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David's closers and saves fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and bullpen report for Week 2 of the playoffs (2025). His relief pitcher updates, and closers to add for saves.
It's been a fun start to the playoffs and there's still so much more to go! Just the Wild Card games and the Division Series have shown how differently bullpens are used compared to in regular season. Every single out is more precious than ever (unless you're a Phillies batter giving one up for free for the chance to move a runner up 90 feet, I guess.)
A certain first-ballot hall of famer had to wear one as a reliever for his team's bullpen, which we definitely don't see in the regular season. Jhoan Duran was warming up before the ninth inning, another rare sight. It's a whole different ballgame in the postseason, so let's take a look at what each remaining bullpen has been up to.
Let's dive into this week's report! As always, stay tapped in with our Fantasy Baseball Closer Depth Charts for saves, holds, and bullpens. They will be updated frequently throughout the 2025 baseball season as new information becomes available.
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Playoff Bullpens
Toronto Blue Jays
The first team through to a League Championship Series is the Toronto Blue Jays. They won their division, had a bye through the Wild Card Round, then took care of the Yankees in the Division Series, winning that series 3-1. The Jays handled Game 1 easily, winning 10-1. They still gave some work to their leverage guys though, with Louis Varland, Seranthony Dominguez, Brendon Little, and Jeff Hoffman each recording at least two outs.
In Game 2, Trey Yesavage was untouchable for 5 1/3 innings before Toronto went to their bullpen. Five pitchers in a row recorded just one out, leading to a box score that looked like the days of LOOGYs before the three-batter minimum rule existed. Varland and Dominguez pitched the final two innings to lock down a 13-7 win and a 2-0 lead in the series.
In Game 3, the Yankees won their only game of the series despite the Jays jumping all over starter Carlos Rodon for six runs in just 2 1/3 innings. Varland pitched again and coughed up two runs in an inning of work and was saddled with the loss. Game 4 clinched the series for Toronto, who went with a very effectively managed bullpen game.
Varland got the nominal start and recorded the first four outs. Dominguez ended up with the win, and later Hoffman got the final four outs for the save. In total, the Jays had eight relievers pitch in the series-clinching win, with no one recording more than five outs.
Major shout out to the bullpen for this masterclass after a rough performance in Game 3 👏 pic.twitter.com/EUdr3CwVVI
— SleeperBlueJays (@SleeperBlueJays) October 9, 2025
Detroit Tigers/Seattle Mariners
The Tigers and Mariners have played two really close games and two not so close games, all leading up to a Game 5 to be played on Friday evening. Detroit won Game 1 in 11 innings by a score of 3-2. Seattle followed that with their own 3-2 win in Game 2, needing just the usual nine innings. In Game 3, the Mariners won 8-4, but it was 8-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth, so not as close as the final score seems. Game 4 went back to the Tigers, who won 9-3 after jumping all over the middle innings.
Game 1 had some excellent bullpen work. The Tigers pen combined for seven innings of one-run ball while the Mariners bullpen tossed six innings allowing only one run as well. Andres Munoz pitched two perfect innings on the Seattle side, while Kyle Finnegan pitched a scoreless frame before giving way to Will Vest, who earned the win with two perfect innings before Keider Montero picked up the extra inning save.
Game 2 saw Matt Brash credited with a win but also a blown save as he allowed two runs (one earned) in his inning of work before Munoz got the save with another spotless appearance. In that game, the Tigers pen followed seven strong innings by Tarik Skubal by throwing in Finnegan, who only got two outs but not before allowing a run on three hits, taking the loss.
Game 3 had another perfect inning from Munoz and one from Brash as well on the Seattle side. Caleb Ferguson struggled, allowing three runs without getting anyone out, but the Mariners still held on for the win. On the Tigers side, Montero was by far the most effective pitcher of the day, throwing 2 1/3 hitless innings while allowing just an unearned run.
Game 4 saw Finnegan back on the mound for Detroit, and he was much more effective. He allowed another run, but pitched two full innings, handing the fourth and fifth innings of the game. Troy Melton earned the win with three scoreless innings after Finnegan, and Vest closed it out with three straight outs in the ninth. The Mariners bullpen had a hard time in this one, with three of the four relievers who appeared allowing two or more earned runs. They didn't use their top arms, but it wasn't an encouraging sight regardless.
Game 5 is on Friday, and whichever team wins that one will play the Blue Jays in the ALCS.
ANDRÉS MUÑOZ CAUGHT IT! 😱#ALDS pic.twitter.com/ViUO2DKhzk
— MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers won three extremely close games and lost one blowout in their Division Series matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies, but we learned a whole lot about what they're doing in the bullpen from it. Roki Sasaki quickly went from almost unrosterable to looking like the best closer the Dodgers have had in a while. Surefire inner circle (near) future Cooperstown resident Clayton Kershaw wore one for his team, coming out of the bullpen. Tanner Scott suddenly became unavailable and "might" be available if the Dodgers advance to the World Series. Blake Treinen still can't really get anyone out.
Game 1 set the tone for the series, with the Dodgers falling behind 3-0 early but storming back for a 5-3 win. Tyler Glasnow was first out of the bullpen that night, pitching 1 2/3 innings after Shohei Ohtani pitched the first six. Glasnow was followed by Alex Vesia, who earned a hold by getting one out, and Sasaki, who earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
Game 2 was another close win for Los Angeles, as they took a 2-0 lead in the series with a 4-3 win. Another six inning start, this time by Blake Snell, gave the bullpen fewer outs to get. Emmet Sheehan followed Snell and pitched the next two innings, allowing one run. Blake Treinen came on next and did nothing right, allowing two runs on three hits without getting a single batter out. Vesia followed, getting two outs and a hold, then Sasaki recorded the final out of the game for his second save of the series.
Game 3 was a whole different story, as the Phillies won 8-2, highlighted by a five-run eighth inning. Lefties Anthony Banda and Jack Dreyer each pitched a scoreless inning after a four inning start from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, then another lefty you might have heard of, Clayton Kershaw, came on to pitch out of the bullpen. Kershaw pitched the seventh and eighth innings, but he allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks. He was lifted after that, and Blake Treinen came in for a scoreless ninth with the game well out of hand.
Game 4 was the most exciting in a series of exciting games, as the Dodgers won the series with an 11th inning walkoff win. The final score was 2-1, as most of the game was a pitcher's duel between Glasnow and Christopher Sanchez. After Glasnow's six innings, Sheehan pitched the seventh while allowing one run. Sasaki was brought in and pitched the next three innings, throwing 36 pitches without allowing a single base runner. The final three outs came from Vesia, who earned the win when the Dodgers walked it off in the bottom of the 11th.
ROKI SASAKI. THREE PERFECT INNINGS.
WHAT A TURNAROUND. pic.twitter.com/6vNiIMRLvj
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) October 10, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers/Chicago Cubs
The other five-game Division Series will be the National League Central battle between the Cubs and the Brewers. Milwaukee jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the series after a 9-3 win in Game 1 and a 7-3 win in Game 2. The Cubs put up one more run in Game 3 to win 4-3, then scored six in Game 4 in a 6-0 shutout to force a fifth game.
Game 1 saw the Cubs go to their bullpen with two outs in the first inning after starter Matthew Boyd coughed up six runs (two earned) while getting just two outs. Michael Soroka was only slightly better, all0wing three runs but at least getting three outs. Aaron Civale and Ben Brown combined to go the remaining 6 1/3 inning without allowing a run. On the Milwaukee side of Game 1, they got 5 2/3 strong innings from Freddy Peralta, then Aaron Ashby, Jared Koenig, and Nick Mears closed things out for the comfortable win.
In Game 2, the Brewers won again but this time they used seven pitchers. Ashby was on the mound to start and got the first five outs of the game. He was followed by Mears for just one out, then Jacob Misiorowski for three full innings. Chad Patrick, Koenig, Trevor Megill, and Abner Uribe all got some work in to wrap up the victory. On the Chicago end, Daniel Palencia and Drew Pomeranz both pitched an inning apiece, with Palencia coughing up three runs while Pomeranz threw a scoreless frame. Colin Rea wrapped things up in the loss, pitching the final 3 1/3 innings.
Game 3 was the first Cubs win of the series and it began with four decent innings from Jameson Taillon. He was followed by scoreless innings from Pomeranz and Palencia, then a one-run inning from Andrew Kittredge. Caleb Thielbar got two outs then Brad Keller locked down the final four for the save. The Brewers weren't quite as successful on the mound in Game 3. Starter Quinn Priester got just two outs, allowing four runs in the first inning. Nick Mears put out the fire a little bit, getting the third out of the first inning. Jose Quintana and Grant Anderson handled the next five innings, three for Quintana and two for Anderson, all scoreless. Koenig then got one out before ceding to Patrick, who got the final five.
Game 4 was a dominant one for the Cubs pitching staff. Boyd redeemed himself after his rough Game 1 start. This time, he went 4 2/3 innings without allowing a run. Palencia earned the win, following Boyd with 1 1/3 scoreless. Pomeranz, Keller, and Thielbar each provided a scoreless inning of their own to round out the shoutout. On the Brewers end, Peralta started and allowed three runs over his four innings. Megill relieved him and got just one out before Ashby came in for the next four outs. Patrick got one out of his own, then Robert Gasser made his first appearance of the series and pitched the final two innings of the loss, allowing two runs on five hits.
Game 5 will be on Saturday, and the winner of that game will take on the Dodgers.
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