Discover the top 10 MLB relief pitchers entering the 2026 season. From Mason Miller’s triple-digit heat in San Diego to Aroldis Chapman’s historic resurgence in Boston, see who owns the ninth inning.
The volatility of Major League bullpens reached a fever pitch during the 2025 season, and as we stand in the early days of Spring Training 2026, the hierarchy of the late-inning hammer has been completely rewritten. We aren’t just seeing a shift in names, but a shift in philosophy. The “super-pen” is back in style, led by a San Diego Padres front office that spent the last twelve months collecting high-leverage arms like they were rare Pokémon.
Meanwhile, the standard for elite velocity has been pushed so far that a 98-mph heater now feels like a changeup compared to the triple-digit splinkers and rising four-seamers dominating the current landscape.
The 2025 season was defined by unexpected narratives: the fall of established icons due to injury or legal hurdles, and the rise of versatile vultures who rack up double-digit wins from the bullpen. We saw traditional closers like Josh Hader battle through late-season bicep soreness, while youngsters like Cade Smith proved that the Cleveland developmental factory is still very much open for business despite losing its primary anchor.
As these ten pitchers take the mound in Florida and Arizona this week, they carry the weight of being the only thing standing between a lead and a heartbreaking walk-off. In a league where the three true outcomes still loom large, these are the few men capable of making the best hitters in the world look genuinely human, according to The Shredder.
10. Jason Adam (San Diego Padres)
Adam parlayed a dominant trade-deadline stint into a career-best 2025, finishing with a 1.93 ERA and his first All-Star nod. He was particularly lethal in the NL Wild Card series against Atlanta, where he famously struck out the side on just 15 pitches to preserve a one-run lead. With the Padres’ “super-pen” in full effect for 2026, Adam remains the ultimate bridge, utilizing a 99th-percentile whiff rate on his sweeper.
9. Josh Hader (Houston Astros)
Hader was nearly untouchable in 2025 with a 2.05 ERA, but a bicep strain in September has him on a cautious recovery path for a mid-April 2026 return. His slider usage hit a career-high 41% last year, producing a league-leading 55.2% whiff rate that kept Houston’s postseason hopes alive during a rocky summer. While currently sidelined, his 0.85 WHIP remains the gold standard for left-handed efficiency, and he’ll likely reclaim the closer role the moment he’s activated.
MORE: Drew Brees is looking to buy an MLB team
8. Adrián Morejón (San Diego Padres)
The ultimate “vulture,” Morejon led all MLB relievers with 13 wins in 2025, thriving in high-leverage spots where he inherited runners and shut the door. His transition to a full-time relief role saw his velocity jump, resulting in a career-low 2.08 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP over a massive 75-game workload. As we head into 2026, Morejon is no longer just a prospect arm; he is a multi-inning weapon whose flexibility is the secret sauce of the Padres’ bullpen.
7. Matt Strahm (Kansas City Royals)
Strahm continued his role as the Phillies’ left-handed security blanket in 2025, posting a 2.74 ERA and providing veteran stability in 66 high-stress appearances. In the 2025 NLDS against the Dodgers, he proved his worth by escaping a bases-loaded jam in Game 4, relying on a revitalized 94-mph sinker that induced crucial ground balls. His 1.07 WHIP and elite strike-throwing ability make him the most reliable high-leverage lefty in the NL East entering the 2026 campaign for the Royals.
MORE: Top MLB prospect could begin season in the big leagues at just 19 years old
6. Garrett Whitlock (Boston Red Sox)
After an elbow injury truncated his 2024, Whitlock returned to the pen in 2025 with a simplified three-pitch mix that produced a brilliant 2.25 ERA. He finished last season as the hottest reliever in the American League, allowing only two home runs all year for a staggering 0.25 HR/9 rate. The Red Sox have officially ended the starter experiment, slotting him as the primary setup man for 2026 to maximize his 31.1% strikeout rate.
5. Andres Munoz (Seattle Mariners)
“Señor Smoke” reached a new peak in 2025, hauling in 38 saves with a 1.73 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a microscopic .167 batting average. His 23.2-inning scoreless streak to start last season remains a Mariners franchise record, proving he’s the undisputed anchor of the Pacific Northwest. Entering 2026, Munoz’s ability to generate elite extension makes his 102-mph fastball feel even faster, cementing him as a top-five relief talent globally.
MORE: Reported MLB salary cap could dismantle Dodgers’ stacked roster
4. Cade Smith (Cleveland Guardians)
Following the absence of Emmanuel Clase, Smith stepped into the closer role and led all MLB relievers with a jaw-dropping 104 strikeouts in 2025. His four-seam fastball produced the highest Statcast Run Value in the league last year, a pitch he leans on 70% of the time with devastating results. With a full-time grip on the ninth inning for 2026, Smith is the betting favorite to lead the American League in saves for a rebuilding Cleveland squad.
3. Edwin Diaz (Los Angeles Dodgers)
The “Trumpets” were louder than ever in 2025 as Diaz notched his 250th career save and maintained his status as a perennial All-Star closer. His slider remains a scientific anomaly, frequently clocking 92 mph with enough horizontal break to make elite right-handed hitters stumble out of the box. Coming off a healthy 60-inning campaign, Diaz is the emotional heartbeat of the Dodgers’ 2026 roster and the gold standard for pure closing dominance.
MORE: Phillies pitcher suffers huge blow for World Baseball Classic
2. Mason Miller (San Diego Padres)
The trade that shook the 2025 deadline saw Miller move to San Diego, where he finished the year with 104 strikeouts and a 101.2 mph average fastball. He ended the 2025 season on a ridiculous 21.1-inning scoreless streak, featuring a slider that held opponents to a .104 batting average. Miller enters 2026 as the most feared arm in baseball; whether he’s closing or setting up, his presence essentially turns MLB games into eight-inning affairs.
1. Aroldis Chapman (Boston Red Sox)
In a defiance of the aging curve, the 37-year-old “Missile” posted a surreal 1.17 ERA and 32 saves for Boston in 2025, reclaiming his throne. He dominated the second half of last season, allowing just one earned run after the All-Star break while maintaining a 0.70 WHIP that baffled the AL East. With his velocity still touching 103 mph and his command at a career-best, Chapman starts 2026 as the most effective relief pitcher in the game.
MORE: Red Sox president is being heavily criticized over Alex Bregman comments
The 2026 relief pitching landscape looks promising
The landscape of 2026 relief pitching is a blend of veteran resurgence and raw, unprecedented power. While the Padres have built a “super-pen” that looks like a fantasy baseball fever dream, the individual excellence of players like Aroldis Chapman and Edwin Diaz reminds us that the ninth inning is still a psychological battlefield. As the season kicks off, the margin for error has never been thinner, and these ten arms are the ones you want holding the ball when the game is on the line.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
NFL: 4 blockbuster NFL trades we want to see before the 2026 draft
OLYMPICS: Most talked-about Olympic romances from 2026 Winter Games
NBA: Andrew Friedman, other Dodgers execs get new roles with Lakers after $10 billion sale
SPORTS MEDIA: USA men’s hockey draws record Olympic gold medal TV viewership
ENTERTAINMENT: Martin Short’s daughter Katherine tragically dies at age 42
VIRAL: Pat McAfee makes stunning gesture during Team USA’s $150K Gold medal celebration
