RELIEVERS: An early look at skill sets in six troubled pens

We have crossed the baseball equinox—halfway between the last pitch of the World Series and first pitch of spring training (roughly Dec 29, but who's counting)? It is time for free agents to find homes, and for us to hone our projections and make some lists for use when drafts roll around. This column will examine six bullpens where players may be added or subtracted, playing time battles will be had, and current projections are going to move around as we learn more about the health, roles and signings for these teams. These bullpens are far from settled, but we at least can look at the skills and tuck away some names. Therefore, we cast a wide net, using projections as of January 7, and see if we can find some hidden gems.

We start in

More From Relief Pitchers

Here we are filtering for the 20 most elite relievers by K%-BB% into August and with projected numbers rest of season.
Aug 9 2026 3:05am
Teams are moving relievers and this column has early impacts, starting with Paul Sewald's demotion and A.J. Minter (LHP, MIN) to the surging Twins, where he will pair with Yoendrys Gómez (pictured).
Aug 2 2026 3:07am
Skills always matter. Here are five more pens as we head towards August.
Jul 26 2026 3:05am
Buyers and sellers at the deadline always disrupt bullpens. Here are some potential teams to watch.
Jul 19 2026 3:06am
The relievers in this article are the ones most likely to have 20 or more holds at the end of the season.
Jul 12 2026 3:06am

Tools