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Published June 16, 2026
Breaking Updated June 17, 2026
Daniel Palencia landed on the 15-day IL on June 16 with right elbow inflammation. It's a developing situation. See the Cubs section below.
It's been about five weeks since our last closer report, and the bullpen carousel kept turning through June.
The top of the class held firm: Cade Smith (23 saves), Jhoan Duran (18), Bryan Baker (18), Paul Sewald (18), and Riley O'Brien (17) lead the league in saves. But about a third of the league has either changed closers, lost one to injury, or never settled on a single arm.
Early June has been defined more by returns than removals: Josh Hader, Kenley Jansen, and Craig Kimbrel are all back.
A few jobs also appear to have quietly changed hands: Jacob Latz in Texas, Gregory Soto in Pittsburgh, Alex Lange pulling ahead in Kansas City, and Yoendrys Gómez in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Mason Miller is briefly away on the bereavement list, and Andrés Muñoz has pitched his way onto the hot seat in Seattle.
Below is a refreshed team-by-team look at every MLB closer situation as of June 16, listed alphabetically with a status, the primary arm(s), and a quick read.
Status Key
Tip: click any team's division pill (e.g., NL West) to show only that division.
Sewald has been unchallenged in the ninth: a 3.29 ERA with 18 saves in 19 chances, including a perfect 4-for-4 over his last 15 games.
Still a matchup-driven committee for Kotsay, but Hogan Harris leads the group with six saves in eight chances and a 2.67 ERA. Mark Leiter Jr. (5.02, 4/6) and Elvis Alvarado (5.40, with a save on June 13) round out the late-inning mix. No arm has been named the closer.
Iglesias has been close to untouchable: a 1.16 ERA and a perfect 14-for-14 in save chances, including 4-for-4 over his last 15. Tyler Kinley landed on the 15-day IL with an elbow issue (retroactive to June 8), but that doesn't impact the closer situation.
Helsley, a perfect 7-for-7 with a 2.53 ERA before the injury, began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk on June 11 and could be back before the end of June, per MLB.com. Until then it's a committee, with Rico García (1.82, 4/5) the steadiest of the group and Anthony Nunez (4.98, 3/6) also seeing chances.
Chapman is still perfect and still overpowering: a 0.44 ERA and 14-for-14 in save chances at age 38. He profiles as one of the more attractive bullpen arms ahead of the deadline.
Palencia landed on the 15-day IL on June 16 with right elbow inflammation, a developing situation. He had been secure in the closer role with a solid 2.70 ERA and a perfect 3-for-3 in save chances. The Cubs have had fewer save opportunities arise than most teams, so it's tricky to predict exactly how the team will handle the situation for the next few weeks, but Ryan Rolison (2.13) is probably the most likely to get early looks in save opportunities, with Jacob Webb (2.93) also in the mix.
Domínguez converted the save on June 14 to quiet some of the takeover talk, and sits at a 3.81 ERA with 12 saves in 15 tries. Rookie Grant Taylor (2.21) is lurking as the bullpen's best raw arm, and Jordan Hicks began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte on June 13, so this one is worth monitoring.
One of the least settled ninths in the league. Emilio Pagán (6.43, 6/9) is still on the 15-day IL, and Pierce Johnson and Graham Ashcraft are hurt as well, thinning the options. Tony Santillan got the June 13 save but carries a 5.67 ERA, with Sam Moll (2.79) and Zach Maxwell (10.00) the other names in the mix.
Smith leads the majors in saves at 23-for-25 with a 2.48 ERA, and is a perfect 3-for-3 over his last 15. The role is locked in.
Vodnik was activated June 15 but has struggled on his return (8.20 ERA), so the late innings remain a group effort. Antonio Senzatela (2.29) has been the steadiest bridge arm, with Juan Mejia (6.19) also in the picture.
Jansen was activated off the IL on June 12 and is expected to step back into the ninth inning role as the chances come. Will Vest (6.14) struggled covering while he was out.
Hader is back (activated June 2) and dominant, with a 0.00 ERA and a 2-for-2 mark in save chances since returning. The Astros are managing his workload: Bryan Abreu vultured a save on June 13 on a Hader rest day, and Bryan King (2.37) has been a reliable bridge.
The matchup committee is tilting hard toward Lange recently, who is a perfect 4-for-4 in save chances, all in his last 15 games, and hasn't blown one. Manager Quatraro backed him publicly in early June. Lucas Erceg (5.81, 12/18) has faded and hasn't closed since June 12, and Carlos Estévez moving to the 60-day IL (foot contusion) on June 15 removes another option.
No defined closer. Zeferjahn has become the most-used high-leverage arm (4.91 ERA, 2/4, with four games finished over his last 15), while Kirby Yates (1/3) has drifted toward lower-leverage work. The bigger story is team-wide: SI detailed the Angels' historically poor save-conversion rate in a June 10 piece.
With Edwin Díaz on the 60-day IL after elbow surgery, Scott has taken over the ninth: a 2.40 ERA, 8-for-9 in save chances, and 3-for-3 over his last 15.
The ERA is ugly at 6.75, but Fairbanks is converting again, 3-for-3 over his last 15 with a save on June 14, which is exactly what Miami wants if it's going to market him as a deadline chip.
A genuine two-headed look. Megill (4.32, 8/10) and Uribe (3.65, 5/7) are splitting the ninth, with recent save chances leaning back toward Megill. Joel Kuhnel (4-for-4) has mixed in as well.
What opened as a committee now has a clear lead arm: Gómez has converted seven straight save chances, including back-to-back nights on June 14 and 15, and sits at a 3.86 ERA. Taylor Rogers (5.27) and Travis Adams remain in the committee behind him. The Twins haven't made it official, so treat it as a usage-based read for now.
Williams keeps converting despite the walk noise: a 10-for-11 mark in save chances with a 5.01 ERA. SI questioned the long-term fit in a June 10 piece but called a midseason change unlikely, and no challenger has emerged.
Bednar has been resurgent, 14-for-16 in save chances with a 3.64 ERA. Camilo Doval (5.06) has been the shakier arm setting up in front of him.
Duran has been dominant: a 1.90 ERA, 18 saves in 19 chances, and 6-for-7 over his last 15. One of the most secure jobs in the league.
What was a co-closer split in May has resolved to Soto, who MLB Trade Rumors said had "taken over the closer's role" in early June. He's at a 3.26 ERA with 10 saves in 13 chances, including a save June 13, while Dennis Santana (4.66) has settled into setup work.
Miller went on the bereavement list on June 15, but he remains the established closer; this is a short-term absence, not a job change. Jason Adam (1.78 ERA, 15 holds) is the most likely fill-in by leverage while Miller is away, with Adrián Morejón (4.00) also an option.
Manager Tony Vitello still hasn't named a closer. Kilian leads the group in saves (3.13, 4/5), with Ryan Walker (5.71), Erik Miller (4.58), and Dylan Smith (0.00) also getting ninth-inning looks. This is a no-closer setup by design.
Muñoz is firmly on the hot seat. He's blown five saves with a 5.92 ERA and the slide is getting worse, including a no-out, two-run outing on June 14. Manager Dan Wilson backed him publicly on June 7, and with Matt Brash back on the IL (lat) as of June 9, the alternatives are thin, so the job is still his for now.
O'Brien continues to look like one of the better relievers in baseball: a 3.86 ERA with 17 saves in 21 chances and a 3-for-3 mark over his last 15.
Baker is the de facto closer and unaffected by Craig Kimbrel's return: 18 saves in 21 chances with a 1.91 ERA. Kimbrel was activated June 13 and is being eased back in low-leverage spots (5.82).
The converted starter has locked the job down. Latz is 12-for-14 in save chances with a 1.62 ERA and a perfect 5-for-5 over his last 15, including a save June 14. MLB.com called him "the Rangers' closer in all but official title" on June 11, and Jakob Junis (1.84) is the multi-inning piece behind him.
Varland owns the ninth: a 0.96 ERA and a perfect 12-for-12 in save chances, 4-for-4 over his last 15. He had one shaky non-save outing June 13 (two runs in a tie game), but every save chance is going to him.
Still explicitly fluid. Gus Varland has gotten the most save chances (5-for-7) but the results are uneven, and the ladder reshuffles weekly. Clayton Beeter (3.38, 4/6), Orlando Ribalta (1.80), Richard Lovelady (2.89), Brad Lord, and Mitchell Parker have all factored into the save mix.
For a deeper view of how each pen is performing behind these arms, check the Season Long Bullpen Power Rankings, the Snapshot Power Rankings, and the Bullpen ERA Rankings. You can also click any team name above to see the full bullpen breakdown.
-- InsidethePen Staff
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