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Mike looks at eight potential fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers for closers and saves for Week 16 of 2026. His top relief pitcher waiver wire and trade targets for saves.
We've reached the hypothetical halfway point of the season as we hit the All-Star break this week. At this point, you should know where you stand in most leagues and what you might need to add this week before the sprint to the finish line of the season.
We try to dig a little deeper for you here with this piece, so these guys may be unknowns to many fantasy players. But values can change by the day. With stats gathered through July 12th, let's talk about some pitchers to add to the roster or watch list.
The hope is that the pitchers listed here are available to you on the waiver wire or via trade in your league. Many fantasy players do not trade closers. But there is help to be had if we look in the right spots. Let's break down some bullpen situations going into Week 16 of the 2026 fantasy baseball season.
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Andrew Kittredge, Baltimore Orioles
Last week, I was telling you to roster Tyler Wells. This week, I am asking you to consider Kittredge. Wells pitched three times this week and earned a win on Thursday night, a game that Kittredge saved. Kittredge bounced back to get the save on Friday night, a day after Wells had gone two straight.
Kittredge has the most closing experience here with 24 career saves and could be the play going forward in Baltimore. Look below. Kittredge has an elite 41.1% chase percentage in 2026. He only has a 21.1% H%, but he makes do with a stunning 51.9% groundball percentage.
We will have to wait a few days to see how it plays out, but it looks like this is at least a committee between Wells and Kittredge, and I would actually lean toward Kittredge more long-term this season.
Tyron Guerrero, Boston Red Sox
Guerrero has been around for parts of four seasons in the major leagues, but his success this year comes after not pitching in the big leagues since 2019! He has appeared in 19 games, grabbing a win and posting a 2.33 ERA, a tidy 1.03 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in 19 innings.
Guerrero still packs on the velocity at a 99.8 MPH average (99th percentile), and he is 6'8" with seven feet of extension. Good luck hitting him.
He has worked his way up to middle relief and could be in for a larger role soon. Guerrero has eight holds and a 28.7% K%. Boston is hot right now, but if they fall off and decide to move key pieces, Guerrero could be in the leverage ladder soon.
Jordan Hicks, Chicago White Sox
Now you are sure I have lost it. Jordan Hicks? I respond with yes, Jordan Hicks. Compared to 2025, He's added almost two ticks to his four-seamer (97.4 MPH to 99.3 MPH), five ticks to his sweeper (82.5 MPH to 87.2 MPH), and a tick to his sinker (97.5 MPH to 98.7 MPH).
Take a look at his June and July months below. Spotless in eight outings. He has 15 strikeouts in eight innings. One walk, three hits. Hicks looks to have found his former level. Keep in mind that the Chicago White Sox are in need of closer stabilization. Could Hicks find himself in the mix? Why not?
Samy Natera Jr., Los Angeles Angels
Natera has been a great find for the Angels, who need all the pitching help they can get at this time. Natera has a win and a hold over the last week. In only 12 games, the lefty has a win, a save, two holds, a 3.00 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 35.5% K%. Impressive stuff.
A deeper dive into the Angels' bullpen shows a high level of dysfunction and failure. The current closing situation is a three-headed monster of Kirby Yates, Ryan Zeferjahn, and Sam Bachman, with no one seeming to claim the job at this time.
Look at Natera's Statcast page below. He is limiting hard contact and striking guys out, and he's already the top lefty in their bullpen as we hit the All-Star break. Why not Natera for save chances in the second half?
Trent Thornton, Chicago Cubs
Because of his excellent performance, Thornton has worked himself into the committee in Chicago, with Daniel Palencia out. The veteran right-hander has two saves in the last week of games, and on the season, has three wins, three saves, a hold, and a 2.48 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.
Most chances seem like they could go to Jacob Webb, and there is no timeline for Palencia's return. At the very least, Thornton should be the top right-handed setup option in the Chicago Cubs bullpen for the foreseeable future.
Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates
Montgomery has been a sneaky add in deeper formats. He appears to have worked himself into a shared closer job with veteran Gregory Soto. On Saturday, Montgomery got a save in one game of a doubleheader. Who will get the next opportunity?
You can see why in his Statcast data below. He has two wins, a save, nine holds, a 4.14 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a 34.8% K%. He has experienced a flawless July thus far, tabulating nine strikeouts in four innings in that time span. Grab Montgomery if you need to gather save chances.
JT Brubaker, San Francisco Giants
Brubaker has recovered from injury woes to find himself in San Francisco's bullpen mix. He earned his first save of the year, and his career, on Saturday night. While he does not strike out many hitters at 17.6%, he has a 2.87 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
Given the current struggles of closer Caleb Kilian, Brubaker could end up getting more save chances. Kilian's 4.74 ERA leaves much to be desired right now, and the recent demotion of Ryan Walker back to Triple-A leads me to believe that Brubaker could be in a higher leverage role soon.
Luke Weaver, New York Mets
Weaver is back for anyone who may have questioned him. He is the top setup man for the New York Mets and could easily step in for closer Devin Williams should he struggle again or need a night off. After his struggles last year, it is great to see him back. Williams is on the hot seat.
Weaver sports a 1.85 ERA, a sparkling 0.82 WHIP, two wins, 11 holds, and a 29.1% K%. In leagues where you count saves + holds, he has a high value on many teams. He could also find himself on a playoff team in a different role soon if the Mets continue to lose games.
Quick Hits
Chicago White Sox
What will the White Sox do with their bullpen coming out of the break? Grant Taylor converted the last chance on Saturday, while Seranthony Dominguez appears to have been demoted to a setup role/middle relief role. Sean Newcomb could be part of the mix, as could Hicks, discussed earlier in this piece.
Colorado Rockies
Besides asking the question, "Do you care?" the answer is maybe. The Rockies recalled veteran Jordan Romano last week and immediately thrust him into the closer role with Antonio Senzatela and Juan Mejia. As odd as it may be to say, I am leaning toward Romano here for now. Egads!
Miami Marlins
Could Michael Petersen challenge the struggling Pete Fairbanks for saves in the second half? Fairbanks is sporting a 6.83 ERA and looks to have a tenuous grip on the job. Petersen would be the favorite to get a chance at the gig.
Washington Nationals
The incumbent is Clayton Beeter, and despite his struggles off and on all season, do the Nationals have anyone better to close out games? Beeter should start the second half in the captain's chair for save chances.
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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