Fantasy Baseball Closer Outlook: Team-by-Team (2026)

The toughest category to fill in fantasy baseball is saves. Part of that is tied to the volatility of pitching a single inning. A couple of 85-mile-per-hour bloop hits fall in, followed by a home run, and suddenly three earned runs are allowed. That can look like a disaster in the box score when the pitcher didn’t really pitch that poorly.

Another reason that makes finding closers challenging in fantasy baseball is that many aspects of earning a save are outside the pitcher’s control. First, your team has to be in the lead. However, the lead can’t be more than three runs (excluding the rare three-inning or more save), or else it’s not a save opportunity.

Last season, 19 teams had 40 or more saves. Yet, only two closers had 40 or more saves. That’s the other challenge of finding closers in fantasy baseball. Whether due to rest, matchups, or the whim of the manager on that particular day, any relief pitcher can earn a save if they meet the requirements. Of course, some closers are more secure in their roles than others. That’s what we’ll be examining below.

Fantasy Baseball Closer Outlook: Team by Team 2026

AL East

Baltimore Orioles
Expected Closer: Ryan Helsley
Names to Know: Keegan Akin, Andrew Kittredge, Felix Bautista

Ryan Helsley arrived in Baltimore as a free agent on a two-year, $28 million contract this offseason. Even though he struggled in his time with the Mets after a midseason trade last year, he should assume the closer’s role in Baltimore. Felix Bautista has been a name to know in Baltimore. However, as a reminder as you head into fantasy baseball drafts, Bautista had shoulder surgery and is likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season.

Boston Red Sox
Expected Closer: Aroldis Chapman
Names to Know: Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten

Aroldis Chapman disproved that old dogs can’t learn new tricks last season. A 37-year-old closer with 15 years of experience set new career bests in both ERA and WHIP, showing never-before-seen levels of control. He had not been under five walks per nine innings since 2020, and then walked a mere 2.2 per nine last season.

New York Yankees
Expected Closer: David Bednar
Names to Know: Camilo Doval

While still a member of the Pirates, David Bednar started 2025 with a minor league demotion. It was a short stint, and when he was recalled, it didn’t take him long to regain the closer’s role. A midseason trade brought him to the New York Yankees, where he quickly assumed the role there, too. With Devin Williams gone, he goes into 2026 as the clear favorite, but Camilo Doval has closing experience should he falter.

Tampa Bay Rays
Expected Closer: Griffin Jax
Names to Know: Edwin Uceta, Garrett Cleavinger

The Tampa Bay Rays have the first bullpen with real questions as to who will be the closer. Upon viewing his surface stats, Griffin Jax had a difficult year, but his 2.51 ERA provides a clearer indication of how he really pitched. Edwin Uceta got off to a slow start with an ERA over 5 in the first half, but settled down in the second half with an ERA of 1.78. He is also dealing with a shoulder injury early in training camp. Garrett Cleavinger had the lowest seasonal ERA last year at 2.35, but had a 3.59 FIP. He is also the only projected left-handed pitcher in the Rays’ bullpen.

Toronto Blue Jays
Expected Closer: Jeff Hoffman
Names to Know: Yimi Garcia, Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland

The Blue Jays have one of the deepest bullpens in all of baseball. Jeff Hoffman is not the best reliever in the bullpen, but he was the closer until the very last game of the season (he blew the save in Game 7 of the World Series). Since he ended as the closer, one has to believe that he’ll start 2026 as the closer again. If he should falter, the Blue Jays have plenty of options. Yimi Garcia would be the most likely next man up to step into saves.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox
Expected Closer: Seranthony Dominguez
Names to Know: Grant Taylor, Jordan Leasure

The recent signing of Seranthony Dominguez has him as the favorite for this role. He pitched to a 3.16 ERA (3.47 FIP) last year between Baltimore and Toronto. Both Grant Taylor and Jordan Leasure proved to be exciting young talents with bright futures. While Taylor’s 4.91 ERA may cause you to shy away, note the 1.42 FIP. That’s more typical when you have 54 strikeouts, 15 walks, and don’t allow a single home run.

Cleveland Guardians
Expected Closer: Cade Smith
Names to Know: Hunter Gaddis

The Guardians moved on from one elite closer in Emmanuel Clase to another in Cade Smith. Smith has been among the best relievers in baseball through his first two seasons, and now is poised to do that as a full-time closer. He has struck out 100 batters both seasons as a reliever with FIPs below 2.00. He should be a top-five closer off the board in every fantasy baseball draft.

Detroit Tigers
Expected Closer: Kenley Jansen
Names to Know: Will Vest, Kyle Finnegan

Kenley Jansen is 24 saves away from 500, but has stated that he would be fine pitching in a non-closer role if it helps the team win. That being said, I expect Jansen to earn a majority of the save opportunities with the Tigers. Will Vest was the primary closer in Detroit last season, finishing with 23 saves. Kyle Finnegan was traded to Detroit mid-season and pitched as well as he has at any point in his career.

Kansas City Royals
Expected Closer: Carlos Estevez
Names to Know: Matt Strahm, Lucas Erceg, Nick Mears

Carlos Estevez led the league in saves in 2025 with 42. That came with an ERA of 2.45, but the underlying data shows a pitcher who was consistently getting lucky and should have had an ERA of at least a run higher. He remains the clear closer going into 2026, but should regression occur, the Royals have options, including offseason acquisition Matt Strahm.

Minnesota Twins
Expected Closer: Taylor Rogers
Names to Know: Cole Sands, Justin Topa, Kody Funderburk

This is one of the messiest bullpens to project in all of baseball. Taylor Rogers signed a one-year free agent contract to return to Minnesota, where he had his most success earlier in his career. If he is pitching well, though, he is likely to be traded to a team at the trade deadline. In that case, it will be a mix-and-match scenario involving the other names above, but none are appealing for fantasy baseball.

AL West

Athletics
Expected Closer: Mark Leiter Jr.
Names to Know: Hogan Harris, Justin Sterner

The Athletics have another difficult bullpen to project. Mark Leiter Jr. comes to the Athletics from the Yankees. He struggled in 2025 with a 4.84 ERA, but did have a 3.55 FIP. Hogan Harris filled in after the midseason trade of Mason Miller. Justin Sterner didn’t earn a single save last season, but was a reliable holds option. While Leiter is the favorite, I don’t say that with much conviction.

Houston Astros
Expected Closer: Josh Hader
Names to Know: Bryan Abreu, Bennett Sousa

When healthy, Josh Hader is one of the best closers in baseball. “When healthy” is a big caveat given his current status. Hader’s season ended in August last year with a shoulder injury. He has said that he feels fine and will be ready to pitch in 2026. However, he’s already dealing with a bicep issue. If he is injured, Bryan Abreu is an excellent replacement, with a 35% strikeout rate and 2.39 FIP.

Los Angeles Angels
Expected Closer: Kirby Yates
Names to Know: Robert Stephenson, Drew Pomeranz, Ben Joyce

The Angels are yet another difficult bullpen to project. Kirby Yates had a disastrous season with the Dodgers, but he is only two seasons removed from a 1.17 ERA and 33 saves with the Rangers. Robert Stephenson has pitched 10 total innings the last two seasons combined due to injury. However, when we last saw him pitch extensively in 2023, he was spectacular, finishing the season with the Rays. Ben Joyce will begin the season recovering from labrum surgery, but should be back at some point this season.

Seattle Mariners
Expected Closer: Andres Munoz
Names to Know: Matt Brash, Jose A. Ferrer, Gabe Speier

The Mariners have the premier bullpen in baseball. They finally leaned into Andres Munoz as the primary closer, and he delivered a marvelous 38-save season with fantastic ratios. The bullpen includes elite hold options in Matt Brash, Jose A. Ferrer, and Gabe Speier.

Texas Rangers
Expected Closer: Robert Garcia
Names to Know: Chris Martin, Alexis Diaz

The Rangers’ bullpen was difficult to figure out last season, and it appears to be the case again in 2026. Even though the Rangers had 37 saves in 2025, not one closer was able to reach double-digits. Instead, three closers were able to reach nine saves. The only one of the nine save closers that is back is Robert Garcia. Alexis Diaz is a name to remember should he falter, as we’ve seen him be an All-Star-caliber closer recently.

NL East

Atlanta Braves
Expected Closer: Raisel Iglesias
Names to Know: Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee

A miserable start to the season last year for Raisel Iglesias turned around in a big way in the second half. On June 5th, he had a 6.75 ERA, 5.72 FIP, and his fourth blown save. From that point till the end of the season, he had a 1.25 ERA, 1.98 FIP, and blew only one more save while converting 21. If he were to struggle again, the Braves brought in Robert Suarez as a free agent this offseason. He was one of two relievers with 40 saves last season.

Miami Marlins
Expected Closer: Pete Fairbanks
Names to Know: Calvin Faucher, Ronny Henriquez

Pete Fairbanks moved from one Florida team to the other this offseason on a one-year contract. He will be the closer as long as he is there. Given his contract – and if Miami is out of contention at the trade deadline – it’s highly likely that he’ll be moving on to a contender. If he is traded, Calvin Faucher is most likely to step back into the role. Ronny Henriquez looked like a burgeoning star last year, but he will miss all of 2026 after offseason surgery.

New York Mets
Expected Closer: Devin Williams
Names to Know: Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter

Devin Williams’ first and only season with the Yankees didn’t go according to plan, with a career-worst ERA of 4.79. However, his FIP was still 2.68, which emphasized the fact that he wasn’t too far off from the pitcher we’ve come to know and expect to be a top-5 closer. The Mets must believe that, as well, as they signed him to a free-agent contract to be their closer.

Philadelphia Phillies
Expected Closer: Jhoan Duran
Names to Know: Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller, Orion Kerkering

Jhoan Duran was traded to the Phillies at the trade deadline last year. From that point, he earned 16 of the Phillies’ saves. The other relievers combined for four. He is a very reliable closer, although his strikeout rate keeps coming down. The Phillies have a deep bullpen, with Jose Alvarado being the most likely to step in if there is an injury.

Washington Nationals
Expected Closer: Clayton Beeter
Names to Know: Cole Henry, Julian Fernandez

The Nationals have the least predictable bullpen in the league. By my count, the projected relievers in the Nationals’ bullpen have a career total of 10 major league saves, with the high point of any of them being three. Clayton Beeter pitched to a 2.49 ERA and 2.72 FIP after coming in a midseason trade. Given the uncertainty of this bullpen, that’s enough to give him the edge early, but it’s probably best to avoid this situation in fantasy baseball drafts.

NL Central

Chicago Cubs
Expected Closer: Daniel Palencia
Names to Know: Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey

Daniel Palencia was a revelation stepping into the closer’s role in Chicago. He didn’t earn his first save until mid-May, but finished with 22 saves with only a single blown save. While the Cubs brought in Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey as free agents this offseason, Palencia should still be considered the closing favorite as the incumbent.

Cincinnati Reds
Expected Closer: Emilio Pagan
Names to Know: Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft, Connor Phillips

Emilio Pagan had 33 saves in his first eight career seasons. In 2025, he saved 32 games with a career-best 2.88 ERA. However, that came with a 3.72 FIP, which is essentially what he has had most of his career, so expect regression from his ERA. If regression hits hard enough that he is removed from the closer’s role, Tony Santillan is the first option to replace him. Don’t overlook Connor Phillips nearly 33% strikeout rate.

Milwaukee Brewers
Expected Closer: Trevor Megill
Names to Know: Abner Uribe

The Milwaukee Brewers have a unique problem. They have two talented relievers who could each be top 12 closers in fantasy baseball. But, who will it be? Trevor Megill had 30 saves, but he earned his last save in mid-August before a flexor strain injury hit. In his absence, Abner Uribe stepped in with seven saves of his own and looks like a dominant option. As long as they’re both in Milwaukee, I’ll lean towards Megill, but a trade would provide clarity.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Expected Closer: Dennis Santana
Names to Know: Mason Montgomery, Gregory Soto, Justin Lawrence

Dennis Santana stepped into the vacated closer’s role when David Bednar was traded. While the strikeout rate is lacking for a traditional closer, he finished with 16 saves and a 2.18 ERA. Similar to Fairbanks above, unless the Pirates are in contention, don’t be surprised if he is traded at the trade deadline. If he is replaced, the most interesting name in the bullpen is Mason Montgomery. He had a high ERA last season with Tampa Bay, but has the makings of a top-tier option with a bit more luck.

St. Louis Cardinals
Expected Closer: JoJo Romero
Names to Know: Riley O’Brien

This is another convoluted bullpen. After Ryan Helsley was traded last season, Jojo Romero and Riley O’Brien split the saves. Romero finished with eight saves to O’Brien’s six. If Cardinals’ manager Oliver Marmol continues that usage again in 2026, good luck trying to predict which closer it will be from game to game – obviously a tough situation for fantasy baseball owners.

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks
Expected Closer: Paul Sewald
Names to Know: Kevin Ginkel, Kade Strowd

This difficult-to-predict bullpen became even tougher with a season-ending injury to Andrew Saalfrank. I’ll go with the recently signed Paul Sewald as the closer, considering he just had 16 saves with the Diamondbacks in 2024. Kade Strowd is a fantasy baseball sleeper pick who came over in a recent trade with the Orioles for Blaze Alexander.

Colorado Rockies
Expected Closer: Victor Vodnik
Names to Know: Seth Halvorsen, Juan Mejia

The Colorado Rockies won’t have a lot of save opportunities, but when they do, it should be Victor Vodnik getting them. He missed about a month last season with shoulder inflammation. Because of that, Seth Halvorsen actually finished with 11 saves to Vodnik’s 10 saves. However, Vodnik is the better pitcher with a 3.77 FIP compared to Halvorsen’s 5.20.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Expected Closer: Edwin Diaz
Names to Know: Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia

The Los Angeles Dodgers have put a lot of money into their bullpen over the last two seasons. It culminated this offseason with the acquisition of Edwin Diaz to be their new closer. Diaz has been among the best closers in baseball since reaching the major leagues. Even though the Dodgers have tended to mix and match saves under Dave Roberts, that will change with Diaz in tow.

San Diego Padres
Expected Closer: Mason Miller
Names to Know: Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada

The San Diego Padres have one of the best bullpens in baseball. Mason Miller throws the hardest fastball of any pitcher in the league. He uses that to rack up strikeouts and saves. Even though he only had two saves after joining the Padres at midseason, with Robert Suarez leaving for Atlanta, Miller should be back earning saves in San Diego. If he were to be injured, they have multiple appealing options to replace him.

San Francisco Giants
Expected Closer: Ryan Walker
Names to Know: Joel Peguero, Erik Miller

A season-long injury to Randy Rodriguez all but assures that Ryan Walker will be back closing games for the San Francisco Giants. Walker started with the closer role in San Francisco last season, but a rough stretch cost him the role for a while in the midseason. An injury to Rodriguez, a trade of Camilo Doval, and a return to form by Walker have him back at the backend of the bullpen to start 2026.