Nick Mariano's Closer Rankings and Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 23)

August 28, 2026

Nick Mariano's top 50 closer fantasy baseball rankings, breakouts and closer waiver wire pickups for saves and holds - updated rankings for Week 23 of 2026.

The trade deadline came and went, and now we sprint through August. This column brings you my updated fantasy baseball closer rankings for Week 23 of 2026, with tiered closer rankings and relievers to add across all league types. This week we're back to Nick Mariano for the rankings, while I (Mike Carter) will continue to provide you with the waiver wire suggestions.

I am so intrigued covering bullpens each week; it is a fascinating job watching the ins and outs of bullpens, and how they change day-to-day. A closer today may be a mop-up guy tomorrow; one never knows how it works out. Bullpen usage in the major leagues is causing headaches to those of us chasing saves; it makes discussing the relevance of saves as a fantasy category more compelling this winter than ever. I have many thoughts on this when the time comes to share them.

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. Stats are gathered through August 20th. There are relief pitcher options on the waiver wire that can help your team immediately. Need saves? Ratio help? Strikeouts?  Read on.

Top 50 Closers: Fantasy Baseball Rankings (Week 23)

Mike'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!

Elvis Alvarado, Athletics

So this Athletics bullpen is kind of fun, right?  Unless you are a fantasy player in search of saves. Alvarado had converted three save chances since last weekend, and looked splendid in the process. Lefty Hogan Harris nabbed one on Sunday, and this appears to be a shared role now. But I like Alvarado to get the bulk of the chances based on his effectiveness and, quite frankly, his handedness. Look at the splits below; Alvarado has a win, three saves, and a 1.64 ERA in August. Time to grab him off waivers.

Grant Taylor, Chicago White Sox

I think more people have expressed frustration to me over the White Sox bullpen than any other. Fantasy players and baseball fans alike have wondered aloud why Taylor is not the favored closer each night in Chicago. When you see his Statcats below, you can understand why; it is blood red in all the important places. Manager Will Venable's bullpen usage focuses on using any guy at any time; he feels that he might need Taylor more in the seventh inning than the ninth inning, and you can see that, even if you disagree with it.

But we have seen a slightly different usage pattern here for Taylor over the last week or so. He has gotten the last two save opportunities in this bullpen in straight ninth inning situations, and blew one on Sunday in a 1-0 game against the New York Mets in which he earned the win, and then a two-pitch outing on Tuesday in which he got Hagen Smith out of a jam.

The Sox head to Minnesota this weekend, and we will be watching this usage pattern carefully. Taylor could be a dominant closer.

Drew Sommers, Detroit Tigers

Sommers has moved into a middle relief role for Detroit and is looking like he can handle a larger role. The lefty was recalled earlier this summer and has a win, 10 holds, a 2.93 ERA, and an eye-catching 37.7% K%. Kyle Finnegan holds down one setup role, and Tyler Holton has had the other, but Sommers is forcing his way into that picture.

The team has used Holton in a variety of roles, and it would not surprise me to see him used differently in a swing type of role. Sommers could be part of this equation soon. A name to know for later.

Calvin Faucher, Miami Marlins

Miami lost closer Pete Fairbanks to a nerve issue in his right hand last week, and this looked to be a closer committee situation between Faucher, Tyler Zuber, and perhaps Michael Petersen. However, I believe Faucher has the upper hand based on his experience in the role, and he did earn the last save in this bullpen last weekend. Faucher should be rostered in all deep leagues as he has a chance to grab some saves down the stretch here.

With little chance to make the playoffs, there will be no need to rush Fairbanks back to action.

Mason Montgomery, Pittsburgh Pirates

I am baffled why Montgomery is not rostered in every league of every size in baseball. Maybe it is the fear of his walks? If you look at the box below, you can see how dominant Montgomery has been since the All-Star break: three wins, five saves, a sparkling 1.08 ERA, and a whopping 49% strikeout percentage in that span. Add in that he is the clear closer in Pittsburgh, and he should be rostered far more than he is at this time.

I love this skillset and the fact that he has only walked five since the All-Star break. Grab him if he is out there.

Short Relief: More Closers and Bullpen Notes

• We are tracking usage patterns in Baltimore. Last week we suggested this was a committee made up of Andrew Kittredge and Yennier Cano, and then Rico Garcia got a save last weekend. It has been a quiet week for this bullpen, but Kittredge got and converted the only chance this week. Felix Bautista is on a rehab assignment, and Ryan Helsley seems set to start throwing in the coming week. This bullpen could look very different soon, and will for sure next season, provided there is a season.
• Cleveland is surging in large part because of an exemplary bullpen. Not only do they boast Cade Smith, who sports a 2.40 ERA and 235 saves with a 34% K%, but Hunter Gaddis and Eric Sabrowski both have over 20 holds and have been excellent all season. While their starting pitching gets lots of the credit, a sturdy bullpen will also help lead them back to the playoffs.
• Arizona has a full-blown committee these days, and as many as four guys can lay claim to save chances: Justin Martinez, Kevin Ginkel, Juan Morillo, and Brandyn Garcia. Egads! Both Ginkel and Morillo have saves this week. Manager Torey Lovullo is bringing Martinez along slowly as he returns from Tommy John surgery, but I would make him a slight favorite down the stretch for saves.
• The San Francisco bullpen has been a sore spot in a dismal season for the team. I guess the closer is Dylan Smith, but he blew his last save opportunity and may not be cut out for the role. An interesting name to note here is veteran Jason Foley, who does have closing experience and has moved into a setup role with lefty Sam Hentges.

Remember, at the end of the day, fantasy baseball should be a fun distraction from the rigors of daily life, and we should not take the game too seriously. Have fun with it and keep grinding; don't give up your fantasy baseball dreams just to switch to football next month. Hang in there!

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