Nick Mariano's Closer Rankings and Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 15)

July 3, 2026

Nick Mariano's top 50 closer fantasy baseball rankings, breakouts and closer waiver wire pickups for saves and holds - updated rankings for Week 15 of 2026.

July is here to ring in the second half of our fantasy baseball campaigns, which means this writer gets to escape the heat wave with some rest-of-season closer ranks and waiver wire recommendations! This column brings you my updated fantasy baseball closers rankings for Week 15 of 2026 to give you tiered closer rankings and many relievers to add across all league types. Don't tune out if most are rostered, because July is the month to pick up that trade phone.

We're gathered here to chat bullpens, with all sorts of fluctuating depth charts, an upcoming trade deadline, and plenty of injuries. Are you in a position to take some high-risk, high-reward dart throws? Or do you need to cozy up with some boring floor plays to buoy your squad for a while?

Keep up with the latest and greatest by signing up for our industry-leading news notifications to help you crush the competition. And now it's time for my top 50 fantasy baseball closer leaderboard and waiver suggestions. Note that most stats are gathered through July 2 as you review the tiered ranks alongside the Yahoo rostered rates before proceeding to the waiver adds.

Top 50 Closers: Fantasy Baseball Rankings (Week 15)

Mariano's Closers Fantasy Baseball Analysis, Waiver Wire Pickups

Don't forget to check our daily updates on the closer depth charts if you have more questions and want even more names!!

Caleb Kilian, San Francisco Giants (9%)

Kilian has a trio of saves in the last 10 days, which comes with the territory. It’s a healthy reminder that he’s actually a full-fledged closer after that month-long stretch with as many saves as five-run Coors implosions (it was one). And judging his seasonal line misses a very odd first/second half split.

3/25-5/10: 18 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 18:12 K:BB, .167 BABIP, 3.65 xERA, 4.72 FIP, 4.95 xFIP, 4.64 SIERA

5/10-7/2: 18 IP, 19 H, 13 ER, 25:5 K:BB, .356 BABIP, 3.88 xERA, 3.33 FIP, 2.76 xFIP, 2.50 SIERA

Do you want the early Kilian with good fortune and a load of walks, or the recent one getting harangued by the BABIP gods with a far superior K:BB profile? Ryan Walker got smacked for four runs without recording an out, and there isn’t a serious threat other than Walker’s previous experience at this time.

Starting the new month with a win, thanks to the clean 9th inning from Caleb Kilian!

(#SFGiants x @NationalPro) pic.twitter.com/5vBLXvx5X5

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 2, 2026

Yoendrys Gomez, Minnesota Twins (26%)

Gomez snagged a pair of saves this past week and still owns the label of “most likely closer” in Minny. It wasn’t that long ago where we were all getting memed by the team setting franchise records for most individual pitchers to log a save in a single season, and now Gomez is up to nine. No one else has more than two.

That said, Andrew Morris has pitched quite well lately, owning an 18:3 K:BB with one save and three wins (2.63 ERA, 1.97 SIERA) over the last 30 days. Sure, he’s thrown in a couple of hit batters, wild pitches, and a balk, but the man keeps things entertaining!

Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates (1%)

We’d been writing up the changing of the winds blowing into these Pirate sails, as Monty has rediscovered the whiffs just as Soto’s lost his command. Soto gave up 12 runs (11 earned) on 14 hits with a 9:4 K:BB in 7 ⅓ IP this June. No good for anyone, let alone the closer. Montgomery started June poorly, but has now allowed four runs on nine hits with a 19:6 K:BB in his last 10 ⅔ IP.

Thursday afternoon further confirmed the murkiness, as Soto had been warming up for the eighth inning against the Trea Turner-Kyle Schwarber-Bryce Harper pocket of Philly’s lineup in a 3-1 game. PIT would score two as he got loose, and then tack on another in the top of the ninth before Montgomery entered and struck out the side.

Now, Soto has had a strong year, so we can’t outright say this is a switch because he did log a 1-2-3 inning against Philly’s mashers. Dennis Santana served up a two-run shot and is up to five runs allowed in his last five games. Yohan Ramirez is electric, but still walks too many for me.

Elvis Alvarado & Mason Barnett, Athletics (6% & 2%)

Would you buy that these two have eerily identical stat lines over the last month? Both of them have exactly 13 ⅓ IP with one win, two saves, and 18 Ks. I still side with Alvarado’s arsenal by a bit, but I acknowledge Barnett’s standing on the totem pole.

And Hogan Harris is going to snag ancillary southpaw opportunities with a high K rate. I do worry that Barnett being more likely to stretch back out as a multi-inning reliever demands he slot lower here.

Alex Lange, Kansas City Royals (23%)

Why, oh why, did they throw Lange in that massive blowout loss to the White Sox? We were happy to see him secure a 1-2-3 save two days later. It’s never wise to watch your team’s closer work, and that goes double for Lange. But relative to many other accessible closers, his job security is rather swell.

There’s the fact that Carlos Estevez got an injection in his shoulder after a setback suffered during last weekend’s bullpen session. And even with the five-run shellacking, Lange’s SIERA over the last month is still better than the mark from Daniel Lynch IV, Lucas Erceg, and Matt Strahm.

Kyle Finnegan, Detroit Tigers (6%)

Kenley Jansen walked one and got one out in a brief Thursday appearance after being passed over in favor of Keider Montero on Wednesday, despite getting warm. Jansen’s 4.48 SIERA over the last 30 days is the worst among nine DET RPs with five or more relief innings in the window.

Kenley Jansen was warming in bullpen going into 9th inning and is again warming for 10th. Keider Montero also warming for 10th after Yankees tied it off Drew Anderson in his second inning of relief.

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) July 1, 2026

Finnegan is tough to trust, especially since he gave up a run on three hits on Thursday after Jansen’s quick pop, but he had an outstanding June. The 15:6 K:BB and .217 BAA over 12 ⅔ IP on the month was a breath of fresh air after that 3:9 K:BB in 11 IP this May. Read that again. Sheesh! But Will Vest is back on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation, so Finnegan is the hedge.

Jacob Webb, Chicago Cubs (3%)

Webb hasn’t had a save since June 17, though he’s notched two wins with strong high-leverage efforts since. Daniel Palencia will be out through the All-Star break, and Webb’s 23.6% K-BB% since May 1 ranks 18th out of 130 RPs with at least 20 relief frames in that span. Even if the saves don’t come in droves, that’s a good stat to lean on when seeking healthy RP contributions.

Andrew Kittredge & Rico Garcia & Tyler Wells, Baltimore Orioles (1%, 22%, & 2%)

Ryan Helsley reinjured his right elbow while warming up, holding and flexing his arm after missing extended time due to inflammation there earlier in the year. We’re likely to see a committee of sorts in the meantime, and Kittredge has 22 career saves with a 2.55 ERA (3.72 xERA) since allowing seven runs as the rust was coming off in early May.

But Garcia has been hit for eight earned runs in his last 12 games, allowing four homers in that stretch. And then Wells is cruising with a 16:2 K:BB over 12 ⅓ IP of one-run ball since June began.

Orioles closer Ryan Helsley was dealing with some right elbow discomfort. He’s getting checked over now, and more info will come in next few days, manager Craig Albernaz said.

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) July 1, 2026

Given this is a reinjury for Helsley, I'm just going to omit him altogether.

Short Relief: More Closers and Bullpen Notes

-Dance with Grant Taylor as you like, but that walkoff homer allowed during Thursday's save chance really burned. I still greatly believe in him, but at this point, you're either in for the long run, or you're over it. Seranthony Dominguez has only made one appearance in the last 10 days, so that's odd.

-Dylan Lee and Didier Fuentes are the formidable one-two punch behind Raisel Iglesias with Robert Suarez out.

-Peyton Gray’s 25.5% K-BB% is 10th on that same 130 RP leaderboard we mentioned.

-Luke Weaver’s 39.4% K-BB% leads all of them.

-Garrett Whitlock remains a strong stash where possible as the trade deadline nears.

-Samy Natera Jr. has allowed one hit with a 7:0 K:BB in his last 4 ⅓ IP for the Halos, making him an intriguing name as the Kirby Yates, Sam Bachman, and Ryan Zeferjahn names swirl.

-Adrian Morejon takes on a more centralized handcuff role with Jason Adam joining Jeremiah Estrada on the injured list. Shotout Kyle Hart as well.

-Miguel Ullola (and AJ Blubaugh) are trending up in Houston, as the rookie holds a 50% strikeout rate across his first four MLB innings. He hasn’t walked anyone yet, but please remember that he’s run a ~16% walk rate over his last two seasons at Triple-A. Can he keep attacking the zone this aggressively with the heater?

-The Marlins are navigating life with an inconsistent-at-best Pete Fairbanks. Anthony Bender hit the IL, which clears a big obstacle for Michael Petersen to see high leverage ahead of Calvin Faucher.

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