The Bullpen Tracker: AL
A weekly article looking for saves and holds across the league
2026 MLB Bullpen Tracker (AL)
April 22 – May 5
Back with another American League update—breaking down closers and the most relevant holds arms for SV+HLD leagues.
Same goal as always: identify roles early and stay ahead of the chaos.
Baltimore Orioles
Closer: Ryan Helsley
Pitching well and firmly in control. This is his job unless something unexpected happens.
Holds Targets: Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, Anthony Núñez
Garcia and Núñez are the targets here—both showing strong strikeout indicators. Clear priority over Wolfram.
Boston Red Sox
Closer: Aroldis Chapman
A little shaky recently, but nothing meaningful has changed. Still locked in.
Holds Targets: Greg Weissert, Garrett Whitlock
Weissert replaces Coulombe and brings a strong strikeout + groundball combo. Both should continue seeing leverage.
New York Yankees
Closer: David Bednar
Holding steady. Some volatility is likely, but that’s true across this bullpen.
Holds Targets: Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill
All three are usable. Doval still stands out as the upside play if anything changes at the top.
Tampa Bay Rays
Closer: Bryan Baker
Clearly the guy for now and pitching well overall.
Holds Targets: None
Griffin Jax falls off the list. Hard to trust anyone here at the moment.
Toronto Blue Jays
Closer: Jeff Hoffman
A bit of a strange season so far, but the underlying stuff still supports him. Role remains intact.
Holds Targets: Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland
Same duo as before. Yimi García should return soon and immediately factor into high leverage.
Chicago White Sox
Closer: Seranthony Domínguez
Still the closer—but still not a situation you want exposure to.
Holds Targets: None
No one stands out enough to recommend.
Cleveland Guardians
Closer: Cade Smith
Not quite as dominant as peak form, but still a top-tier option.
Holds Targets: Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, Shawn Armstrong
Sabrowski continues to rack up holds at an elite rate. Gaddis re-enters as a viable option.
Detroit Tigers
Closer: Kenley Jansen
Pitching well and fully trusted. No reason to expect a change.
Holds Targets: Will Vest, Kyle Finnegan, Tyler Holton
Clear trio for high-leverage work. Steady holds potential.
Kansas City Royals
Closer: Lucas Erceg
Has struggled badly since taking over, but there’s still little competition. Worth holding for now.
Holds Targets: Matt Strahm
Steady as always—and could sneak into saves if Erceg continues to falter.