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Mike looks at eight potential fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers for closers and saves for Week 12 of 2026. His top relief pitcher waiver wire and trade targets for saves.
We enter the middle of June this week, and the perpetual search for closers and relief pitchers who can help your rosters continues unabated. If you need saves, ratio helps, or strikeouts, these pitchers here could help you in those crucial categories.
One thing we need to point out is that none of these guys has a clear closer role. They might be a step or two away, but we can look at them and see that they could help our teams now. With stats gathered through June 15th, let's talk about some pitchers to add to the roster or watch list.
The hope here is that the pitchers listed here are available to you on the waiver wire or via trade in your league. There is help to be had if we look in the right spots. Let's break down some bullpen shenanigans going into Week 12 of the 2026 fantasy baseball season.
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Elvis Alvarado, Athletics
Alvarado is gaining in popularity as a closer add, even as the Athletics continue to show a propensity to use multiple pitchers to close games. Alvarado has two of their last four saves; lefty Hogan Harris has one, and Mason Barnett has the other over the last week.
Check out Alvarado below. He has the closer pitch mix: a fastball with velocity over 100 miles per hour, a slider that sits about 10 miles per hour slower than the fastball, an exploding sinker, and show me splitter. The pedigree is there; will he get the opportunity?
Hogan Harris, Athletics
Harris is one of the other guys the Athletics use to get saves. He actually leads the team with six saves as of this writing. Harris has flown under the radar a bit because his skill set does not lend itself to eye-popping numbers, but he has been effective at getting outs for years.
While he might not have the strikeout potential of his bullpen mate Alvarado, Harris is excellent at eliciting soft contact. Look at the consistency in his exit velocity numbers below over the last four years. Last season, Harris had four saves, a 3.20 ERA, and an average 23.5% K%.
Harris might yield saves to Alvarado, but Harris will still be a viable guy to roster in deep leagues to help with ratios, holds, and some vulture save chances. Could he get another 4-6 saves? Easily.
Andrew Kittredge, Baltimore Orioles
I know that closer Ryan Helsley will return soon, but Kittredge could easily vulture some saves while the team waits for him. He could be considered the co-closer right now with Rico Garcia, but may have surpassed Garcia; Kittredge earned the only save this week for Baltimore.
In five June outings, the veteran has a 3.60 ERA and a save. Recall that Kittredge does have 22 career saves, so he might be more trusted in Baltimore than other choices. Helsley is still rehabbing, so adding Kittredge as a saves candidate right now might work for you.
Andrew Morris, Minnesota Twins
Morris is an interesting piece to a fragmented puzzle in Minnesota. It would not surprise me at all if Morris eventually got save opportunities here. The young right-hander has a save and a win over the last week. Yoendrys Gomez is the current closer, but for how long?
Morris struck out the side on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals in one inning of work, even though he had two bad outings this past week. He limits hard contact (a 3.1% barrel rate) and has a whopping 14 strikeouts in his last seven innings. Could be a good stash.
Garrett Whitlock, Boston Red Sox
Whitlock is an amazing pitcher in the Boston Red Sox bullpen, and he may be able to help your team with strikeouts and ratios now. With the depleted Red Sox beginning to look like also-rans in the AL East, management could look to trade current closer Aroldis Chapman.
They could gift wrap the job and give it to Whitlock should they make a move. Below, you can see that Whitlock excels at getting hitters to chase. And this season, he is doing it better than ever. I would rather have Whitlock than a mediocre seventh starter.
Nate Pearson, Houston Astros
Pearson feels like a guy we have been waiting on for years, and if you follow bullpens closely, you know I am right about that one. He seems to be getting some run in Houston and quietly putting together a nice start to his season.
Pearson has a 25.6% K% in limited action for the Astros, but he is pitching well enough that he could end up moving up the ladder to a higher role soon.
Dylan Lee, Atlanta Braves
Lee is a phenomenal talent who is locked in behind two really good closers in Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez in Atlanta. Nevertheless, he is a key component there and can help you preserve precious ratios, get a bunch of strikeouts, and perhaps vulture some saves.
Alex Vesia, Los Angeles Dodgers
Vesia continues to amaze in his role for the Dodgers, and he has proven to be one of the best left-handed bullpen arms in the game. The veteran seems to find his way to five saves annually and will get a bevy of holds and strikeouts.
Similar to Whitlock above, I generally prefer to roster strong relievers like Vesia rather than a mediocre starter who might implode my delicate ratios. Vesia is a top setup option and will remain so, and if Tanner Scott falters at all, Vesia could easily get save chances.
Quick Hits:
- Ryan Helsley threw live batting practice last week and started a rehab assignment over the weekend. That makes two rehab appearances for Helsley, and you figure he needs at least three or four more before he is ready to help Baltimore again.
- Mason Barnett could be a name to know for the Athletics. Barnett earned a save and a win over the last week and finds himself in a setup role with several other pitchers in the bullpen.
- Kenley Jansen is back in Detroit, bumping Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan back to setup roles. He has not had a save chance since his return over the weekend.
- Watch Seattle. Andres Munoz left his last appearance with a balky back; with Matt Brash out, Jose A. Ferrer could find himself getting save chances.
- The Chicago Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia somehow remains stuck on three saves, frustrating fantasy players who spent a top 100 draft pick on him this spring. You may be forced to simply stick with him and hope for the best at this time.
We will always try to help you find usable players on your waiver wire or that you might target via trade. If you have questions or want to discuss any of these things, my DMs are always open on Twitter/X @mdrc0508. Happy hunting this week! Always remember to have fun with your fantasy baseball teams.
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