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Fantasy baseball closer breakouts, sleepers, waiver wire add/drop analysis for Week 22 of 2026 include Tanner Scott, Justin Martinez, Kodai Senga, Steven Cruz, and Ben Joyce.
Over the past month, fantasy managers have seen many teams turn to new options in the ninth innings. Players such as Jacob Webb, Brandyn Garcia, and Kodai Senga have emerged as potential late-season save sources.
In this piece, we will spotlight five closers who have begun to see their fantasy value soar and determine if they are "top" waiver wire targets.
Let's dive in!
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Tanner Scott, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott picked up his 18th save of the season on Wednesday night, pitching a scoreless 10th inning with a strikeout in his team's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Colorado Rockies. With Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz (neck) back on the injured list, Scott has now earned saves in back-to-back appearances and should see regular save opportunities for as long as Diaz remains sidelined.
Across 51 1/3 innings (55 games) on the year, Scott has pitched to a 2.28 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 63 strikeouts and 18 saves. The 32-year-old has struck out 32% of the batters he's faced while posting just a 5.6% walk rate. In any league where Scott is available, he should be viewed as a must-roster saves source until Diaz returns from the IL.
-Written by Will Brady
Kodai Senga, New York Mets
New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga is attempting to reinvent himself as a relief pitcher. Senga has been working as a closer lately and has pitched extremely well in that role. During August, Senga has only given up one earned run while recording four saves in six appearances. The expectation is that Senga will continue being the closer until Devin Williams (shoulder) returns, which is likely at some point in September.
Fantasy managers seeking help in the relief pitcher department should consider adding Senga while he's still the closer. Williams figures to take over as the closer once he's healthy, but it's unclear when that'll be right now.
-Written by Andy Webb
Justin Martinez, Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Justin Martinez recently made his season debut after missing a majority of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Martinez threw a scoreless inning against the Boston Red Sox during his season debut on Tuesday.
He is pitching in low-leverage situations right now, but could work his way into the closer role in Arizona. Martinez earned 14 saves between the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the D-Backs. This team doesn't have a lockdown closer at the moment after Paul Sewald lost the job. Martinez could quickly slide into the role if he continues to pitch well. He's someone to keep an eye on as a possible stash in September.
- Written by Andy Webb
Steven Cruz, Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Steven Cruz has been working as the closer lately. He has earned four of the team's last five saves and appears to have a strong hold on the closer role right now. Cruz did give up two earned runs during his latest appearance against the Athletics on Wednesday.
Outside of that, Cruz has looked good enough on the mound to warrant adding in deep leagues. Overall, Cruz owns a 4.37 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 51/18 K/BB ratio across 45 appearances. There's enough value here to warrant scooping up Cruz in deep leagues.
-Written by Andy Webb
Ben Joyce, Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce might be the closer of the future for this organization. He has been limited to six innings this season, but is quickly making an impact with the Halos. So far this season, Joyce has thrown six scoreless innings, allowing one hit, while striking out eight batters.
He notched his third save of the season versus the Houston Astros on Tuesday. Joyce is looking like a decent source of saves for fantasy managers down the stretch of the season. The Angels don't win a ton of games, but Joyce is likely to remain the full-time closer as long as he keeps pitching well.
-Written by Andy Webb
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 | Erik Miller, Garrett Whitlock (IL) | Greg Weissert, Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten (IL) | N/A |
| Solid | Blue Jays | Louis Varland | Tyler Rogers | Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty, Spencer Miles | N/A |
| Committee | Orioles | Andrew Kittredge, Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia | Cam Sanders, Ryan Helsley (IL) | Grant Wolfram, Felix Bautista (IL) | Andrew Kittredge, Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia, Cam Sanders |
| Solid | Rays | Bryan Baker | Kevin Kelly, Tyler Wells | Casey Legumina, Garrett Cleavinger, 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 |
| Solid | Tigers | Kenley Jansen | Kyle Finnegan | Tyler Holton, Drew Sommers, Will Vest (IL) | N/A |
| Committee | White Sox | Grant Taylor, Bryan Hudson | Sean Newcomb, Jordan Hicks | Trevor Richards, Huascar Brazoban | Grant Taylor |
| Solid | Guardians | Cade Smith | Hunter Gaddis, Colin Holderman | Erik Sabrowski, Matt Festa | N/A |
| Questionable | Royals | Steven Cruz | Nate Pearson, John Schreiber | Alex Lange, Carlos Estevez (IL) | Steven Cruz |
| Solid | Twins | Yoendrys Gomez | Andrew Morris, Jeff Hoffman | Travis Adams, Taylor Rogers, A.J. Minter | 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 | Chase Silseth, Cole Winn, Robby Ahlstrom, Tyler Alexander, Peyton Gray | N/A |
| Questionable | Angels | Ben Joyce | Jose Fermin, Samy Natera Jr. (IL) | Blake Weiman, Sam Bachman (IL) | Ben Joyce |
| Questionable | Athletics | Hogan Harris | Elvis Alvarado, Luis Medina | Drew Rom, Brady Basso | 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, Seranthony Dominguez, 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 | Didier Fuentes, Dylan Dodd,Robert Suarez (IL) | N/A |
| Solid | Marlins | Pete Fairbanks | Michael Petersen | Calvin Faucher, Cade Gibson, Victor Vodnik, John King | N/A |
| Volatile | Mets | Kodai Senga, Daniel Duarte | Nate Lavender, Devin Williams (IL) | Jonathan Pintaro, Jefry Yan | N/A |
| Solid | Phillies | Jhoan Duran | Jonathan Bowlan, Orion Kerkering | Jose Alvarado, Tim Mayza, Brooks Raley | N/A |
| Questionable | Nationals | Clayton Beeter | Orlando Ribalta | Yovanny Cruz, Tom Cosgrove | Clayton Beeter |
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, Daniel Palencia (IL) | Trent Thornton, Ryan Zeferjahn | Ryan Rolison, Caleb Thielbar | Jacob Webb |
| Solid | Reds | Emilio Pagan | Tejay Antone, Brock Burke | Pierce Johnson, Graham Ashcraft (IL), Tony Santillan (IL) | N/A |
| Solid | Brewers | Trevor Megill | Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe (IL) | Grant Anderson, Chad Patrick, Antonio Senzatela, JoJo Romero (IL) | N/A |
| Volatile | Pirates | Mason Montgomery | Luke Weaver, Gregory Soto | Yohan Ramirez, Camilo Doval, Kirby Yates | Mason Montgomery |
| Solid | Cardinals | Riley O'Brien | 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 | Justin Martinez, Brandyn Garcia | Jonathan Loaisiga, Juan Morillo | Kevin Ginkel, Taylor Clarke, A.J. Puk (IL) | Justin Martinez, Brandyn Garcia |
| Solid | Rockies | Jordan Romano | Jimmy Herget, Juan Mejia | Brennan Bernardino, Jaden Hill | Jordan Romano |
| Solid | Dodgers | Tanner Scott | Evan Phillips, Edwin Diaz (IL) | Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez, Brock Stewart | Tanner Scott |
| Solid | Padres | Mason Miller | Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada | Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez, Yuki Matsui, Jason Adam (IL) | N/A |
| Questionable | Giants | Dylan Smith | JT Brubaker, Keaton Winn | Sam Hentges | Dylan Smith |
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 Tanner Scott, Justin Martinez, Kodai Senga, Steven Cruz, Ben Joyce, Grant Taylor, Jacob Webb, Brandyn Garcia. 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 Tanner Scott, Justin Martinez, Kodai Senga, Steven Cruz, Ben Joyce, Grant Taylor, Jacob Webb, Brandyn Garcia:
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