Nick Mariano's Closer Rankings and Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 17)

July 17, 2026

Nick Mariano's top 50 closer fantasy baseball rankings, breakouts and closer waiver wire pickups for saves and holds - updated rankings for Week 17 of 2026.

The All-Star break is over, and the sprint to the finish line commences this weekend. This column brings you my updated fantasy baseball closer rankings for Week 17 of 2026 to give you tiered closer rankings and relievers to add across all league types. You can always find help on the waiver wire.

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 stats are gathered through July 16 as you review the tiered ranks alongside the Yahoo rostered rates before proceeding to the waiver adds.

Top 50 Closers: Fantasy Baseball Rankings (Week 17)

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!

Yoendrys Gomez, Minnesota Twins (29% rostered)

Gomez came out of nowhere to claim the top job in Minnesota, and he is clinging to it at this time. Check out his numbers below for yourself. Gomez is a closer on a team in playoff contention, and he is free in over 70% of Yahoo leagues.

Change that this weekend if you are chasing saves; he has eight in his last 18 appearances and 11 on the season now. He will not wow you with his subpar 20.2% K%, but he has his ERA and WHIP down to 3.50 and 1.26 now, and shows no signs of surrendering the job.

See his box below; he has had three consecutive good months and can help solidify the back end of your bullpen in deeper leagues. People are sleeping on Gomez right now.

Luke Weaver, New York Mets (14% rostered)

Given the struggles of current closer Devin Williams, it would be no surprise to see Weaver slip back into a familiar role. Weaver has been dominant again this year. Yes, Williams did get the save on Thursday night, but Weaver is lurking. Williams has a 4.83 ERA. Egads.

Weaver, on the other hand, has two wins, a save, 12 holds, a 1.85 ERA, a sparkling 0.82 WHIP, and a 28.7% strikeout percentage. Even if you do not get saves from Weaver, you are getting worry-free innings from him, and he can help your roster more than a mediocre sixth starter.

Garrett Whitlock, Boston Red Sox (22% rostered)

With the recent hot streak of the Red Sox, it looks like they may stand pat at the trade deadline. But if they do not, look for closer Aroldis Chapman to be moved, which could leave the closer spot open for Whitlock. Whitlock earned their last save last weekend before the break.

Even if he is not the closer, Whitlock is still a valuable piece of a fantasy pitching staff. The veteran has four wins, two saves, 16 holds, a 2.18 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, and a 28.9% K%.

When I look at Statcast pages and see the blood red below, I am always interested in learning more about a player. The 40% chase percentage is in the 100th percentile; Whitlock keeps guys off base via the walk and limits hard contact with a high strikeout percentage. What's not to like?

Grant Taylor, Chicago White Sox (22% rostered)

I am very aware that Taylor appears in this piece weekly right now. But at 22% rostership, and for a guy who could soon be anointed the closer on a potential playoff team, I think we should be paying closer attention. The last time we saw, Seranthony Dominguez was pitching middle relief last weekend.

Taylor earned the team's last save last weekend and now has four on the season to go with five holds, a 2.79 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and a 33.8% K%. The White Sox have surprised fans this season and are in a battle in the AL Central.

The team could be looking to acquire bullpen help, but the cost for legitimate closers could be steep. Instead, management could look to add help in a setup role, and if they go that route, Taylor could be the closer the rest of the way here. Stay tuned.

Michael Petersen, Miami Marlins (8% rostered)

I am really rooting for Petersen to continue his great stretch and perhaps even be more than the Miami Marlins' top setup man. The journeyman has found his way into a top setup role this season, with a win, a save, 16 holds, a 3.07 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts in 41 innings.

The graphic below shows that Petersen has ramped up his strikeout percentage to a career-high 29.4% in 2026. He is throwing his four-seamer 60% of the time and getting lots of whiffs (29.%) and chase (31.8%). Given the season-long struggles of Pete Fairbanks, could Petersen get a shot here at closing?

Short Relief: More Closers and Bullpen Notes

• Paying close attention in Pittsburgh to what looks to be a committee situation between lefties Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery.
• Edwin Diaz is on a rehab assignment and should be back in short order for the Los Angeles Dodgers. This bullpen becomes even scarier and more dangerous with his return, which will allow Tanner Scott to get back to his primary setup role.
• We are watching the situation in San Francisco closely. Caleb Kilian is on a hot seat, and the last save went to JT Brubaker. Despite his recent issues, Kilian looks to still be the best option for the Giants' bullpen.
• Jordan Hicks is inching his way back into a setup role for the Chicago White Sox. Very quietly, he has been excellent over the last month.
• A name to watch in the Athletics bullpen is Luis Medina. While the current closer situation is a committee with Hogan Harris and Elvis Alvarado, Medina could sneak in and get some save chances in the second half.
• It looks like a co-closer situation in Baltimore between Tyler Wells and Andrew Kittredge to replace the injured Ryan Helsley. I will wait to pass judgment here, but my lean right now is Kittredge, based on his experience in the role. We will see what happens this week.
• Samy Natera Jr. is a name to know in the Los Angeles Angels' bullpen. Natera has a win, a save, two holds, and an eye-catching 35.5% K% in only 12 appearances. Earmark him for the second half.

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