2026 Fantasy Baseball: Closer Confidential for Week 5
The more things change, the more they stay the same. There are so many volatile ninth inning situations around MLB. Our top "Secure" group now counts only 5 closers, with the other 25 bullpens either Shaky or Seesaw.
I never wish injury on anyone, but I have to admit, it's nice to watch the Dodgers have to struggle at the back end of the bullpen. Edwin Diaz is out for a while and it could be a carousel at closer, perhaps until LA swings a deal if necessary.
We have changes galore this week. Put the seatbelts on, the carousel is moving fast.
Reviewing the Categories
Closer Confidential groups closers, and committees, into three cohorts:
- Secure: 90 and Above - Low-to-no risk; good results, strong underlying statistics
- Shaky: 80–89 - Some doubt exists, often with inconsistent supporting skills/stats
- Seesaw: 79 and Below - Committees and closers in trouble. 9th inning is (or should be) in doubt.
Secure Closers
I told you I was worried about Edwin Díaz. He admitted to some knee discomfort, but lo and behold, this week, he went under the knife for loose bodies in his elbow and will be out at least three months. Tanner Scott, et al, can now be found in the shaky group below ... I dropped Cade Smith a point for a shaky outing. Nothing earth shattering … Devin Williams fell out of the Secure cohort after a very rough week. After earning a save, Luke Weaver, in an interview broadcast throughout Citi Field, pleased Mets fans by saying "I'm never the biggest guy in the room, but I don't fear anyone." Hmmmm …
| Closer | Team | Next Option(s) | Confidence Grade | Last Week's Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mason Miller | SD | Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada (inj) | 97 | 96 |
Cade Smith | CLE | Hunter Gaddis | 93 | 92 |
David Bednar | NYY | Camilo Doval | 93 | 92 |
Andres Munoz | SEA | Matt Brash | 90 | 90 |
Ryan Helsley | BAL | Rico Garcia | 90 | 89 |
Changes in Confidence Grade or Closer Status in bold
Shaky Closers
Robert Suárez stays in this group for now while we get a sense of the Iglesias timeline and which will close games when Iglesias returns … Pete Fairbanks got an extra point of confidence from me this week. I like what I've seen recently … I'd like to see Ben Brown get the 9th inning in Chicago. … I really am trying to get more enthused about Aroldis Chapman, but I can't bring myself to it.
| Closer | Team | Next Option(s) | Confidence | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Robert Suárez | ATL | Tyler Kinley, Raisel Iglesias (inj) | 89 | 89 |
Aroldis Chapman | BOS | Garrett Whitlock | 88 | 88 |
Pete Fairbanks | MIA | Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher | 87 | 86 |
Devin Williams | NYM | Luke Weaver | 86 | 90 |
Brad Keller* | PHI | Jose Alvarado*, Orion Kerkering, Jhoan Duran (inj.) | 85 | 93 |
Tanner Scott | LAD | Alex Vesia, Blake Treinan, Edwin Díaz (inj.) | 85 | 85 |
Kenley Jansen | DET | Will Vest, Kyle Finnegan | 84 | 81 |
Emilio Pagan | CIN | Tony Santillan | 83 | 83 |
Caleb Thielbar* | CHC | Ben Brown*, Daniel Palencia (inj) | 82 | 82 |
Changes in Confidence Grade or Personnel in bold
Seesaw Situations
With Hoffman out as closer, the Toronto bullpen gets downgraded to a 76 grade. Louis Varland earned a shaky save on Saturday, which didn't help my confidence in him or anyone else north of the border … Riley O'Brien is back in Seesaw after blowing his first save Saturday. The blown save - coming in with runners on 2nd and 3rd and giving up a single to tie the game in the eighth inning - wasn't so bad, but giving up 2 runs of his own to take the loss gave me pause. I like his stuff generally, but we gotta haze the kid until he settles in … I'm taking the week off from trying to figure out the Pirates save situations. My brain needs the rest, so we'll hold them steady ... Antonio Senzatela earned a save Friday against the Mets and I think might establish himself as the Colorado closer. For now we'll call it a committee with a 79 grade and not many opportunities.
| Closer | Team | Next Option(s) | Confidence | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paul Sewald | ARI | Jonathan Loáisiga | 79 | 79 |
Abner Uribe | MIL | Ángel Zerpa, Trevor Megill | 79 | 79 |
Lucas Erceg | KC | Matt Strahm, Carlos Estévez (inj) | 79 | 79 |
Victor Vodnik* | COL | Antonio Senzatela* | 79 | 79 |
Dennis Santana* | PIT | Gregory Soto* | 79 | 79 |
Enyel De Los Santos* | HOU | Bryan King*, Bryan Abreu, Josh Hader (inj.) | 79 | 89 |
Seranthony Dominguez | CHW | Jordan Leisure, Jordan Hicks, Grant Taylor | 79 | 79 |
Louis Varland* | TOR | Tyler Rogers*, Jeff Hoffman | 76 | 81 |
Riley O'Brien | STL | JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek, Matt Svanson | 76 | 81 |
Jordan Romano | LAA | Sam Bachman, Drew Pomeranz, Ben Joyce (inj), Robert Stevenson (inj), Kirby Yates (inj) | 75 | 75 |
Clayton Beeter* | WAS | Gus Varland* | 74 | 74 |
Erik Miller* | SF | Keaton Winn*, Caleb Kilian* | 73 | 73 |
Bryan Baker* | TB | Griffin Jax*, Garrett Cleavinger (inj), Edwin Uceta (inj.) | 72 | 72 |
Joel Kuhnel* | ATH | Hogan Harris*, Justin Sterner* | 71 | 71 |
Jakob Junis* | TEX | Cole Winn*, Jacob Latz | 68 | 68 |
Cole Sands* | MIN | Kody Funderburk | 68 | 68 |
*Denotes Closer Committee
Changes in Confidence Grade or personnel in bold
2026 Fantasy Baseball Closer Questions, Answered
Who are the safest closers to trust right now?
The Secure tier is extremely thin, with only five closers earning 90+ confidence grades, making elite stability harder to find.
Which injury has the biggest fantasy impact this week?
Edwin Díaz going down for at least three months reshapes the Dodgers bullpen into a volatile, unsettled carousel situation.
Which formerly elite closer is trending down?
Devin Williams dropped out of the Secure tier after a rough week and now carries significantly more risk.
Are there any shaky closers trending up?
Pete Fairbanks earned a slight confidence boost based on improved recent performance and underlying results.
Which bullpens are the most unpredictable right now?
Toronto, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh stand out as fluid situations, with committees and inconsistent performances driving uncertainty.
Is there a potential new closer emerging in Colorado?
Antonio Senzatela could carve out the role after earning a save, though it remains a committee for now.
What is the overall trend across MLB bullpens?
Stability is declining league-wide, with only a handful of secure options and most teams operating in shaky or committee-based roles.
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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 11:44 AM.