Nick Mariano's Closer Rankings and Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 6)

May 3, 2026

Nick Mariano's top 50 closer fantasy baseball rankings, breakouts and closer waiver wire pickups for saves and holds - updated rankings for Week 6 of 2026.

The Julian calendar is making a call to the bullpen and bringing May on with April's arm spent, so let's discuss how to crush it with my rest-of-season closer ranks and waiver wire recommendations! This column will discuss our updated fantasy baseball closers rankings for Week 6 of 2026, and bring you a tiered closers rankings table and key relievers to add. We've got the closer waiver wire, surging setup men in vulnerable bullpens, trade targets, cut candidates, and more.

Long have I wanted to believe that every bullpen had something to offer, even if it isn't a closer, per se. Alas, some teams are truly beyond salvation, but we'll never stop checking for a pulse! We try to balance a saves-focused approach with the idea that you can't tank your own ratios and K/9 efficiency in the pursuit of the ninth.

The injuries and meltdowns are parts of the game, so be sure that you stay tapped into the news stream with our industry-leading team. I'm grateful to have a weekly chance to soak it all in and discuss the landscape at large with my top 50 fantasy baseball closer leaderboard and waiver suggestions. Now, let's dig into my ranks and waiver adds, accompanied by tiers and Yahoo rostered rate, with most stats gathered through April 30.

Top 50 Closers: Fantasy Baseball Rankings (Week 6)

Mariano's Closers Fantasy Baseball Analysis, Waiver Wire Pickups

Don't forget to check our daily updates on the closer depth charts if you have more questions and want even more names!!

**FRIDAY UPDATE: May starts with another surprise bullpen injury, with Baltimore placing Ryan Helsley on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation. Everyone can thank Reddit user Economy_Macaroon6093 for jinxing it over on our discussion there.

Without a named closer, Rico Garcia (18%) is the top target based on performance and usage. Andrew Kittredge (2%) is also in the conversation due to his closing experience, but they may not want to press the 36-year-old this quickly after being activated from the IL. We could also see Anthony Nunez (5%) and Yennier Cano (1%), with Keegan Akin (1%) potentially sneaking into southpaw-friendly spots.

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Paul Sewald, Arizona Diamondbacks (67% rostered)

Hold on, Sewald ripped off seven saves in the team’s first three weeks of play, and his rostered rate is dropping back into the 60s because of one week without a save chance? Chill, chill.

Shoutout to the flamethrowing Juan Morillo (12%) though, who has 10 strikeouts, a win, and a save over his last six appearances without an earned run. The window grows shorter between A.J. Puk’s (1%) possible late-May return and Sewald blowing it to create an opportunity for Morillo to seize the job, but Puk is no sure thing to return to form. Keep an open mind.

Carlos Estevez, Kansas City Royals (65%)

I have to mention him because we finally got an update, sort of. Kansas City’s president of baseball operations, J.J. Picollo, effectively “vagueposted” in an interview that Estevez’s velocity was improved during Tuesday’s live batting practice session, except he didn’t give us a number. Estevez could start a rehab assignment next week and should reclaim the ninth upon activation.

Carlos Estevez threw to live hitters in Arizona yesterday and JJ Picollo said he velocity was up closer to what it needed to be

— Cody Tapp (@codybtapp) April 29, 2026

Abner Uribe, Milwaukee Brewers (64%)

Another good arm stuck without a save chance since April 18. The closest script we saw was Sunday’s win, where they held a 5-0 lead throughout the late game.

Milwaukee used Trevor Megill in the seventh, Aaron Ashby in the eighth, and Uribe in the ninth. It was Uribe who retired the side in order with two strikeouts, whereas Megill got two Ks, but also allowed two baserunners.

Louis Varland, Toronto Blue Jays (60%)

Based on talent, Varland should be well past this band of arms. I recognize that this fear of Jeff Hoffman simply stepping back into the ninth as soon as you pony up for Varland is present, but he’s a serious threat to finish as a top-five closer if he keeps the job. That’s what you aim for.

Seranthony Dominguez, Chicago White Sox (50%)

I’ll admit that I was, and still am, reluctant to trust Dominguez on my teams. Though he’ll have his off days, piecing together a one-week period with three saves and a win will balance out the one extra-inning loss.

The 15.5% walk rate echoes last year’s 13.8% clip, but his current .179 BABIP is well below the .281 mark from ‘25 (.266 career). His swinging-strike rate is down three percentage points, and he’s already allowed three homers (five in 62 ⅔ IP last year). The 4.08 SIERA says “meh, but fine,” while the 6.20 FIP is a fire alarm.

Jordan Leasure’s 6.91 ERA and 7.37 FIP/4.69 SIERA are even more concerning, so he’s out. Grant Taylor fell one out shy of his first save of the year, a multi-inning effort, but they’ve needed him for high leverage all over the place. That 0.90 FIP is swoon-worthy, but dang, the .385 BABIP is still close to 2025’s blazing .420 behemoth. He’s also yet to allow a homer since 2024.

Bryan Baker, Tampa Bay Rays (46%)

But Nick, he’s been rostered in my league since 2009! Yeah, I get it. But the rostered rate doesn’t lie, and some of you still have moves to make. Perhaps this internalized attitude towards Tampa being incapable of committing to a reliever for the year is unshakeable for some groups.

This past week saw Griffin Jax work 2 ⅓ IP as an opener, while Cole Sulser is the key setup man for now. It is Baker’s job. This how we should all be lining up to snag him, and that includes someone who rosters him but doesn't appropriately value him:

The guys love Bryan Baker

Peep Yandy 😂 pic.twitter.com/I2g6nShZy4

— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) April 28, 2026

Tanner Scott, Los Angeles Dodgers (44%)

This guy is going to fly up to the 70-80% range after one good/lucky week of consecutive save opportunities. The Dodgers have been cool with using Alex Vesia earlier in games, Blake Treinen isn’t that good, and Scott got the last Dodger save on April 23. Maybe you can still snag him for cheaper than he deserves before that stretch of time comes.

Gregory Soto, Pittsburgh Pirates (26%)
Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates (3%)

Dennis Santana is struggling, and the team seemed to acknowledge this by giving him a get-right eighth inning while down two against the bottom half of St. Louis’ order. Though he retired the side in order, Masyn Winn hit a 312-foot lineout, and Nathan Church cracked a 101.7 mph flyout to center that went 384 feet.

Soto owns a 20:6 K:BB with only six hits allowed over 14 ⅔ IP of work and should be the pivot. Montgomery’s talent is electric, but Pittsburgh has shown they’re willing to use him all over the place. He’s pitched late, opened, and worked the seventh in Thursday’s loss. His velocity was down a tick, perhaps contributing to his first strikeout-less appearance all year. We’ll monitor that.

Tony Santillan, Cincinnati Reds (19%)

The National League leader in holds remains one of the better “next men up” to target after Emilio Pagan gave up two runs on three hits in a non-save ninth against Colorado. Cincy had a 6-2 lead after Victor Vodnik got roughed up in the eighth (shocked Pikachu), and now Pagan holds an ugly 10:6 K:BB with eight runs allowed in 13 ⅓ IP.

He only got one whiff on 10 swings here (9% CSW rate), and now the 5.14 FIP/5.78 xFIP tightly flank the 5.40 ERA. Santillan isn’t a sabermetric stallion (4.36 FIP/4.04 xFIP), but the results speak loudly with Pagan struggling.

Antonio Senzatela, Colorado Rockies (12%)

Senzatela made waves with that five-out save back on April 24, especially in the face of others scuffling. But he didn’t pitch again for six days, throwing a scoreless 1 ⅔ IP to trim his ERA to 0.46 through 19 ⅔ IP this year. That 12.4% swinging-strike rate dwarfs 2025’s 7.6% mark.

Jack Perkins, Athletics (7%)

Here we go, everyone’s perking up now! The youngster picked up his first “conventional” one-inning save of the season on Thursday, which gives him three saves in their last eight games. The 2.70 ERA is off to a good start, and yet the 17:3 K:BB in 13 ⅓ IP has his FIP sitting over a full run lower (1.69). He’s pounding the zone, and hitters can’t connect. Let’s go!

Jacob Latz, Texas Rangers (8%)

Texas let Latz get the final six outs to wrap up a 3-0 win over the Yankees. The southpaw only allowed one hit, striking out one without issuing a walk. The encouraging signs for his momentum as a key part of the closer committee, if not the closer outright, are growing by the game.

Kyle Finnegan, Detroit Tigers (8%) / Will Vest (7%)

Kenley Jansen has been tagged for a two-run homer and the blown save/loss in back-to-back appearances, and also holds a 3:3 K:BB with at least one hit allowed in each of his last six games. Was he getting a breather after the bad night? They used him on consecutive days on April 14-15, so it’s interesting that they turned to Kyle Finnegan, who threw 29 pitches ahead of Jansen on Wednesday, for Thursday’s save.

Naturally, he converted it, with only one line-drive single allowed. Now, Finnegan has had an ugly 2026 campaign when you look under the hood. The 0.57 ERA has a 12:10 K:BB and 4.33 FIP/5.06 xFIP beneath it, but there’s an 8:2 K:BB in his last five games.

Vest has a 6.17 ERA with a 3.27 xERA, 3.55 FIP, and 3.42 xFIP, but looks like a longer dart throw. He hadn’t entered a game since throwing eight pitches on Sunday, and yet they still went with Finnegan on a B2B instead. Let’s see how Jansen looks the next time out.

Tyler Phillips, Miami Marlins (6%) / John King (0%) / Michael Petersen (0%) / Anthony Bender (1%) / Josh White (0%)

Pete Fairbanks was forced to the injured list with nerve irritation in his throwing hand, specifically the thumb, which takes one more “established closer” off the board. What’s another chaotic committee between friends? The team is optimistic on the surface, but we all know how that can go.

Pete Fairbanks is going on the IL with nerve irritation. #Marlins hope it’s just the 15 days.

— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) April 29, 2026

Phillips gets the initial bump through snagging an early save in the fray. King has been the key left-hander, while I like what I've seen from Petersen more than Bender. I cannot go with Calvin Faucher, but I acknowledge that he will get some chances.

White will be on my radar all year with Fairbanks already dealing with this nerve problem. The top prospect has a 16:10 K:BB at Triple-A, but only five hits allowed in 15 IP has helped him only allow two runs despite the free passes. And guess what? He walked four in the first game, so how about a 15:6 K:BB with two wins, a save, and five hits scattered over 14 IP? Make the call!

Short Relief: More Closers and Bullpen Notes

-Over the last 14 days, 395 RPs have at least three innings pitched. The top five in K% are: Munoz (52.6%), Varland (50%), F. Cruz (47.8%), E. Miller (45%), and Austin Warren (44.4%).

-Munoz and Varland are still No. 1 and 2 on the K-BB% leaderboard there, with Warren jumping to No. 3 and Morillo checking in at No. 4.

-Shift that to the last 21 days, and you get Vesia, Iglesias, Varland, Chapman, and M. Miller in the K% top five. The K-BB% top five is the same, except that Vesia and Varland are swapped.

-When someone says that hard-throwers naturally allow louder contact, note that M. Miller leads those RPs with a lowly 11.1% hard-hit rate.

-Erik Sabrowski remains the Mason Miller of holds with a league-leading 12. Santillan is second with nine, while Morillo and a scuffling JoJo Romero have eight.

-Bryan Abreu worked the seventh in Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader, striking out three in the inning (good!), but allowing a run on two hits and two walks (ugh). Enyel De Los Santos struck out two in a scoreless eighth after that.

-Clearly, I think that Raisel Iglesias does get the job back. Disagreeing on more speculative points like that are easy to chop up, and you can boost Suarez into the top 10 if so.

**Thanks for reading this column. It means a lot to connect with folks I’ll never meet over this silly little bullpen dart game that we play within our silly little fantasy baseball operation.

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