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Mike looks at nine potential fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers for closers and saves for Week 10 of 2026. His top relief pitcher waiver wire and trade targets for saves.
Here comes June and the advent of summer this week, and the perpetual search for closers and relief pitchers who can help your rosters continues unabated. Here are some relievers who might be under the radar now, but could be making waves soon.
The key caveat here is that none of these pitchers are pure closers. Some are in time shares, some are a step away from being in the role. With stats gathered through June 1st, let's talk about some pitchers to add to the roster (by waiver or trade) or watch list.
The hope here is that the pitchers listed here are available to you on the waiver wire or via trade in your league. There is help to be had if we look in the right spots. Let's break down some bullpen shenanigans going into Week 10 of the 2026 fantasy baseball season.
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Scott Barlow, Athletics
Barlow has been a big factor in the Athletics' pen this season and is part of the high-leverage group. While I cannot tell you who will get the next save chance, Barlow is on the committee. He earned his second save on Saturday and has a 3.08 ERA and eight holds.
Look at his Statcast data below on his swing and miss percentage by season. You can see that Barlow is thriving this season; he has a 36% whiff percentage in 2026, especially with the sweeper and the curveball. If you are looking for vulture save chances, Barlow could get some.
Matt Strahm, Kansas City Royals
With the recent struggles of current closer Lucas Erceg and the continued health issues for would-be closer Carlos Estevez, Strahm could find himself in the mix for saves. The veteran lefty just returned from the IL himself late last week.
Erceg has 11 saves, but he also has a 6.33 ERA. Strahm could be the next man up in Kansas City, and he has some experience with closing, as evidenced by his 15 career saves. Look for Strahm to get some chances as he gets more comfortable being back in the leverage group.
Yoendrys Gomez, Minnesota Twins
I was able to see Gomez with my own eyes against the Chicago White Sox last week, and he is by far the best arm in the Minnesota bullpen. Terrible in April, Gomez has been electric in May. Look at the box below to check out his splits.
Gomez now has three saves on the season, and his 4.23 ERA belies how successful he has been in May. Gomez looks like he has the best chance to close games in Minnesota, and we will be watching this week. He has a save and a hold over the last week.
Clayton Beeter, Washington Nationals
This is a strange bullpen in Washington, and I think Beeter is the best of the bunch. Beeter has been off the IL for a little more than a week now, and he has had the last two save chances in Washington. He now has four saves with a 2.30 ERA with a ghastly 18.2% walk rate.
Interim closer Gus Varland is now back in a middle relief role, and Cole Henry, his closest competitor for the closing job this spring, is also back from the IL but pitched in middle relief Friday. I think this is Beeter's job for the foreseeable future.
A.J. Minter, New York Mets
Minter is going to be a valuable piece to this bullpen, especially given the struggles of closer Devin Williams and top setup guy Luke Weaver. Minter has pitched in two games and struck out four of the seven hitters he has faced over the last week.
Recall that Minter has 36 career saves and could easily step into a more significant role and quickly in New York. At the very least, he should be in the leverage conversation soon.
Will Klein, Los Angeles Dodgers
Klein seemingly came out of nowhere to claim a bullpen job in Los Angeles. Starting the season as the bullpen's long reliever, Klein has now moved himself into the middle relief and part-time setup role. He has a win, a save, six holds, and a 1.88 ERA with a 26% K%.
Look at his Statcast box below. Klein has high fastball velocity and is limiting hard contact at an elite rate; a 1.7% barrel percentage is absurd and feels imagined, but it is true. Add in a high groundball rate, and you have an effective relief pitcher. Keep an eye on Klein.
Jovani Moran, Boston Red Sox
Moran was a pitcher without a home, but he seems to have found his place in the Boston Red Sox bullpen. The lefty earned a win on Sunday and now has a 3.19 ERA, a 27.8% K%, and a hold on the season, and is now a primary setup man with Justin Slaten.
Should the Red Sox decide they are out of it over the next few weeks, current closer Aroldis Chapman could be on the trading block. That could lead to Moran getting save chances.
Bryan Hudson, Chicago White Sox
Hudson has been a godsend to stabilize the White Sox bullpen this season. Hudson has pitched in 29 games, and he has three wins, two saves, and four holds in those games. Along with Grant Taylor, Hudson is the top setup option in Chicago right now.
He limits hard contact. Look at how he limits barrels below. That explains his skimpy 1.26 ERA with his slightly above-average strikeout rate of 23.7%. Hudson has a win and a hold over the last three days. If you're looking for ratio stability with some counting stats, Hudson could help.
Wilber Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates
The rookie has quietly gotten into six games this month, and he looks the part of a dominant reliever. Dotel has a 1.32 ERA, with a 27.5% K%, and has three holds already. Considering the issues with Dennis Santana and the inconsistency of Mason Montgomery, Dotel could move up the ladder quickly.
Quick Hits:
- Sam Moll has inserted himself into the Cincinnati leverage situation, earning his first save on Sunday. With both Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson hitting the IL, Moll could find himself near the top of the ladder. Tony Santillan might seem a clear favorite, but he has struggled this year.
- Tyler Rogers continues to pile up holds for the Toronto Blue Jays with 11 on the season, two in the last five days. Rogers also earned his second save in a game in which both closer Louis Varland and setup guy Jeff Hoffman had already pitched. Despite a low 14.7% K%, Rogers gets the job done by inducing a video-game like 65.5% groundball percentage.
- A.J. Puk threw a scoreless inning on Saturday in a rehab appearance for the Diamondbacks' Arizona Complex League. Keep him on your radar soon.
- Trevor Megill has the last three save chances in Milwaukee, relegating Abner Uribe back to a setup role. Uribe is still valuable in many leagues even if he is not closing.
- Jacob Webb is the top setup option for the Chicago Cubs, earning a hold and a win this past week. Webb should be in line for holds, and his 29.2% K% is remarkably helpful to fantasy teams as well.
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