Ryan Helsley

Relief pitcher Ryan Helsley signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles this offseason, suggesting he is slated to be the primary closer heading into the 2026 season. Helsley enjoyed a career season back in 2024 when he tallied an impressive 49 saves with a 2.04 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. However, the right-hander took a bit of a step back in 2025, read more...

Relief pitcher Ryan Helsley signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles this offseason, suggesting he is slated to be the primary closer heading into the 2026 season. Helsley enjoyed a career season back in 2024 when he tallied an impressive 49 saves with a 2.04 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. However, the right-hander took a bit of a step back in 2025, posting a much higher 4.50 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP. He tallied just 21 saves, all of which were with the Cardinals, before he was shipped to the Mets at the trade deadline. With the Mets, Helsley posted a hefty 7.00 ERA and was not given any save opportunities in the bullpen. However, given his track record, the 31-year-old appears primed for a bounce-back. Under the hood, Helsley generated a modest 3.99 xERA but posted above-average marks with a 7.4% barrel rate and a 45.4% ground-ball rate. Additionally, his primary pitch, his slider, remained productive, generating a .191 xwOBA and a 41.6% whiff rate. With above-average strikeout upside, a strong track record, and minimal competition with Felix Bautista (shoulder) sidelined for most of the season, Helsley has 25+ save upside pitching for a competing Baltimore squad. He is a solid selection at his 99.5 ADP on NFBC drafts if you choose to fade the high-end closers.less...