Fantasy Baseball 2026: Closer Confidential for Week 8

Bryan Baker just had the worst outing of his season, Kenley Jansen is a mess, and Aroldis Chapman is forcing my hand. Let's get into it.

The save landscape shifted in several directions this week, some expected and some not. On the positive side, Devin Williams has strung together seven straight scoreless appearances and looks like the arm we drafted. Tanner Scott has been the best closer nobody is talking about, racking up four straight saves for the Dodgers while Edwin Díaz sorts out both his elbow and, apparently, an MLB investigation into illegal cockfighting. On the negative side, Bryan Baker issued four walks in two-thirds of an inning Wednesday and blew his third save of the season, and Kenley Jansen's groin and lower abdomen continue to limit him in Detroit. Kyle Finnegan also blew his second save this week, which does not help matters there.

Meanwhile, Aroldis Chapman has been so good that I can no longer justify keeping him in Shaky. He is 7-for-7 in save opportunities, has not allowed an earned run in his last eight appearances, and just turned 38. I still have that seed of doubt I told you about last week. I am planting it and watering it regularly. But the grades must be honest, so Chapman goes to Secure.

And Louis Varland in Toronto is quietly becoming one of the better stories of the season. He owns a 0.48 ERA in 19 outings and his strikeout rate has jumped to 38 percent. He is not in Seesaw anymore. He belongs in this group and that's where I'm putting him.

Let's go to the grades.

Reviewing the Categories

In the weekly Closer Confidential column, we group closers, and committees, into three cohorts:

Secure Closers

Mason Miller continues to exist on a different plane than every other closer in baseball. Fourteen saves. Has not allowed a run in over 12 innings this season. The conversation begins and ends there.

Cade Smith gets a bump this week after a clean nine-game stretch and his 13th save Wednesday, which came on a three-strikeout ninth against the Angels' 4-5-6 pocket. He is as consistent as anyone in this group not named Miller. Erik Sabrowski's MLB-leading 16 holds behind him make Cleveland's late innings the envy of most bullpens.

Aroldis Chapman is here now. Seven-for-seven, 0.77 ERA, zero earned runs in his last eight. I said last week that one or two clean weeks would force my hand. Consider it forced. The seed of doubt lives on. I am watching him every single night. But the grades must reflect reality and the reality is that Aroldis Chapman has been one of the five best closers in baseball this season. I still don't like his age, but the results are the results.

Changes in Confidence Grade or Personnel in bold

Shaky Closers

Jhoan Duran returns to his regular closer role from his oblique strain. I'm keeping him in Shaky territory, because oblique strain. I trust him, but not fully. Yet.

Tanner Scott is the arm I want to highlight this week. He has recorded a scoreless outing in 15 of his last 16 appearances since April 4, posting a 0.574 WHIP with 14 strikeouts against two walks across 15.2 innings. The Dodgers have given him four straight save chances and he has converted all four.



Edwin Díaz faced a potential MLB investigation tied to illegal cockfighting this week, and whatever the outcome of that, Scott's stranglehold on the ninth inning appears secure. I'm moving him up.

Devin Williams has now been scoreless in seven straight outings, posting a 0.30 WHIP with nine strikeouts versus one walk across 6.2 innings in that stretch. We talked about this turnaround last week. It is real. He gets a bump.



Riley O'Brien bounced back from the blown save to record his 13th save Friday, working around a hit batter with two strikeouts. Through six appearances in May, five of six save chances converted with eight strikeouts against one walk. He is a legitimate closer.



Louis Varland joins this group this week and I mean it sincerely. A 0.48 ERA across 19 outings in Toronto. A 38 percent strikeout rate. Four saves in the past week. Toronto used him in a high-leverage eighth inning while trailing Wednesday, which is how good managers treat their best arms. He is no longer a watch situation. He is a closer.



Paul Sewald gets another bump. Eight saves and a clean week. The K:BB continues to impress.



Gregory Soto gets a nudge up as well after continuing to hold the Pittsburgh ninth firmly.



Bryan Baker stays put at 81 despite the blown save. The four-walk implosion Wednesday was ugly, but it was also anomalous relative to everything else he has shown this season. His 24.3 percent hard-hit rate and 2.7 percent barrel rate remain elite. One bad outing does not erase the best contact-suppression numbers of his career. Hold him.

Changes in Confidence Grade or Personnel in bold

Seesaw Situations

Pete Fairbanks is back in Miami after being activated from the IL without a rehab outing, which raises some flags. There are concerns about his command and velocity in his return, and his Raynaud's syndrome remains a factor that will need monitoring. He gets a 79 and replaces Tyler Phillips as the Marlins' entry. Calvin Faucher and Anthony Bender remain the next options.

Kenley Jansen gets a drop this week, not a promotion. After a clean Wednesday - he struck out the side on 14 pitches - Kyle Finnegan blew his second save in the same series. The groin and lower abdomen issue has limited Jansen's availability and the blown saves are now at three with Finnegan adding two of his own. This situation has deteriorated since Week 7. Jansen drops.

Rico Garcia also drops, which is a bit unfair to him personally since his individual outings have been solid, but the Baltimore situation has not clarified around him the way I was hoping. With Ryan Helsley still on the IL and no firm return timeline, this stays in Seesaw. If Garcia gets another clean week I'll revisit.

Lucas Erceg gets a small bump after three saves in the past week. He has the Kansas City job with no real competition.

The Colorado situation gets an overhaul. Juan Mejia is now the primary closer, but his 4.66 ERA, recent blown save, and shaky command make this a situation to avoid outside of deep leagues. Victor Vodnik let both inherited runners score Wednesday. Antonio Senzatela has a 0.50 ERA and may be the best arm in that bullpen, but he is being used as a multi-inning long reliever, not a closer. Nobody in Colorado is worth rostering with conviction.

In San Francisco, Erik Miller was activated Saturday, creating a co-closer situation with Caleb Kilian. Neither has defined roles. The best-case scenario is the two working as a tandem. Hold whoever you have but temper your expectations.

Jack Perkins blew his third save Thursday in Oakland, hitting a batter then giving up two straight RBI hits. His grip on the role is shaky.

Josh Hader is still not back in Houston. Bryan King and Bryan Abreu are splitting duties. Hold Hader if you can afford the roster spot, for he's working his way back, slowly.

• Denotes Closer Committee

Changes in Confidence Grade or Personnel in bold

Questions About Closer Confidential, Answered

Who are the most reliable closers for Week 8 of 2026 fantasy baseball?

Mason Miller, Cade Smith, David Bednar, and Aroldis Chapman headline the most secure closer tier entering Week 8.

Which closer situations have turned into committees?

Milwaukee, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Houston, and Colorado are currently operating with unstable or committee-style ninth-inning situations.

Who are the top waiver-wire closer adds this week?

Louis Varland, Tanner Scott, and Riley O'Brien stand out as the strongest waiver-wire or late-rising closer targets.

Should I drop any struggling closers right now?

Fantasy managers should be cautious with volatile situations like Colorado, Houston, and Detroit while monitoring role clarity closely.

How do I prioritize adds in deep leagues for Week 8?

Prioritize relievers already receiving consistent save chances, especially arms with stable strikeout rates and improving usage trends.

When should I check for last-minute closer news?

Monitor bullpen updates daily before first pitch and again after late-night games, especially during injury-heavy weeks.

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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 8:28 AM.