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Mike looks at eight potential fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers for closers and saves for Week 25 of 2026. His top relief pitcher waiver wire and trade targets for saves.
We're in the sprint to the finish line now, and finding saves, ratio controls, and strikeouts are vitally important to your team. The goal of this piece is to find some guys who can help your roster for the final weeks of the season.
This is it. This is the final push as we work towards those championships. The last little bit of work that puts the finishing touches as we prepare a space in our homes to fly that banner. We are not done yet and need to put in those final minutes and hours to secure it, so let's go.
The most important thing to remember is to never give up the ship when it comes to your fantasy baseball team. Whether you can win the league or not, stay active and competitive until the end of the season. It's more fun for everyone that way.
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Rico Garcia, Baltimore Orioles
Garcia has worked himself back into the wacky closer mix in Baltimore, locking down their last three saves, including Monday night. The Orioles play the New York Mets early in the week before a weekend set with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Garcia seems to be the top option for saves right now in a mix that also allegedly includes Andrew Kittredge and Yennier Cano. I would strongly lean Garcia at this time based on how he has been deployed; Kittredge has only pitched once over the last week.
Bryan Hudson, Chicago White Sox
Hudson is getting as many save chances as Grant Taylor in a development few saw coming. Hudson earned the last save for a scrappy Chicago team, and this looks like a timerhare with Taylor down the stretch. A full slate of games awaits with the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers this week.
Look below at Hudson's Statcast data to see what he does well: limit hard contact and barrels. Despite an average 22.5% K%, Hudson has a low walk rate and inspires a fairly high groundball percentage. Stream him this week for vulture saves.
Tyler Wells, Tampa Bay Rays
Wells has been almost untouchable since his trade to Tampa Bay this summer. Yes, Bryan Baker has 40 saves, but Wells has been terrific in Tampa: three wins, four saves, and 14 holds over that span. Wells has a nice 2.38 ERA and 26% K% with those stat-filling numbers.
You can see his Statcast in the box below. Despite lacking a potent fastball, Wells gets lots of swing-and-misses and chases on his pitches. No days off for the Rays this week, so you know Wells will see action and help you with your bullpen bottom line. He could vulture a save or two from Baker.
Robert Garcia, Texas Rangers
Garcia quietly returned last week from the injured list and was immediately thrust into a top setup role. Over the weekend, the veteran lefty earned a win and a hold in support of closer Jacob Latz. Garcia had been slightly miscast as a closer last year, and appears far more comfortable in setup.
The Rangers are fighting for a playoff spot and have three-game sets with the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays this week. Garcia will see plenty of action and could help with holds, ratios, and strikeouts in these last few games.
Evan Phillips, Los Angeles Dodgers
Phillips is back in Los Angeles, and it was just two years ago that he led the team with 18 saves. The Dodgers are essentially conducting open tryouts for playoff bullpen spots, and Phillips should be a big part of that this year.
Tanner Scott has admirably done a fine job in what was supposed to be Edwin Diaz's role. But Scott has scuffled lately, allowing the resurgent Phillips to get a bigger role in the bullpen mix. An injury to Edgardo Henriquez opens the door wider to the prime setup role for Phillips.
As seen below, Phillips has the strikeout stuff back this year and could get some saves this last week of the season as the next best option to Scott. The Dodgers have three-game sets with the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants, and wins should be there, which could mean saves for Phillips.
Trent Harris, San Francisco Giants
Harris is supposedly part of a committee in San Francisco, but I am not seeing that. Harris should get the bulk of the opportunities down the stretch. The issue will be: are there wins to save here? There could be, and Harris seems to be the top option here.
You can see below that he has been effective, especially in September, and that would seem to bode well for his chances in these last few games. San Francisco has winnable games in St. Louis before taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend.
Jack Sinclair, Erik Tolman, Washington Nationals
Sinclair and Tolman have muscled their way into the closer conversation in Washington with the demotion of Clayton Beeter to the minors last week. This should be a two-headed save monster this week, wrapping up a set with the Philadelphia Phillies before three at the St. Louis Cardinals.
Both Tolman and Sinclair have earned saves and wins over the last week, and perhaps both could be substantial pieces of the Washington bullpen moving forward into 2027. Sinclair may have a slightly higher nudge based on handedness here, but both should see chances.
Bullpens and Saves Quick Hits
Athletics
This has been an odd bullpen all season with multiple closing options. At this time, it's a timeshare between Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris. Alvarado got and converted the last chance here, but both are viable. Every time I suggest a lean. the team goes the opposite direction. Series with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians fill this week.
Baltimore Orioles
As noted above, Rico Garcia is the man to roster right now, but Andrew Kittredge and Yennier Cano can get you holds, and ratio helps as well. Josh Walker has also been effective as the top lefty coming out of the bullpen, and he could earn holds here as well.
Texas Rangers
I wrote about Garcia above, but another thing to know is that veteran starter Nathan Eovaldi is back, but in the bullpen. It appears that the team cannot build him back up to starter strength with so little time left in the season. The plan is to use Eovaldi in two- to three-inning spurts, which means he could vulture wins and add some strikeouts to the ledger. Robert Garcia and Jakob Junis are expected to get the bulk of the setup work, but Eovaldi is one to watch.
I like Eovaldi especially in leagues where you can plug him into an "SP" slot and get points out of him despite the lack of a starting role.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs bullpen is in flux. The Jacob Webb forearm scare and Daniel Palencia's ineffectiveness have shed new light here. They have a couple of weeks to figure it out before the playoffs begin, and the Cubs have lofty goals to win the World Series this year. They will need both of these guys in major roles to pull that off. Ryan Rolison and Ryan Zeferjahn have filled key roles, but this team needs to find a reliable option to get the last three outs of games.
Philadelphia Phillies
Jhoan Duran has struggled over the last two weeks, but is the unquestioned closer on a top team. Blown saves abound this week; Duran has one and a loss, and Jonathan Bowlan, Brooks Raley (two), Jose Alvarado, and Chase Shugart have all blown chances this week. They will need to figure this out before the playoffs start if they hope for a deep run.
Keep grinding! The middle of September is here, and those elusive championships await us at the end of the month. Finish the job strong, and never give up on your fantasy team!
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