2027 Fantasy Reliever Rankings: (Way) Too Early Closers & SOLDs Rankings

• Cade Smith now ranks second among all relievers in innings pitched over the past three seasons, and first if you include the postseason. The guy keeps getting better, too, with no signs of wear and tear (his velocity has actually been improving). He’s a machine. Behind him, you have Hunter Gaddis, who had his ups and downs this season but still finished with 32 holds and has been great in the postseason. The wild card is Erik Sabrowski, who could be one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball; the command just isn’t where it needs to be on a game-to-game basis yet.

 

Colorado Rockies

• The old Rockies regime would have given Jordan Romano a 2-year, $20M contract by now, but I have hope the new front office can avoid that trap. Still, I’d give Romano 25% odds to return as the closer here. Unless they surprise us and make a big splash in the bullpen, you’re still going to want to avoid this group.

 

Detroit Tigers

• It’s very likely that the closer here isn’t on the roster yet (or is a potential free agent), but let’s have some fun for a minute. Drew Sommers posted a 3.03 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over the second half, but that came with a 1.58 SIERA, 1.50 xFIP, 39% K, and 37% CSW, all of which ranked in the top FOUR among relievers in the second half. He’s surrounded by guys like Mason Miller, Mason Montgomery, and Cade Smith on those second-half leaderboards. Yet, he was rarely used in high-leverage situations. Of course, Will Vest could be healthy and look great in the spring, but I’m not holding my breath.
• Kenley Jansen is just two saves away from 500, so I’ll give him a 30% chance to return here (maybe that should be higher). He’s not the reliever he once was, but he can still be effective in this league and will certainly want to get to 500 saves now that he’s so close.

 

Houston Astros

• Josh Hader came back for the final four months and was as dominant as ever, squarely putting himself in the conversation for the second closer off the board next year. However, who will be setting him up is a different story, as both Steven Okert and Bryan Abreu are free agents. I’m hoping Miguel Ullola gets a chance to take one of those roles, and if Bennett Sousa is healthy, he’s a good bet for the lefty setup role.

 

Kansas City Royals

• Steven Cruz finished the year as the closer, but he was hardly consistent. There were flashes of a guy who could be this team’s closer of the future, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they brought somebody else in, or even turned back to Lucas Erceg, who looked really good over the last couple of weeks of the season. Meanwhile, Nate Pearson was in the running at one point, but he really faltered down the stretch and is probably on the outside looking in.

 

Los Angeles Angels

• With the Angels, I guess it’s going to come down to who’s healthy between Ben Joyce and Samy Natera Jr. If Joyce is healthy, my guess is he gets the first chance in the closer role. He had his moments down the stretch, but overall, I think I’d trust Natera more. There are fewer inconsistencies in Natera’s game and just less risk overall (although I need that slider to take a step forward). Sam Bachman didn’t look great when he returned from injury, but he’s still a name to keep an eye on, given his pure stuff.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

• There are still games to be played in the Dodgers’ season, but it does appear that Edwin Díaz has reclaimed the closer role, and for good reason. Since returning from the IL again in September, Díaz’s stuff has been much better, especially from a velocity standpoint. The command can still improve, but we’ll take the stuff gains and hope the command gets there by the start of next season. As a result, it’s unfortunate news for Tanner Scott, who deserves a closer role somewhere, but he’s still under contract here, so he’ll be one of the pricier setup men in the league (but definitely worth it).
• Even behind those two, there’s a ton of depth with Brock Stewart, Edgardo Henriquez, and Jack Dreyer. Yes, they may lose Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips in free agency, but they’ll be fine as always (and I’m sure they’ll sign a reliever or two).

 

Miami Marlins

• The Marlins made some waves in September with their unconventional usage of starters, with Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez getting ninth-inning work in save situations. Will we see that again next year? That remains to be seen, but they do lose Pete Fairbanks to free agency (and he’s also hurt), and they have a history of using a closer-by-committee approach anyway, so perhaps we’ll see some relievers get saves, some starters get saves… it may just be a mess all year. There’s still a lot of talent here, and there are definitely names to invest in for holds leagues, but in saves-only leagues, I think I’d just stay far away (or value Alcantara and Pérez a bit more).

 

Milwaukee Brewers

• Assuming Trevor Megill is back with the Brewers, he will be the closer again in 2027, at least to start the year. Now, there’s always a good chance that Megill, in his last year of arbitration, gets moved this offseason (that’s something the Brewers love to do), and that would set up nicely for Abner Uribe and/or Aaron Ashby to get more save chances. But for now, we should assume Megill will be in Milwaukee closing out games (with Uribe and Ashby more than competent behind him).

 

Minnesota Twins

• We saw Jeff Hoffman getting closer usage over the last week of the season before he landed on the IL, and we certainly saw Yoendrys Gómez lose his role in September, as A.J. Minter had some save chances in there and even Andrew Morris mixed in, despite how bad his second half was. I do think Hoffman, the guy getting paid to close out games and, frankly, the one with the best stuff in this bullpen, will get the first crack at closing next year. I wouldn’t totally rule out Gómez getting saves at some point, but Hoffman is the frontrunner here.

 

New York Mets

• There shouldn’t be much controversy here with the Mets, as Devin Williams is still their guy as long as he’s healthy. He had his ups and downs again, but more often than not, he pitched well. It does seem like Kodai Senga will be returning to the rotation; that’s where he wants to be, and it’s not like he was that great in the bullpen anyway. The one name to keep an eye on here is Dedniel Núñez, who has legit closer stuff and could be a league-winning pickup if Williams struggles.

 

New York Yankees

• I think it’s pretty obvious that the Yankees will either bring back David Bednar or bring in a closer who’s not currently on the roster. They just can’t afford to go into the season with Brent Headrick and maybe Fernando Cruz (he needs TJS, right?). There really aren’t any other closer options, as they lose a lot to free agency and most of the remaining names are AAA guys. I’d put the odds of Bednar returning, or some other outside closer coming in, at 60% or better, but Bednar worked out well there, and a reunion makes sense.

 

Philadelphia Phillies

• Jhoan Duran returns to the Phillies, and he’s been Mr. Consistent for a few years now, so you know what you’re getting there. Even more exciting is the potential setup tandem of Jonathan Bowlan and Alex McFarlane. Both guys had some ups and downs this year, but the upside is through the roof for each of them. On the other hand, this bullpen is losing a few of its left-handed options, so expect them to be in the market for a lefty or two. If they can get Orion Kerkering back on track and Caleb Kilian healthy as well, there’s some serious talent from the right side in this bullpen (do they flip one for a lefty?).

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

• There may not have been a better reliever in all of baseball from the end of June onward than Mason Montgomery. He’s going to return as the Pirates’ closer next year, that much is certain, and we can assume Luke Weaver will be setting things up in front of him. However, behind those two, it’s a bit muddled right now. Yohan Ramírez has crazy stuff, but the command is still so inconsistent. I’d love to see Antwone Kelly transition to the bullpen this season and see how that plays out.

 

San Diego Padres

• Mason Miller should return as the Padres’ closer and, in my opinion, is still the best closer in baseball. But this team does lose some key free agents, most notably Adrian Morejon, but also Jason Adam, and lefties Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta have player options as well. The good news is that Bradgley Rodriguez took a huge step forward last year, and he’s more than comfortable in a setup role. That leaves the question mark of Jeremiah Estrada. Can he bounce back, stay healthy, and help keep this bullpen elite?

 

San Francisco Giants

• Trent Harris definitely impressed down the stretch for the Giants and looks like a valuable member of this bullpen moving forward, and I still think Dylan Smith is a strong candidate for a setup role (or at least some sort of bullpen role here), but they definitely need to bring in a closer, or really just any talented reliever. I’d say there’s at least a 30% chance they bring in a closer from the outside (it should be higher, but you never know). Yes, Randy Rodríguez is returning and definitely has closer stuff, but it’s really hard to rely on him from a health standpoint at this point.

 

Seattle Mariners

• The season didn’t exactly end on a high note for Andrés Muñoz, but I’m ready to buy back in for 2027. I think the cost will be favorable given the shaky 2026 season he had, most of which I’d attribute to bad luck and early-season pitch selection. In fact, he definitely settled in over the middle of the season, and I think that’s the Muñoz we should expect moving forward. Getting the ball to him in the ninth is going to be interesting again, as Seranthony Domínguez returns, along with Eduard Bazardo, José A. Ferrer, and Gabe Speier, all of whom, I think it’s fair to say, had disappointing seasons in 2026. This bullpen is looking to bounce back pretty much from top to bottom next year.

 

St. Louis Cardinals

• Yeah, Riley O’Brien racked up a ton of saves last year, but it was really ugly for him from the end of April on (so, most of the season). The Cardinals never wavered in their belief, though, and as long as they carry that same thought process into next year, he should have a pretty significant leash, even if he struggles early on. He’s a fine reliever; he’s just not an ideal closer candidate. The problem is that this bullpen doesn’t really have any closers-in-waiting, except maybe Luis Gastelum, and he’s not there yet. I wonder if a Ryan Helsley reunion could be worked out?

 

Tampa Bay Rays

• Bryan Baker’s velocity hasn’t exactly returned in the postseason, but I don’t think we need to worry about it, because he’s still dealing, he’s still one of the best closers in baseball right now, and that changeup is just filthy. Now, it’s the Rays, so there’s always a chance they sell high on a guy like Baker, which could open up opportunities for Kevin Kelly, Tyler Wells, or maybe even Brody Hopkins (which would be fun). For now, though, let’s assume Baker returns to the closer role in Tampa; he should be just fine next year, even if his strikeout rate comes down due to the velocity loss.