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Fantasy baseball closer breakouts, sleepers, waiver wire add/drop analysis for Week 15 of 2026 include Rico Garcia, Kirby Yates, Mason Montgomery, Tanner Scott, and more.
Throughout the first half, managers who were eager to target emerging relief pitchers likely secured a potential league-winning asset at the position, as Bryan Baker and Jacob Latz were both widely available to open these seasons but have since become must-start closers.
Below, we will spotlight seven closers who have begun to see their fantasy value increase over the last week of MLB action and determine if managers should look to pick them up.
So, should fantasy managers click the add button for these emerging closer options? Let's make that call to the bullpen!
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Rico Garcia, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles reliever Rico Garcia is back in the saves conversation, though fantasy managers should not assume he is next in line. Ryan Helsley (elbow) felt discomfort while warming for the ninth inning on Wednesday, and Andrew Kittredge ended up handling the inning instead. That leaves the Orioles bullpen unsettled, with Garcia among several relievers who could get a look for save opportunities.
He has pitched well enough to remain involved, posting a (3-1) record, 2.52 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 39 strikeouts, four saves, and 11 holds over 35 2/3 innings. At 22% rostered on Yahoo, Garcia makes the most sense in 15-team formats and leagues that use the category solds.
Kittredge may receive the first opportunity, while Tyler Wells, Yennier Cano, and Grant Wolfram are also in the picture. If Helsley lands on the IL, Garcia is more of a watch-list name than a priority pickup in 12-team leagues until Baltimore shows its hand.
-Written by Bruno Mule
Kirby Yates, Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are near the bottom of the league in the standings and aren't the ideal place to search for saves, but veteran right-handed reliever Kirby Yates remains in the mix for saves in Anaheim and is an option off the waiver wire for desperate fantasy managers. The struggling Angels are currently employing a closer-by-committee that involves Yates, Sam Bachman, and Ryan Zeferjahn.
Left-hander Samy Natera Jr. picked up the team's most recent save on Sunday, but Yates had his second save of the year before that on Saturday, June 27. The 39-year-old is a two-time All-Star and is by far the Angels' most experienced reliever when it comes to saves, with an even 100 saves in his 11-plus years in the big leagues. He's gone 0-3 in 2026 with a 3.06 ERA (3.28 FIP), 0.96 WHIP, two saves, 25 strikeouts, and seven walks in 17 2/3 innings.
Yates' numbers are pretty solid, but save opportunities in Anaheim have been few and far between. In 10 1/3 innings in June, Yates allowed just four runs (three earned) while walking three and fanning 15 with three losses, a save, and a blown save. He's rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available if you're scrounging for saves near the halfway point in 2026.
-Written by Keith Hernandez
Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery and right-hander Dennis Santana have risen up the closer depth chart in Pittsburgh with lefty Gregory Soto struggling of late. Montgomery was afforded a couple of save opportunities in June, but the problem is he blew both of his save chances and struggled to a 6.52 ERA (3.00 FIP) with seven earned runs allowed on 11 hits (one homer) while walking six and striking out 16 in 9 2/3 innings with a 1-2 record, two blown saves, and a hold.
Overall in 2026, the 26-year-old former sixth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021 out of Texas Tech University has gone 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA (3.35 FIP), 1.41 WHIP, and 46:16 K:BB in his 32 2/3 innings pitched across 33 outings (four starts) for the Bucs.
While Montgomery is a late-inning option for the Pirates in their constantly evolving bullpen, he just hasn't been consistent enough in high-leverage situations for fantasy managers to trust as a source of saves in mixed leagues. Montgomery is rostered in just 1% of Yahoo leagues.
-Written by Keith Hernandez
Tanner Scott, Los Angeles Dodgers
For some reason, Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed relief pitcher Tanner Scott just isn't gaining much traction in fantasy baseball leagues in 2026, even though he leads the team in saves with Edwin Diaz (elbow) on the injured list for the foreseeable future. It's probably because of Scott's disastrous first season in L.A. in 2025, in which he lost the closer's gig and finished with a 4.74 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with a 60:18 K:BB despite saving a career-high 23 games in 57 regular-season innings pitched.
The 31-year-old southpaw has turned things around in 2026 in his second year with the Dodgers, posting a 2.08 ERA (2.54 FIP), 0.72 WHIP, 11 saves, 42 strikeouts, and only three walks in 34 2/3 innings pitched. It's a modest number of saves for the first-place Dodgers, but Scott's other numbers suggest that he should be rostered in more than 53% of Yahoo leagues.
Since last allowing a run on June 11 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Scott has been lights-out in his last seven appearances, throwing seven shutout innings with no walks, 10 strikeouts, five saves, and a hold.
Manager Dave Roberts does deploy Scott in some non-traditional save situations earlier in the game, but that shouldn't deter fantasy managers from chasing him until Diaz returns later in the second half.
- Written by Keith Hernandez
Brennan Bernardino, Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Brennan Bernardino closed out the Marlins on Wednesday to earn his first save of the year, and he could get more opportunities in the closer committee going forward. Bernardino got one strikeout and retired the Marlins to preserve his team's 6-3 victory. Antonio Senzatela and Jimmy Herget are also in the mix, but Bernardino is the only lefty in the bullpen, meaning he usually gets the highest leverage spots against lefties.
Neither Herget nor Senzatela pitched Tuesday, so it's notable that Bernardino got the call over them to lock down the save on Wednesday. He only has this one save for the season, so he's not a sure thing. However, he is worth watching in all formats and picking up in deep leagues where you're desperate for saves.
- Written by Zach Thompson
Jacob Webb, Chicago Cubs
With Chicago Cubs closer Daniel Palencia (elbow) on the injured list for the foreseeable future, right-handed reliever Jacob Webb has emerged as a candidate for saves in Chicago's bullpen alongside the likes of Caleb Thielbar, Trent Thornton, Ryan Rolison, and Jordan Wicks. The 32-year-old veteran has blown two of his save chances in June, but since his last blown save on June 20 against the Toronto Blue Jays, he has thrown four scoreless innings with one hit allowed, four walks, six strikeouts, and two wins.
Overall, the former 18th-round selection by the Atlanta Braves in the 2014 MLB draft out of Tabor College has gone 3-2 with a 3.47 ERA (3.93 FIP), 1.35 WHIP, two saves, 45 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 36 1/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen in his seventh year in the big leagues. Sporting a career-best 28.5% strikeout rate this year, Webb, along with Thielbar, should be considered a favorite for saves with the Cubs as long as Palencia remains sidelined.
Fantasy managers desperate for saves should consider Webb off the waiver wire, and he's rostered in only 3% of Yahoo leagues.
- Written by Keith Hernandez
Hogan Harris, Athletics
Athletics reliever Hogan Harris has gone nearly three weeks without a save, and his recent work has not helped his case for more chances. Over his last seven appearances, the left-hander has allowed five earned runs on 10 hits and two walks in six innings. That works out to a 7.50 ERA and 2.00 WHIP. Harris still leads the club with six saves, though, and his 47 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings are enough to keep him in the late-inning mix.
The Athletics have not settled on anyone. Elvis Alvarado remains part of the committee, while Mason Barnett earned the team's most recent save on Saturday. Harris is too risky for shallow leagues, but his 10% Yahoo roster rate leaves him widely available for managers scrambling for saves in 15-team formats. He is a little easier to roster in leagues that reward solds, as Harris has racked up 10 holds and six saves in 41 games this season.
- Written by Bruno Mule
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, Camilo Doval, Brent Headrick, Jake Bird | N/A |
| Questionable | Red Sox | Aroldis Chapman | Garrett Whitlock | Greg Weissert, Danny Coulombe, Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten | Garrett Whitlock |
| Solid | Blue Jays | Louis Varland | Tyler Rogers | Jeff Hoffman, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, Yimi Garcia (IL) | N/A |
| Volatile | Orioles | Andrew Kittredge, Rico Garcia, Ryan Helsley (DTD) | Yennier Cano | Tyler Wells, Grant Wolfram, Felix Bautista (IL) | Andrew Kittredge, Rico Garcia |
| 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 | Kyle Finnegan | Tyler Holton, Drew Anderson, Keider Montero, Will Vest (IL) | Kyle Finnegan |
| Volatile | White Sox | Seranthony Dominguez, Grant Taylor | Bryan Hudson | Sean Newcomb, Jordan Hicks | Grant Taylor |
| Solid | Guardians | Cade Smith | Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski | Matt Festa, Tim Herrin, Colin Holderman, Shawn Armstrong | N/A |
| Questionable | Royals | Alex Lange | Matt Strahm, Lucas Erceg | Daniel Lynch IV, John Schreiber, Carlos Estevez (IL) | Alex Lange |
| Questionable | Twins | Yoendrys Gomez | Travis Adams, Andrew Morris | Taylor Rogers, Eric Orze, Cody Laweryson, Cole Sands (IL) | 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 | Tyler Alexander, Peyton Gray, Cole Winn, Robert Garcia (IL) | Jacob Latz |
| Volatile | Angels | Kirby Yates | Sam Bachman, Ryan Zeferjahn | Samy Natera Jr., Brent Suter, Chase Silseth, Ben Joyce (IL) | Kirby Yates |
| Committee | Athletics | Elvis Alvarado. Hogan Harris, Mason Barnett | Justin Sterner | Luis Medina, Mark Leiter Jr. (IL) | Elvis Alvarado. Hogan Harris, Mason Barnett |
| Solid | Astros | Josh Hader | Bryan King | Steven Okert, Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan Abreu, Miguel Ullola | N/A |
| Solid | Mariners | Andres Munoz | Jose A. Ferrer | Eduard Bazardo, Cooper Criswell, 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, Robert Suarez (IL) | N/A |
| Questionable | Marlins | Pete Fairbanks | Michael Petersen | John King, Calvin Faucher, Anthony Bender (IL) | Michael Petersen, |
| Solid | Mets | Devin Williams | Luke Weaver | Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazoban, A.J. Minter | N/A |
| Solid | Phillies | Jhoan Duran | Jose Alvarado, Orion Kerkering | Tanner Banks, Tim Mayza, Brad Keller (IL) | N/A |
| Volatile | Nationals | Clayton Beeter | Orlando Ribalta, Gus Varland | Brad Lord, PJ Poulin, Richard Lovelady (IL) | Clayton Beeter |
NL CENTRAL: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves
| RotoBaller Stability Rating | Team Name | Current Closer | Direct Backup | More Holds Candidates |
Waiver Wire Add |
| Committee | Cubs | Jacob Webb, Caleb Thielbar | Ryan Rolison | Trent Thornton, Daniel Palencia (IL) | Jacob Webb |
| Solid | Reds | Emilio Pagan | Tejay Antone, Brock Burke, Pierce Johnson | Sam Moll, Caleb Ferguson, Chase Petty, Graham Ashcraft (IL), Tony Santillan (IL) | Emilio Pagan |
| Solid | Brewers | Trevor Megill | Abner Uribe | Aaron Ashby, Grant Anderson, Joel Kuhnel | N/A |
| Volatile | Pirates | Mason Montgomery, Gregory Soto | Dennis Santana | Evan Sisk, Yohan Ramirez, Brandan Bidois | Mason Montgomery |
| Volatile | Cardinals | Riley O'Brien | JoJo Romero, George Soriano | Ryne Stanek, Justin Bruihl | N/A |
NL WEST: 2026 Fantasy Baseball Closers & Saves
| RotoBaller Stability Rating | Team Name | Current Closer | Direct Backup |
More Holds Candidates |
Waiver Wire Add |
| Questionable | Diamondbacks | Paul Sewald | Jonathan Loaisiga, Brandyn Garcia | Taylor Clarke, Juan Morillo, Kevin Ginkel, A.J. Puk (IL), Justin Martinez (IL) | Jonathan Loaisiga, Brandyn Garcia |
| Volatile | Rockies | Antonio Senzatela, Jimmy Herget | Juan Mejia | Victor Vodnik, Brennan Bernardino, Jaden Hill (IL) | Jimmy Herget |
| Solid | Dodgers | Tanner Scott | Alex Vesia, Kyle Hurt, Will Klein | Edgardo Henriquez, Edwin Diaz (IL) | Tanner Scott |
| Solid | Padres | Mason Miller | Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam (IL) | Kyle Hart, David Morgan, Jeremiah Estrada (IL) | N/A |
| Solid | Giants | Caleb Kilian | Erik Miller, Dylan Smith | Sam Hentges, Ryan Walker, Keaton Winn (IL) | Caleb Kilian |
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 Rico Garcia, Kirby Yates, Mason Montgomery, Tanner Scott, Brennan Bernardino, Jacob Webb, Hogan Harris, Clayton Beeter, Grant Taylor, Alex Lange, Jacob Latz. 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 Rico Garcia, Kirby Yates, Mason Montgomery, Tanner Scott, Brennan Bernardino, Jacob Webb, Hogan Harris, Clayton Beeter, Grant Taylor, Alex Lange, Jacob Latz:
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