Ranking the 10 Best Relief Pitchers in MLB Right Now
by Sam Cox | by Tyler Doty
Judging the best relief pitchers isn’t just about saves and ERA. Track record and stuff are more important than recent results given the natural volatility that comes with pitching out of the bullpen.
A top 10 of relievers changes more drastically year-to-year than at any other position. There’s a good chance seven or eight of these pitchers won’t make this list in 12 months’ time.
For these rankings, we have used pitchers’ numbers across the 2024 and 2025 MLB seasons to give a sufficiently large sample size.
10. Gabe Speier
A lefty with a mid-90s fastball, hard sinker, and a whiff-inducing slider, Gabe Speier is 11th in K-BB% among all relievers with over 50 innings pitched.
His groundball rate has been elite in the past. It was around average in 2025, but that’s more than satisfactory when he’s in the 96th percentile in strikeout rate and the 97th percentile in walk rate.
9. Andrés Muñoz
Part of Andrés Muñoz’s success has been upping his slider usage. Forget about sinkers and changeups. Just throw the slider and a big-time fastball.
Muñoz’s numbers were elite across the board in 2025, though an 11% walk rate is a reminder that bad outings are possible.
8. Josh Hader
Yet to pitch in 2026, Josh Hader ranks third in xERA and fifth in K-BB%. The left-hander has earned six All-Star selections and established himself as one of the best relievers in the 21st century.
The 300-save club is a very realistic aim for the Astros’ closer.
7. Aroldis Chapman
Aroldis Chapman’s 16th big-league season was the best of his career. Unlike most hard throwers, Chapman has been durable and effective over a long period.
The stuff remains sharp and he just had the lowest walk rate of his career. Increased sinker usage and fewer four-seamers have helped to extend Chapman’s time as a top-tier closer.
6. Tyler Rogers
Fourth in pitching+, 10th in groundball rate, and 22nd in xERA, Tyler Rogers has been an ironman throughout the 2020s. The submariner continues to bamboozle hitters with his arm angle and rising slider.
Perhaps a lack of velocity has worked in Rogers’ favor, enabling him to pitch more frequently than his hard-throwing peers, and making him a constant factor to consider when making baseball picks.
5. Jeremiah Estrada
Being in the top 10 in K-BB% and pitching+ reflects how great Jeremiah Estrada has been for the Padres.
Perhaps a tally of four career saves is why Estrada is forgotten about when discussing the best relievers.
4. Jhoan Duran
Just two pitchers have a better stuff+ than Jhoan Duran. His xERA ranks ninth, and the combination of a 100th percentile groundball rate and 87th percentile whiff rate in 2025 led to another dominant campaign.
In the early going this season, Duran has shown more a vicious sweeper and further decreased his four-seamer usage.
3. Cade Smith
Cade Smith’s underlying numbers put him among the best pitchers in the sport. Like Rogers, Smith has been a workhorse, throwing the second-most relief innings over the last two seasons.
A true three-pitch guy, it’ll be interesting to see if Smith uses his sweeper more in 2026 after the pitch had a .219 xwOBA in 2025.
2. Edwin Díaz
Edwin Díaz has managed to get great results over the last couple of seasons, even though his stuff isn’t as sharp as it was pre-injury. His under-the-hood numbers were phenomenal in 2025, earning a big-money deal with the Dodgers.
A further decrease in Díaz’s stuff+ at the start of 2026 is a concerning sign, but for now, he still warrants a top-two spot.
1. Mason Miller
The leader in xERA and K-BB%, Mason Miller pairs a triple-digit fastball with an unhittable slider. Hitters are occasionally shown a changeup for good measure.
Speculation that the Padres could experiment with Miller as a starter has died down. San Diego should keep him as the most dominant reliever at the back end of the best bullpen in baseball.
