienced at the big league level, but logged 32 saves across eight seasons in the minors and performed well through 22.1 innings with San Francisco last year.

St. Louis Cardinals - St. Louis' bullpen will look a lot different to open 2026 than it did last year, now headlined by Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek and Matt Svanson. O'Brien and Romero figure to open 2026 in a timeshare for closing duties, as both received save chances over the final two months of 2025. Romeo appeared to be the preferred save share after Ryan Helsley was traded last season, securing seven of the team's next 11 saves, but O'Brien closed out 2025 by racking up four of the last five for St. Louis. Neither struck out many batters, but both had good ratios and pitched plenty in high-leverage, even when they weren't closing. Svanson is a dark horse for 2026 saves, as the 26-year-old righty was dominant in the second-half last year, posting a 1.05 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 44:12 K:BB over his final 34.1 innings. With a 29.1 percent strikeout rate, Svanson appears to fit the typical closer profile more than O'Brien or Romero would, but time will tell if manager Oliver Marmol will look in his direction in the near future.

Tampa Bay Rays - With Tampa Bay moving on from Pete Fairbanks this offseason, the Rays still have high-quality options to take on save chances in 2026. They acquired Griffin Jax and Bryan Baker last season, with both under team control through at least 2027. Neither factored much into the Rays' saves equation last year, but both have pitched enough in high-leverage to be successful in the closer role. Jax, in particular, has 15 career saves and his 99 strikeouts last season ranked sixth among qualified relievers. Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta (who was one of five relievers to strike out 100+ batters in 2025) are also expected to be part of the Rays closer committee in 2026. Cleavinger established several career-best marks in 2025 and has neutral splits, so don't discount the possibility that he could lead the Rays in saves by the end of 2026.

Texas Rangers - After losing a trio of high-leverage relievers (Phil Maton, Shawn Armstrong, Danny Coulombe) to free-agency this offseason, Texas was forced to restructure its bullpen for the 2026 campaign. They were able to re-sign Chris Martin after the veteran mulled the possibility of retirement, but the Rangers' other free-agent relief pitcher signings weren't as exciting. Alexis Diaz drew the headlines as a former closer with 75 career saves, but he's coming off an awful 2025 campaign that saw him pitch poorly between three different clubs. Tyler Alexander, Jakob Junis and Ryan Brasier were the other signings. New Rangers manager, Skip Schumaker, recently indicated Martin and Robert Garcia are the favorites to see save chances in 2026. He also indicated Diaz has a chance to see saves for the club this season, but wants to see how the former Reds closer looks in spring training games first. We're labeling this a committee for now, as the Rangers' closer role to be somewhat fluid early in the 2026 season, but performance may dictate who emerges from the trio of Garcia, Martin and Diaz.

Toronto Blue Jays - After signing a 3-year, $33 million contract with the Blue Jays last offseason, Jeff Hoffman was given his first shot at being a full-time closer. He finished fourth in the league with 33 saves, while his 78.6 percent team save share was fifth-highest among closers. Hoffman's numbers weren't great on the surface - his ratios were inflated thanks to a 20 percent Home Run to Fly Ball ratio along with a 1.99 HR/9 that was second-worst among qualified relievers - but the 32-year-old was effective enough to maintain fairly high stability as the Blue Jays' closer all season. We've docked his stability a bit as we enter Spring Training 2026, but Blue Jays manager John Schneider recently indicated that he's "100 percent confident if [Hoffman] is closing most games." Toronto inked submariner Tyler Rogers to a three-year, $37 million contract during the winter to bolster the bullpen, but he has just three saves across the past four seasons despite consistently working in a high-leverage role. Yimi Garcia (elbow) and Louis Varland are bigger threats to overtake Hoffman as the team's closer in 2026.

Washington Nationals - With Kyle Finnegan (Detroit) and Jose Ferrer (Seattle) no longer with the team, Washington's closer role might be the most unsettled in the league as we approach 2026 Opening Day. Unfortunately, there's just not much to get excited about given the way this bullpen is currently constructed. The Nationals will also have a new manager at the helm after hiring Blake Butera from the Rays organization. At 33 years old, Butera becomes MLB's youngest manager since 1972. He managed four seasons in the minors (with four first-place finishes & two championships) and previously served as the Rays' senior player development director. Butera hasn't tipped his hat yet this spring as to how he'll approach the ninth-inning, but Clayton Better and Cole Henry (back) are worth monitoring as the most likely to receive save chances in 2026. Beeter struck out 31.7 percent of the batters he faced last season, but walked 18 across his 25.1 innings. Henry picked up two saves and nine holds in 2025 before a back strain ended his season prematurely. No one else is worth speculating on as most of the relief options in Washington are unproven and don't have a track record of success in the majors.

2026 CLOSER TARGETS

Please note: ADP data referenced below is based on the past two weeks of NFBC Draft Champions drafts.

 Devin Williams, Mets: It wasn't that long ago when Williams was a consensus top-three closer according to ADP. In fact, it was only 11 months ago when we were drafting for the 2025 fantasy baseball season! We all know how the 2025 campaign turned out for Williams - he was ousted from the Yankees' closer role multiple times and fell well short of his save projections, finishing with only 18 - but there was still plenty to be optimistic about. Williams finished 11th among relief pitchers with 90 strikeouts and 13th with a 25.1 K-BB percentage. He also had the one of the largest differentials between ERA (4.79) and SIERA (2.67) at 2.12. Williams closed 2025 on a 13-game scoreless streak, covering nine regular season contests and four games during the playoffs. His "Airbender" changeup produced plenty of whiffs (37.3 percent) and the seventh-highest Statcast Run Value for that pitch type. I'm "all in" on Williams for 2026 after he signed a three-year, $50 million deal with the Mets. On average, he's been the sixth closer off the board with an ADP of 40.4, but I've got him ranked fourth in these rankings ahead of both Andres Munoz (ADP 32.1) and Jhoan Duran (ADP 32.7).

 Daniel Palencia, Cubs: Palencia is someone I have grown increasingly fond of as I've gotten deeper into draft season. For starters, the Cubs didn't sign any of the top free-agent closers, instead landing Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey to shore up the high-leverage innings lost when Brad Keller (Phillies) and Drew Pomeranz (Angels) signed elsewhere this offseason. Both Maton (10 career saves) and Harvey (11) have experience in the ninth-inning, but Palencia has already racked up more saves in one season (22) than both veterans combined. Palencia's shoulder injury towards the end of 2025 is likely baked into his current ADP (106.3), which is still very reasonable relative to other closers with 30-plus save potential. I'll continue to target Palencia, even if he climbs in ADP as I expect he will into March.

 Jeff Hoffman, Blue Jays: On average, Hoffman has been the 15th closer off the board according to ADP (98.9), but he currently sits 10th in my rankings. This is despite an up-and-down 2025 that saw the right-hander post the worst HR/FB rate among qualified relievers. However, we've seen Hoffman pitch long enough to know he's much better than what he demonstrated last year. While his 2025 surface stats were rough, Hoffman's underlying metrics point to a much better 2026.

 Griffin Jax, Rays: Back in December, the Rays beat reported that Jax is expected to be part of a closer-by-committee for the Rays in 2026 alongside Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta. The draft market seems to agree that Jax should lead this committee - his 159.6 ADP is far ahead of Uceta's (234.0) and Cleavinger's (404.4). However, in the event Kevin Cash takes a similar approach the ninth-inning in 2026 as he did last year, Jax has the potential to be a top-10 closer. The 31-year-old has produced a 1.09 WHIP since converting to a full-time relief role back in 2022 and has put up 95 and 99 strikeouts, respectively, over the past two seasons.  Even if Jax posts closer to 20 saves than 30, his other statistics support a pick that is worth his current ADP.

 Seth Halvorsen, Rockies: I know it's tough to invest draft capital on relief pitchers from the Rockies, Nationals, Athletics, Twins and Rangers, but someone has to close for those teams, right? Among them, I've been grabbing Halvorsen (ADP 568) past Round 35 in almost all of my 2026 draft-and-hold leagues. His 2025 campaign ended prematurely due to a mild right elbow flexor strain, but he looks to be free of any restrictions in the opening weeks of spring training. Prior to getting hurt last year, Halvorsen had seemingly established himself as the Rockies' preferred closer, though his numbers weren't overly remarkable. Even so, Halvorsen still looks like one of the best bets for saves in Colorado entering 2026, given his raw abilities along with the lack of reliable alternatives in the Rockies bullpen. Halvorsen ranked third in the majors with an average fastball velocity of 100.0 miles per hour, and his 13.1 percent swinging-strike rate and 54.4 percent groundball rate offer hope that he'll be able to raise his strikeout rate and improve his ERA and WHIP.

 Andrew Kittredge, Orioles: Over the past two seasons, Kittredge has posted a 3.06 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 131:31 K:BB over 123.2 innings. These numbers aren't much different than Ryan Helsley's, who, over the same timeframe, has posted a 3.16 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 142:48 K:BB across 122.1 innings. Helsley has racked up 70 saves to Kittredge's six, but this is to illustrate the similarities between both relievers, who are currently being drafted 420-plus picks apart. To this point, I've been more willing to invest in Kittredge at his ADP (489.0) than Helsley (62.6).

2026 CLOSER FADES

 Ryan Helsley, Orioles: As a counter-argument to the praises I sang for Kittredge above, having the closer role means everything and that's exactly what Helsley has to open 2026. However, I've drafted Helsley just once through 15 draft-and-hold leagues thus far. I wouldn't mind another share or two in case he reverts back to 2022-2024 form, but at his range of the draft, I've been leaning towards hitters and starting pitching. I won't be surprised if he's among the top closers again at the end of the upcoming campaign, but his second-half with the Mets last season left an awful taste in my mouth.

 Raisel Iglesias, Braves: I love Iglesias, so it pains me to list him among my 2026 closer fades. The veteran has been one of the most consistent closers in MLB over the last decade, and he finished 2025 on an absolutely remarkable note, but I can't ignore the fact that Atlanta signed Robert Suarez to a three-year deal this offseason. The threat of Suarez's presence alone makes it difficult to click Iglesias' name in the draft room, even if the team has said the latter will be their closer for 2026.

 Carlos Estevez, Royals: I'm not sure how often MLB's saves leader from 2025 gets listed as a fade the following season, but Estevez is an obvious one for me. As a flyball pitcher with a 11.9 K-BB percentage that ranked 111th out of 147 qualified relievers in 2025, he simply doesn't fit the typical closer profile. It works for Estevez because his batted ball profile aligns with Kaufmann Stadium's spacious dimensions - it has been the toughest park for left-handed batters to hit home runs in recent seasons. However, Estevez is an obvious regression candidate for 2026, not to mention a trade candidate the Royals hold a $13 million option ($2 million buy-out) on his contract for 2027.

 Pete Fairbanks, Marlins: Fairbanks finally managed to stay healthy for a full season, posting career-highs in games played (61) and innings (60.1) last season for Tampa Bay. The 32-year-old also established a new career-high with 27 saves for a 77.1 percent team save share that was seventh-highest among closers. However, for the second straight year, the right-hander's strikeout rate hovered around 24 percent; a steep drop from his career mark (30 percent) and prior outputs from the 2019 through 2023 campaigns. This, combined with Fairbanks' durability concerns, may have played into the Rays' decision to decline his $11 million option for 2026. I'll also decline my option to draft him in 2026, as it simply comes down to one thing: health. I'll simply remind you that Fairbanks missed an average of 65 games per season from 2021 through 2024 with a variety of injuries to his shoulder, back, hip, forearm and neck.

 Ryan Walker, Giants: I'm not sure who new Giants manager, Tony Vitello, would turn to otherwise if not Walker to close games, but the right-hander's poor 2025 certainly doesn't inspire confidence in his prospects for the upcoming season. Recent reports indicate Walker's struggles last year were due to a mechanical issue that he's since adjusted, but we'll need to see how he pitches during spring training, especially since he's been working on a kick-change that he could potentially add to his arsenal. Right now I'm pessimistic, but that could change as we get deep into spring training.

 Clayton Beeter, Nationals: While I agree with the draft market that Beeter is the favorite to lead Washington in saves in 2026, there are several things working against the 27-year-old. For starters, the right-hander is lacking MLB experience, pitching only 29.0 frames in the majors thus far. Typically, new managers like Washington's Blake Butera often lean on more experienced relievers for save opportunities. Secondly, Beeter will need to improve his command. He consistently walked opposing hitters at a 12 percent clip or higher throughout the minors and posted a 17.3 percent walk rate during last year's small sample. Last but not least, Beeter will need to overcome his persistent durability issues. One's ability to simply stay on the field is extremely important when targeting save sources in drafts.

Stay tuned to RotoWire's 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers Grid throughout the offseason for all the latest closer updates.