Nick Mariano's Closer Rankings and Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 16)

July 10, 2026

Nick Mariano's top 50 closer fantasy baseball rankings, breakouts and closer waiver wire pickups for saves and holds - updated rankings for Week 16 of 2026.

Welcome to mid-July and the coming All-Star break. This column brings you my updated fantasy baseball closer rankings for Week 16 of 2026 to give you tiered closer rankings and many relievers to add across all league types.  Rust never sleeps, so don't nap too long this break.

We're gathered here to chat about 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? Looking for boring vets? Ratio stabilization? We have you covered.

Keep up with the latest and greatest by signing up for our industry-leading news notifications. Here are my top 50 fantasy baseball closer leaderboard and waiver suggestions. Note that most stats are gathered through July 10 as you review the tiered ranks alongside the Yahoo rostered rates before proceeding to the waiver adds.

Top 50 Closers: Fantasy Baseball Rankings (Week 16)

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!

Aaron Ashby, Milwaukee Brewers (36% rostered)

Ashby is a market inefficiency that people are not taking advantage of this year. Look, he is a top setup guy on one of the best teams in baseball, and 64% of fantasy players are ignoring him and his huge stat line. Take a look.

Ashby has 12 wins (12!), seven holds, a 3.13 ERA, a slightly bloated 1.41 WHIP, and a 30.1% K%. Yes, he will not get saves unless Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe are hurt, but all of his stats, save the WHIP, are rosterable in just about any league.

I often tell people that having a great reliever on your team who helps in a variety of ways is better than having a mediocre sixth or seventh starter who gets obliterated every other time out. Ashby is a kind of cheat code around that mess.

Jeff Hoffman, Toronto Blue Jays (53% rostered)

Do not be surprised if Hoffman gets opportunities to close again if Louis Varland struggles at any point. Hoffman has been unscored upon since June 6th and boasts a 0.79 WHIP over that span, and a whopping 63 strikeouts in 39 innings this season. At the very least, he is in a high-leverage role.

Check out his Statcast metrics below.

Grant Taylor, Chicago White Sox (20% rostered)

The White Sox bullpen is truly confounding as we look at manager Will Venable's usage pattern. What seems clear is that the team is currently using their arm, Taylor, only once or twice a week. If the Sox are to stay in contention in a weak AL Central, they will need to improve the work out of their bullpen.

Taylor earned a save last Saturday and then did not pitch again until Thursday. He has four wins, three saves, a 2.89 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 33.9% K%. Yet he is barely rostered in most leagues due to the uncertainty of his role. That role should expand in the second half of the season.

Check out Taylor's insane 97th percentile strikeout percentage below.

Keider Montero, Detroit Tigers (15% rostered)

I mentioned Montero last week as someone who could push his way into higher-leverage work in Detroit, both because he has pitched exceptionally well and their bullpen has really struggled all season.

Montero has five wins as a starter, one save in relief, to go with a tidy 3.15 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, but a low 16.1% K%. He will not help you in strikeouts, but will help you with your ratios, and he could be in line for greater leverage work.

Montero got a three-inning save last weekend, and right now, he appears to be wasted in long relief. Closer Kenley Jansen has a 4.76 ERA and four blown saves, and Kyle Finnegan has struggled as well. Middle relief could be beckoning, and Montero could get a shot at it in the coming second half of the season.

Clayton Beeter, Washington Nationals (12% rostered)

Yes, I am aware that the grip on the job may be tenuous, but who is a better option in the struggling Washington bullpen at this moment? Listen, if you need saves desperately, Beeter is worth taking a look at this week.

The numbers under the hood are not bad: Beeter has three wins, seven saves, a 3.00 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP (despite a 15.8% walk rate), and a 26.3% K rate. He has gone seven of his last eight appearances without any walks, which I find encouraging.

He does not seem to have any competition at this point on the roster, so if you need saves and are willing to take on some risk, take a look at Beeter this weekend.

Jordan Romano, Colorado Rockies (5% rostered)

The numbers are not pretty, but Romano is back in the closer conversation in Colorado. He has converted two chances over the last five days and has as good a shot as anyone on the Colorado committee to get the next one.

I know you are probably going to stop reading here, and I get it. The stat line below is a touch schizophrenic. But with no one else really fitting this closer profile in Colorado, why not Romano? Would you prefer Antonio Senzatela? Jimmy Herget? I think Romano gets run here.

Short Relief: More Closers and Bullpen Notes

• I am really interested to see how Baltimore is going to handle their closer situation. Tyler Wells had gotten the last two chances until Thursday night, when he got the win, and Andrew Kittredge got the save. Both Yennier Cano and Rico Garcia could be in this mix as well.
• Tyron Guerrero is carving out a nice spot in the Boston bullpen. He has a 2.45 ERA, seven holds, and 30.3% K%.
• Jordan Hicks is showing signs of life in a White Sox bullpen that could use some help. He is unscored upon in his last seven outings, generating 12 strikeouts over seven innings, and surrendering only one walk. Might the Sox have found something here?
• Andrew Morris continues to excel in a setup role in Minnesota. He is one step away from the closer role.
• We see you, Didier Fuentes, in that setup role in Atlanta. A 2.52 ERA, a save, and eight holds in a new role will get you noticed.
• Trent Thornton seems to be part of the closer committee for the Chicago Cubs, earning a save on Tuesday night. Both Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb are part of this committee as well. Closer Daniel Palencia remains on the IL with elbow tendinitis, and it is unclear when he may return.

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