Following up on last week’s post, with the advent of lineup lanes and matchup-based approaches, it’s hard to put a definition on the word “closer” this season, but using games finished percentage (games finished/games), save share percentage (saves/team saves), and high-leverage outings as defined by Baseball Reference, we have seven relievers that have met the following criteria:
- Games finished percentage of at least 66.7 percent
- A save share percentage of at least 60 percent
- A high-leverage percentage of 60 percent or better.
They will be revealed in our weekend primers for each league.
American League
Beginning with team trends through games played through June 11:
Minnesota and the Los Angeles Angels are the only teams without a reliever with at least five saves. Yoendrys Gómez is close. He has five saves on the year, but one was with the Rays. Kirby Yates has not recorded a save since May 23.
Here are the updated games finished, save share percentages, and high-leverage percentages:
What to Watch For This Weekend
- Baltimore Orioles: Andrew Kittredge notched the last save, and Ryan Helsley remains on the road back in his rehab outings. A specific date may emerge soon.
- Boston Red Sox: As trade talks center on Aroldis Chapman, teams with space should start stashing Garrett Whitlock. Will Tyron Guerrero be his main setup reliever in this scenario?
- Chicago White Sox: Seranthony Domínguez has not had a save chance since May 25. Has Grant Taylor taken over the preferred save share?
- Cleveland Guardians: Daniel Espino makes his debut this weekend. Can he become a trusted leverage reliever?
- Detroit Tigers: Kenley Jansen allowed three earned runs in his rehab outing, feeling a bit “rusty.” Should he be slotted back into lineups? If he struggles, will Will Vest usurp him for saves by the end of the month?
- Houston Astros: So far, so good for Josh Hader. Can he remain healthy?
- Kansas City Royals: Has the “turtleneck” come full circle and reentered the trust tree in the fantasy community? Eyes are on you, Alex Lange.
- Los Angeles Angels: Any news on Ben Joyce? Is Kirby Yates a viable option as the closer?
- Minnesota Twins: Which reliever becomes the 12th one with a save this year?
- New York Yankees: David Bednar has been better in recent appearances, but he has only had two saves since May 25.
- Seattle Mariners: His team is standing behind him as their closer; however, Andrés Muñoz has only converted two of his last five save opportunities and remains on the hot seat. Matt Brash will be out for an extended period, weakening an already struggling leverage ladder.
- Tampa Bay Rays: Can the team find a reliable reliever outside of its high-leverage triumvirate? (Bryan Baker, Kevin Kelly, Garrett Cleavinger).
- Texas Rangers: Jacob Latz has been efficient during his multiple-inning outings, but fatigue will be a factor if they continue.
- The Athletics: Elvis Alvarado flashed his upside in a dominant save against Milwaukee. Has he earned a larger save share in the amorphous A’s bullpen?
- Toronto Blue Jays: King Louis Varland has stabilized this bullpen. Can he maintain his mojo in the Bronx this weekend?
National League
Beginning with team trends through games played through June 11:
Colorado, San Francisco, and the Cubs do not have a reliever with at least five saves. Cincinnati does not know where its next save will come from, and there has been no stability in Washington’s bullpen.
Here are the updated games finished, save share percentages, and high-leverage percentages:
What to Watch For This Weekend
- Arizona Diamondbacks: Will A.J. Puk return soon, and if he does, what will his role be? Update: This link indicates he has suffered a setback during his rehab assignment.
- Atlanta Braves: Can Didier Fuentes carve out a larger leverage role going forward?
- Chicago Cubs: Does Daniel Palencia find his WBC form?
- Cincinnati Reds: The next Reds save is recorded by which reliever?
- Colorado Rockies: The next Rockies save is recorded by which reliever?
- Los Angeles Dodgers: Any updates regarding Edwin Díaz and which right-handed reliever is the highest-leveraged option?
- Miami Marlins: Has Pete Fairbanks turned a corner and found his form from the second half of last year?
- Milwaukee Brewers: Is Trevor Megill healthy? Can he work in back-to-back games? What role will Chad Patrick have going forward?
- New York Mets: Is the “Airbender” back?
- Philadelphia Phillies: How does Jhoan Duran look after working in three consecutive games in Toronto?
- Pittsburgh Pirates: Searching for a consistent right-handed leverage reliever, can Antwone Kelly be a solution?
- San Diego Padres: Volume has not been an issue for Jason Adam, but can he reduce his WHIP?
- San Francisco Giants: Ryan Walker has returned from Triple-A. Can he regain a leverage role? Is he just a right-handed lineup pocket specialist? Does any of this matter with Tony Vitello’s machinations in the late innings?
- St. Louis Cardinals: Riley O’Brien has rebounded from a rough patch. Will the team trade him?
- Washington Nationals: Coming off of an epic collapse, blowing an eight-run lead at the bottom of the eighth in Arizona, have leverage roles shifted? Should Orlando Ribalta receive some save chances? Last, but not least, Jarlin Susana has started throwing. Is he the long-term solution in the ninth inning, ala the transition Jhoan Duran made from an oft-injured minor league starter into a late-inning force?
Rankings can fluctuate daily, and with waivers on tap in many leagues this weekend, the weekend planner will highlight situations worth tracking. It will also include updates to reliever rankings for saves and SOLDS formats.
First, updated leaderboards for saves in 2026 and the last 14 days on games played through June 11:
| 2026 Leaders | Saves | Last 14 | Saves |
| Cade Smith | 21 | Jhoan Duran | 6 |
| Mason Miller | 18 | Bryan Baker | 4 |
| Bryan Baker | 18 | Jacob Latz | 4 |
| Jhoan Duran | 17 | Alex Lange | 4 |
| Riley O’Brien | 17 | Raisel Iglesias | 4 |
| Paul Sewald | 15 | Riley O’Brien | 4 |
| Aroldis Chapman | 13 | Louie Varland | 3 |
| Raisel Iglesias | 13 | Tanner Scott | 3 |
| David Bednar | 13 | Gregory Soto | 3 |
| Lucas Erceg | 12 | Yoendrys Gómez | 2 |
| Louie Varland | 11 | Mason Miller | 2 |
| Seranthony Domínguez | 11 | Cade Smith | 2 |
| Jacob Latz | 10 | Trevor Megill | 2 |
| Andrés Muñoz | 10 | Pete Fairbanks | 2 |
| Two tied with | 9 | Clayton Beeter | 2 |
Updated RP Rankings for Saves
| Rank | Reliever |
| 1 | Cade Smith |
| 2 | Jhoan Duran |
| 3 | Mason Miller |
| 4 | Paul Sewald |
| 5 | Louis Varland |
| 6 | Bryan Baker |
| 7 | Josh Hader |
| 8 | David Bednar |
| 9 | Raisel Iglesias |
| 10 | Trevor Megill |
| 11 | Aroldis Chapman |
| 12 | Jacob Latz |
| 13 | Riley O’Brien |
| 14 | Andrés Muñoz |
| 15 | Devin Williams |
| 16 | Tanner Scott |
| 17 | Daniel Palencia |
| 18 | Alex Lange |
| 19 | Gregory Soto |
| 20 | Grant Taylor |
| 21 | Pete Fairbanks |
| 22 | Kirby Yates |
| 23 | Kenley Jansen |
| 24 | Elvis Alvarado |
| 25 | Yoendrys Gómez |
| 26 | Hogan Harris |
| 27 | Andrew Kittredge |
| 28 | Keaton Winn |
| 29 | Seranthony Domínguez |
| 30 | Clayton Beeter |
| 31 | Antonio Senzatela |
| 32 | Bryan Hudson |
| 33 | Will Vest |
| 34 | Anthony Bender |
| 35 | Abner Uribe |
| 36 | Robert Suarez |
| 37 | Jose A. Ferrer |
| 38 | Didier Fuentes |
| 39 | Brad Lord |
| 40 | Tony Santillan |
| 41 | Lucas Erceg |
| 42 | Rico Garcia |
| 43 | Tyler Rogers |
| 44 | Luke Weaver |
| 45 | Zach Maxwell |
| 46 | Bryan King |
| 47 | Brock Burke |
| 48 | Ryan Walker |
| 49 | Caleb Kilian |
| 50 | Mark Leiter Jr. |
| 51 | Carmen Mlodzinski |
| 52 | Daniel Lynch IV |
| 53 | Taylor Rogers |
| 54 | Orion Kerkering |
| 55 | Travis Adams |
| 56 | Aaron Ashby |
| 57 | Jeff Hoffman |
| 58 | Chad Patrick |
| 59 | Garrett Whitlock |
| 60 | Ryne Stanek |
Here are the updated leaderboards for SOLDS by season and the last 14 days, through June 11:
| 2026 Leaders | SOLDS | Last 14 | SOLDS |
| Cade Smith | 21 | Jhoan Duran | 6 |
| Bryan Baker | 19 | Brad Keller | 6 |
| Mason Miller | 18 | Alex Lange | 5 |
| Riley O’Brien | 18 | Bryan Baker | 4 |
| Jhoan Duran | 17 | Jacob Latz | 4 |
| Erik Sabrowski | 17 | Raisel Iglesias | 4 |
| JoJo Romero | 17 | Riley O’Brien | 4 |
| Louis Varland | 16 | Louis Varland | 4 |
| Brad Keller | 16 | Anthony Bender | 4 |
| Tyler Rogers | 16 | Anthony Banda | 4 |
| Kevin Kelly | 16 | Tyler Rogers | 4 |
| Paul Sewald | 15 | Dylan Lee | 4 |
| Gregory Soto | 15 | Michael Petersen | 4 |
| Hogan Harris | 15 | Alex Vesia | 4 |
| Jason Adam | 15 | Tim Herrin | 4 |
Updated RP Rankings for SOLDS
| Rank | Reliever |
| 1 | Cade Smith |
| 2 | Jhoan Duran |
| 3 | Mason Miller |
| 4 | Louis Varland |
| 5 | Dylan Lee |
| 6 | Bryan Baker |
| 7 | Robert Suarez |
| 8 | Hunter Gaddis |
| 9 | Fernando Cruz |
| 10 | Josh Hader |
| 11 | Gregory Soto |
| 12 | Adrian Morejon |
| 13 | Grant Taylor |
| 14 | Paul Sewald |
| 15 | Tyler Rogers |
| 16 | Jason Adam |
| 17 | Kevin Kelly |
| 18 | Riley O’Brien |
| 19 | Raisel Iglesias |
| 20 | Jacob Latz |
| 21 | Tanner Scott |
| 22 | David Bednar |
| 23 | Brad Keller |
| 24 | Trevor Megill |
| 25 | Hogan Harris |
| 26 | Aroldis Chapman |
| 27 | Jose A. Ferrer |
| 28 | Abner Uribe |
| 29 | JoJo Romero |
| 30 | Alex Lange |
| 31 | Gabe Speier |
| 32 | Rico Garcia |
| 33 | Bryan King |
| 34 | Luke Weaver |
| 35 | Devin Williams |
| 36 | Andrés Muñoz |
| 37 | Daniel Lynch IV |
| 38 | Daniel Palencia |
| 39 | Jeff Hoffman |
| 40 | Justin Sterner |
| 41 | Keaton Winn |
| 42 | Bryan Hudson |
| 43 | Orion Kerkering |
| 44 | Seranthony Domínguez |
| 45 | Will Vest |
| 46 | Jakob Junis |
| 47 | Enyel De Los Santos |
| 48 | Kenley Jansen |
| 49 | Yoendrys Gómez |
| 50 | Ryne Stanek |
| 51 | Sam Bachman |
| 52 | Brad Lord |
| 53 | Juan Morillo |
| 54 | Eduard Bazardo |
| 55 | Aaron Ashby |
| 56 | Antonio Senzatela |
| 57 | Jacob Webb |
| 58 | Anthony Bender |
| 59 | Elvis Alvarado |
| 60 | Michael Petersen |
| 61 | Tim Herrin |
| 62 | Brooks Raley |
| 63 | Mason Montgomery |
| 64 | Didier Fuentes |
| 65 | Colin Holderman |
| 66 | Caleb Kilian |
| 67 | Lucas Erceg |
| 68 | Kyle Finnegan |
| 69 | Kevn Ginkel |
| 70 | Andrew Kittredge |
| 71 | Orlando Ribalta |
| 72 | José Alvarado |
| 73 | Huascar Brazobán |
| 74 | Chad Patrick |
| 75 | Mark Leiter Jr. |
Thanks for being a part of the Closer Monkey community. Stay safe, and be well.
Statistical Credits: