AL East 2026 Division Preview

Published March 25, 2026

AL East

NY Yankees

Baltimore

Toronto

Boston

Tampa Bay

Spring training is always an interesting time for evaluating pitching, and especially relief pitching. Roles are blurry: some relievers get a shot at a starter role, the opposite is sometimes true with struggling starters moving to relief roles, and non-roster invitees are in the mix as well. Combine that with limited outings, low stress situations, and an overall small sample size and you can end up with some wild results on paper.

Despite all that, we're here to give you a quick breakdown of each division with regard to what their bullpens will likely look like and how they stack up.

New York Yankees

The Yankees' lineup and rotation are set, but the bullpen remains their most uncertain unit heading into 2026. David Bednar, acquired from Pittsburgh, is the one clearly defined piece: he'll handle the ninth inning. Beyond him, roughly three roster spots were still being contested as the team prepared to open in San Francisco.

Some of the moving pieces include Paul Blackburn, whose pitch metrics have declined without any compensating improvements. Cade Winquest, on loan from St. Louis, has been disappointing by the numbers but carries intriguing raw stuff.

Two relievers stand out as must-roster arms. Brent Headrick, a power lefty, and Jake Bird, who introduced a cutter this spring to pair with his sinker-sweeper mix. Both have upgraded their arsenals in ways that suggest they could break out this year. And Fernando Cruz has not given up an earned run this spring.

Long relief is covered by Ryan Yarbrough and potentially Luis Gil, which reduces the urgency to carry Gil on the Opening Day roster. And Tim Hill is another lefty that will contribute.

Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore's bullpen has undergone the most dramatic transformation of any AL East team. Only two pitchers from last year's Opening Day group are expected back, and the new closer, Ryan Helsley, is the only reliever signed as a major league free agent. Everyone else arrived via waivers, minor league trades, or the Rule 5 draft.

Helsley brings two All-Star selections and 105 career saves from his time in St. Louis, but his tenure with the Mets after a midseason trade was rough. He has attributed the struggles to a pitch-tipping problem that Baltimore's coaching staff has helped correct.

The setup situation is complicated by injuries. Andrew Kittredge, who was slated for eighth-inning duties after the Orioles reacquired him from the Cubs, is on the IL. Tyler Wells, moved from the rotation to the bullpen, is the leading candidate to fill that void. Keegan Akin's hip injury also clouds his Opening Day availability.

The spring's biggest breakout was Grant Wolfram, a 6-foot-7 lefty who was previously released by the Rangers and cut by the Brewers. He dominated in camp: six scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, one walk. Rico Garcia also shined with 5.2 hitless spring innings and brings a reputation for escaping high-pressure jams.

On the flip side, Yennier Cano has steadily declined since his All-Star 2023 season and will be on a very short leash. Dietrich Enns was effective last year but had a shaky spring.

Toronto Blue Jays

Coming off a World Series run that ended in a seven-game loss to the Dodgers, the Blue Jays enter 2026 with a bullpen that's still being finalized. Jeff Hoffman's the team's top late-inning option and is expected to close games.

Tommy Nance earned his roster spot the old-fashioned way. The 35-year-old journeyman was purchased from San Diego in 2024, started 2025 in Triple-A Buffalo, and pitched his way onto the big league roster in July.

Brendon Little continued his solid output last season with a phenomenal start to the spring, and fellow lefty Mason Fluharty wasn't far behind with his 1.35 ERA over 6.2 innings of spring ball.

One bullpen spot remained undecided between offseason trade pickup Chase Lee and Rule 5 selection Spencer Miles. The broader expectation is that this bullpen will be a revolving door all season, cycling arms based on performance and matchups. Dylan Cease strengthens the rotation, and Tyler Rogers' durability should help ease the bullpen's workload.

Louis Varland, Braydon Fisher, Yimi García, and Angel Bastardo are all right handers we expect to see in the Jays bullpen this year.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox's most consequential bullpen decision was actually a rotation call. When 24-year-old prospect Connelly Early won the fifth starter's job, it pushed Johan Oviedo into the bullpen as a long reliever.

The left-handed relief contingent features Aroldis Chapman, Danny Coulombe, and Jovani Morán. Chapman remains one of the hardest throwers in baseball and is the likely closer candidate based on experience and velocity. Coulombe stayed behind for one more minor league tune-up game but will fly to Cincinnati in time for the opener.

Righties Garrett Whitlock and Greg Weissert both look dialed in early, boasting 0.00 ERAs during limited work this spring. Fellow right handers Justin Slaten and Ryan Watson were less impressive but still figure to be a part of the rotation.

Experienced arms Zack Kelly and Tommy Kahnle will begin the year at Triple-A Worcester but are first-in-line call-up candidates.

Tampa Bay Rays

With Pete Fairbanks departing for Miami after the team declined his option, the Rays entered spring training without a defined closer for the first time in years. The bullpen competition was the most contested positional battle in camp, with five spots up for grabs alongside holdovers Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger, Edwin Uceta, and Bryan Baker.

The winners: Cole Sulser, Mason Englert, Ian Seymour, Kevin Kelly, and Yoendrys Gómez. Englert was the standout performer with five appearances, 8.1 shutout innings. Sulser earned a performance-based contract that pays more while he's on the MLB roster, reflecting the team's confidence in him after a sub-2.00 ERA last year and a clean spring (8 strikeouts, zero walks in 9 innings).

Ian Seymour, once a top organizational prospect, put in the most innings of work out of the relievers in spring training with 13.1 across 6 outings. While Kevin Kelly is the biggest question mark after a spring that didn't inspire confidence (5.14 ERA). Gómez brings raw velocity but also showed some struggles, walking five batters in 8 spring innings.

— InsidethePen Staff