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Fantasy baseball closer breakouts, sleepers, waiver wire add/drop analysis for Week 17 of 2026 include Hogan Harris, Mason Montgomery, Erik Miller, Michael Petersen, and more/
Targeting emerging relievers before they take over the ninth inning cannot only save you ample FAAB budget, but potentially provide you with near double-digit saves.
Below, we will look at six relief pitchers who have seen their fantasy value increase over the past week of MLB action and determine if they are worthy waiver wire targets.
So, should fantasy managers click the add button for these emerging high-leverage options? Let's make that call to the bullpen!
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Hogan Harris, Athletics
Athletics relief pitcher Hogan Harris picked up his seventh save of the season for the A's on Monday night, closing out the Diamondbacks by striking out the side in the ninth inning, while also allowing a walk and a hit. Even with a three-run lead, he still made it a little stressful for his fantasy managers. The 29-year-old lefty is 3-0 on the season with a 3.30 ERA and 4.04 FIP to go with his 60 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings.
Harris has allowed just one run over his last seven games, and he could earn his way to more save chances down the stretch, depending on how all the pieces shake out at the trade deadline. For deep leagues, Harris makes sense as a pickup while he's sharing work with Elvis Alvarado, but if he wins the full-time job, he could be a great pickup for all leagues down the stretch since he has such good strikeout upside to go with his potential saves.
-Written by Zach Thompson
Ryan Zeferjahn, Los Angeles Angels
Right-handed reliever Ryan Zeferjahn earned the save for the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, allowing one run on one hit and no walks or strikeouts to convert his third save of the season in five opportunities. Zeferjahn allowed a solo home run to Riley Greene, but was able to avoid any additional damage. On the season, Zeferjahn has a 4-3 record, 3.91 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, three saves, and seven holds on the season; however, this was his first save since June 12.
The underlying data supports Zeferjahn's campaign, evidenced by his 3.14 xERA and .160 xBA, and he has elite swing-and-miss stuff with a 34.2 percent whiff rate and 31.8 percent strikeout rate. His control, on the other hand, has been awful: 15.2 percent (fourth percentile). Zeferjahn's main competition for saves is Kirby Yates, who has converted on three of his six save opportunities and has a 3.74 ERA. Ironically, Jordan Romano, who was cut by the team months ago, still leads the team in saves with four.
The Angels have only recorded 12 saves on the season, but as far as who is getting the next one, Zeferjahn is clearly in the mix with Yates. In deeper formats, if you are struggling for saves, Zeferjahn should be on your radar.
-Written by Nicho Roessler
Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery struck out two in a clean eighth inning against Cleveland on Sunday. Make that seven straight scoreless appearances, 6 1/3 innings in all, with one hit allowed and 12 strikeouts. He picked up his first save of the season during that run. Montgomery's 3.92 ERA and 1.26 WHIP are not exactly closer numbers.
Fifty-eight strikeouts in 39 innings tell a different story. The ninth is not his, at least not yet. Pittsburgh started him Saturday, then used him with a four-run lead Sunday. Gregory Soto could not protect the lead in Saturday's nightcap, and Dennis Santana gave up the walk-off homer. It is still a committee, and a messy one. Montgomery is missing the most bats and has the momentum. RotoBaller has him in the 12-team range, which makes him the Pittsburgh reliever to stash for future saves.
- Written by Bruno Mule
Erik Miller, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants left-hander Erik Miller has put together a nice season so far in 2026, with a 3.18 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings pitched (33 appearances). Miller has some of the most unhittable stuff in MLB, evidenced by his .186 xBA (95th percentile) and 84.2 mph average exit velocity (99th percentile), but his control is the worst in MLB, with a 16.1 percent walk rate (first percentile).
Therefore, with Miller, you have to assume he will not help you in the WHIP category. Miller has primarily been deployed as a high-leverage, lefty specialist for the Giants, but his role of late has expanded, and he has even earned a few save opportunities (three on the season). In addition to his two saves, Miller also has 10 holds on the year, and due to his electric stuff, he is someone who has the upside to take over as the Giants' primary closing option, but for now, Miller should not be considered must-roster, more so someone to keep an eye on over the latter part of the season.
-Written by Nicho Roessler
Michael Petersen, Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins reliever Michael Petersen has been excellent this season with a 2.91 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 17 holds, and 51 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings pitched (41 appearances). Peterson has primarily worked in the eighth inning of games, and at times the seventh inning to escape jams, and is the go-to guy for the Marlins to bridge the gap to Pete Fairbanks, whom the Marlins brought in on a one-year deal to close out games for the Fish.
Fairbanks has struggled mightily this season, with a 7.42 ERA and 1.52 WHIP, and although he has converted on 13 of his 16 saves, he blew the save and took the loss on Sunday, allowing three earned runs on two hits, one walk, and one strikeout.
At some point, the Marlins are going to need to move on from Fairbanks if he continues to struggle. The Marlins are sitting at 52-48 and are currently tied for the last spot in the NL Wild Card race, and can't afford any more hiccups. Peterson has clearly been more productive this season, so fantasy managers proactively looking to get ahead and grab a potential closer in the near future may want to look at grabbing Peterson.
-Written by Nicho Roessler
Yoendrys Gomez, Minnesota Twins
Right-handed reliever Yoendrys Gomez has benefited from a move from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Minnesota Twins and has become the Twins' closer, yet somehow he's only rostered in 30% of Yahoo leagues. The 26-year-old Venezuelan hurler has a 3.43 ERA (4.71 FIP), 1.25 WHIP, a career-high 12 saves, 39 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 44 2/3 innings with the Rays and Twins this year in his fourth year in the big leagues.
Gomez has been better since joining Minnesota, though, posting a 1.65 ERA (3.10 FIP), 0.99 WHIP, 11 saves, 26 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 27 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. His 10% walk rate isn't ideal, and he also has a below-average strikeout rate (23.6%) for a high-leverage, late-inning arm, but the opportunity for continued save chances in Minnesota the rest of the 2026 season cannot be ignored by fantasy managers chasing the category.
Since the start of June, Gomez has allowed four earned runs with seven walks, 13 strikeouts, a win, nine saves, and one hold.
-Written by Keith Hernandez
Updated Closers and Saves Depth Charts
Check out our updated closer depth charts for each of the 30 MLB teams that are updated regularly by Nick Mariano.
AL EAST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves
| RotoBaller Stability Rating | Team Name |
Current Closer |
Direct Backup |
More Holds Candidates |
Waiver Wire Add |
| Solid | Yankees | David Bednar | Fernando Cruz | Tim Hill, Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn | N/A |
| Solid | Red Sox | Aroldis Chapman | Garrett Whitlock | Greg Weissert, Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten | Garrett Whitlock |
| Solid | Blue Jays | Louis Varland | Tyler Rogers | Jeff Hoffman, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, Yimi Garcia (IL) | N/A |
| Questionable | Orioles | Tyler Wells | Andrew Kittredge, Ryan Helsley (IL) | Rico Garcia, Yennier Cano, Grant Wolfram, Felix Bautista (IL) | Tyler Wells, Andrew Kittredge |
| Solid | Rays | Bryan Baker | Garrett Cleavinger, Kevin Kelly | Casey Legumina, Cole Sulser, Craig Kimbrel, Edwin Uceta (IL) | N/A |
AL CENTRAL: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves
| RotoBaller Stability Rating |
Team Name | Current Closer | Direct Backup | More Holds Candidates |
Waiver Wire Add |
| Questionable | Tigers | Kenley Jansen | Keider Montero, Kyle Finnegan | Tyler Holton, Drew Anderson, Will Vest (IL) | N/A |
| Questionable | White Sox | Grant Taylor | Sean Newcomb, Jordan Hicks | Seranthony Dominguez, Bryan Hudson, Trevor Richards | Grant Taylor |
| Solid | Guardians | Cade Smith | Hunter Gaddis, Colin Holderman | Erik Sabrowski, Matt Festa, Shawn Armstrong, Franco Aleman | N/A |
| Volatile | Royals | Alex Lange | John Schreiber | Lucas Erceg, Matt Strahm, Carlos Estevez (IL) | Alex Lange, Daniel Lynch IV |
| Questionable | Twins | Yoendrys Gomez | Andrew Morris | Travis Adams, Taylor Rogers, Woo-Suk Go, Tommy Nance | Yoendrys Gomez |
AL WEST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves
| RotoBaller Stability Rating | Team Name | Current Closer | Direct Backup | More Holds Candidates |
Waiver Wire Add |
| Solid | Rangers | Jacob Latz | Jakob Junis | Cole Winn, Robby Ahlstrom, Tyler Alexander, Peyton Gray | N/A |
| Volatile | Angels | Kirby Yates, Ryan Zeferjahn | Sam Bachman | Samy Natera Jr., Brent Suter, Chase Silseth, Ben Joyce (IL) | Sam Bachman, Ryan Zeferjahn |
| Committee | Athletics | Elvis Alvarado. Hogan Harris | Luis Medina | Mark Leiter Jr., Justin Sterner (IL) | Elvis Alvarado, Hogan Harris |
| Solid | Astros | Josh Hader | Bryan King | Steven Okert, Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan Abreu | N/A |
| Solid | Mariners | Andres Munoz | Jose A. Ferrer | Eduard Bazardo, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash (IL) | N/A |
NL EAST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves
| RotoBaller Stability Rating | Team Name | Current Closer | Direct Backup | More Holds Candidates |
Waiver Wire Add |
| Solid | Braves | Raisel Iglesias | Dylan Lee | Tyler Kinley, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Dodd, Robert Suarez (IL) | N/A |
| Volatile | Marlins | Pete Fairbanks | Michael Petersen | Calvin Faucher, Cade Gibson, Anthony Bender (IL), John King (IL) | Michael Petersen |
| Volatile | Mets | Devin Williams | Luke Weaver | Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazoban, A.J. Minter | Luke Weaver |
| Solid | Phillies | Jhoan Duran | Jose Alvarado, Orion Kerkering | Jonathan Bowlan, Tim Mayza | N/A |
| Volatile | Nationals | Clayton Beeter | Orlando Ribalta | Justin Lawrence, Tom Cosgrove | N/A |
NL CENTRAL: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves
| RotoBaller Stability Rating | Team Name | Current Closer | Direct Backup | More Holds Candidates |
Waiver Wire Add |
| Questionable | Cubs | Jacob Webb | Trent Thornton, Caleb Thielbar | Ryan Rolison, Phil Maton, Daniel Palencia (IL) | Jacob Webb |
| Solid | Reds | Emilio Pagan | Tejay Antone, Brock Burke | Caleb Ferguson, Pierce Johnson, Graham Ashcraft (IL), Tony Santillan (IL) | N/A |
| Solid | Brewers | Trevor Megill | Abner Uribe | Aaron Ashby, Grant Anderson, Chad Patrick | N/A |
| Volatile | Pirates | Mason Montgomery, Gregory Soto | Dennis Santana | Yohan Ramirez, Isaac Mattson, Brandon Eisert | Mason Montgomery |
| Solid | Cardinals | Riley O'Brien | George Soriano | Ryne Stanek, Justin Bruihl, JoJo Romero (IL) | N/A |
NL WEST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves
| RotoBaller Stability Rating | Team Name | Current Closer | Direct Backup |
More Holds Candidates |
Waiver Wire Add |
| Solid | Diamondbacks | Paul Sewald | Jonathan Loaisiga, Juan Morillo | Brandyn Garcia, Taylor Clarke, Kevin Ginkel, A.J. Puk (IL), Justin Martinez (IL) | N/A |
| Volatile | Rockies | Jordan Romano | Antonio Senzatela, Jimmy Herget, Juan Mejia | Victor Vodnik, Brennan Bernardino, Jaden Hill (IL) | N/A |
| Solid | Dodgers | Tanner Scott | Edgardo Henriquez, Will Klein | Alex Vesia, Brock Stewart, Evan Phillips, Edwin Diaz (IL) | N/A |
| Solid | Padres | Mason Miller | Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam (IL) | Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez, Yuki Matsui, Jeremiah Estrada (IL) | N/A |
| Committee | Giants | Erik Miller, Caleb Kilian | Dylan Smith | Sam Hentges, JT Brubaker, Keaton Winn | Erik Miller |
Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Hogan Harris, Mason Montgomery, Erik Miller, Michael Petersen, Ryan Zeferjan, Yoendrys Gomez, Garrett Whitlock, Alex Lange, Tanner Scott, Caleb Kilian, Jacob Webb, Tyler Wells. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Looking to pick up someone else instead? Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Hogan Harris, Mason Montgomery, Erik Miller, Michael Petersen, Ryan Zeferjan, Yoendrys Gomez, Garrett Whitlock, Alex Lange, Tanner Scott, Caleb Kilian, Jacob Webb, Tyler Wells:
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