I present to you the fourth annual Relief Pitching Prospect Rankings! There may not be as much widespread fantasy baseball interest in reliever prospects as there is with prospects at other positions, but it's an under-covered aspect of dynasty prospect analysis. I know many of you, like me, play in daily dynasty leagues where you have to roster relievers before they establish themselves as quality setup men in the big leagues. This should also be relevant to serious redraft players, as it's helpful to know the full lay of the land when planning ahead for saves.
The main focus of these rankings is to highlight true reliever prospects, not necessarily the starting pitching prospects with elevated bullpen risk, but I will touch on those prospects in their own space in the article. Even if I think someone is likely to eventually end up in the bullpen, if that move probably won't happen for another couple years — think guys like Malachi Witherspoon (DET), Cam Leiter (LAD) or Chase Shores (LAA), who are beginning their pro careers as starters in A ball — then it's less relevant to these rankings, as we're not trying to wait several years to learn if our reliever specs have potential.
1. Bradgley Rodriguez - SD - 22 - MLB
Rodriguez debuted in the Padres bullpen at the end of last season as a 21-year-old and broke camp in the majors this year at 22. He sits 98-99 mph with his fastball and has 137 Stuff+
I present to you the fourth annual Relief Pitching Prospect Rankings! There may not be as much widespread fantasy baseball interest in reliever prospects as there is with prospects at other positions, but it's an under-covered aspect of dynasty prospect analysis. I know many of you, like me, play in daily dynasty leagues where you have to roster relievers before they establish themselves as quality setup men in the big leagues. This should also be relevant to serious redraft players, as it's helpful to know the full lay of the land when planning ahead for saves.
The main focus of these rankings is to highlight true reliever prospects, not necessarily the starting pitching prospects with elevated bullpen risk, but I will touch on those prospects in their own space in the article. Even if I think someone is likely to eventually end up in the bullpen, if that move probably won't happen for another couple years — think guys like Malachi Witherspoon (DET), Cam Leiter (LAD) or Chase Shores (LAA), who are beginning their pro careers as starters in A ball — then it's less relevant to these rankings, as we're not trying to wait several years to learn if our reliever specs have potential.
1. Bradgley Rodriguez - SD - 22 - MLB
Rodriguez debuted in the Padres bullpen at the end of last season as a 21-year-old and broke camp in the majors this year at 22. He sits 98-99 mph with his fastball and has 137 Stuff+ on his cutter and a 47.5 percent whiff rate on his dastardly 89-90 mph changeup, helping him to a 63.2 percent groundball rate in the early going. The only knock on Rodriguez is that he won't be getting saves for the Padres unless Mason Miller (under club control through 2029) gets hurt or traded, but he's an elite relief prospect from a skills/youth standpoint.
2. Anthony Nunez - BAL - 24 - MLB
Nunez didn't reach the majors prior to breaking camp in the Orioles' bullpen this spring, although he was ranked on the Top 400 Prospect Rankings on the January and March updates, which is a rarity for a true minor-league reliever. Sitting 95-97 mph with his two fastballs, Nunez lacks premium fastball velocity relative to some of the other relievers on this list, but his four-seamer has elite movement, which combined with his plus sweeper and plus changeup gives him enough weapons to toy with hitters in the late innings.
3. Josh Ekness - MIA - 24 - AAA - ETA: 2026
Ekness boasts a starter-caliber pitch mix, but he he hasn't needed to go too deep in his bag of tricks as a reliever. The fact the Marlins haven't explored that path yet suggests they're comfortable with him in relief long term. Ekness utilizes his 98-mph four-seamer against lefties and his 98-mph sinker against righties while relying on his 86-mph slider to finish off hitters from both sides. The one slight knock is that his groundball rates have typically been in the 40s, while others on this list live in the 50s and even 60s. The Marlins have a stacked Triple-A bullpen, as Josh White and William Kempner made the Best of The Rest list at the bottom of the article, but Ekness is my pick to be the team's long-term closer.
4. Hunter Parks - CIN - 25 - AA - ETA: 2026
Shout out to Chris Blessing, who recently saw Parks live and mentioned him to me as a potential future closer. Parks is dominating at Double-A with upper-90s heat and a wipeout sweeper. At the time of publishing, he hadn't allowed a run at Double-A with a 19:5 K:BB and 62.5 percent groundball rate in 10 innings. He has never had a walk rate below 12 percent, which is why he's 25 and at Double-A, but the pitcher we've seen this year has the look of a future late-inning weapon.
5. Daniel Espino - CLE - 25 - AAA - ETA: 2026
The most famous prospect in this article, Espino sat 98-99 mph with his fastball in his most recent appearance while sitting 92 mph with his slider. Including the Arizona Fall League, Espino has logged just 31.1 innings since 2021, so he's still extremely risky from a health standpoint, and there's a chance his stuff just doesn't hold up over his first full season back, even as a reliever. Still, his pedigree and the Guardians' investment in him could lead to him getting ninth-inning opportunities in the coming years.
6. Alimber Santa - HOU - 22 - AAA - ETA: 2026
It doesn't seem that long ago when Santa was generating buzz on the backfields as an 18-year-old in 2021. Fast forward five years and he's moved to the bullpen, as the 5-foot-10 righty was never able to log enough innings while throwing enough strikes when working as a starter. He has a 61.9 percent groundball rate and 14:3 K:BB while allowing two runs in 11 innings at Triple-A. His mid-90s fastball doesn't stand out for its velocity, but he has a ninth-inning caliber upper-80s slider and the big-league bullpen is in a state of chaos.
7. Emiliano Teodo - TEX - 25 - AAA - ETA: 2026
I can't quit Teodo, at least not as long as he's performing like he is at Triple-A. The walks are still an issue, and that shaky control is why he's still at Triple-A, but he's sitting 99 mph with a wipeout slider. He has 19 strikeouts and a 50 percent groundball rate while allowing four runs in 10.2 innings and the big-league bullpen is unsettled.
8. Marco Raya - MIN - 23 - AAA - ETA: 2027
Raya worked as a starter from 2022 until August 2025, when he moved to relief at Triple-A. He hadn't projected as a starter for a while, as injuries and poor control had him red-flagged as a likely reliever a couple years ago. He's in a funk at Triple-A at time of publishing, but he has a wide-open big-league bullpen, big stuff and is still just 23, with limited experience relieving. His current struggles are control related, as he has struck out 13 while generating groundballs at a 56.3 percent clip in 11.1 innings.
9. Yilber Diaz - ARI - 25 - AAA - ETA: 2024
Diaz has been featured in this article for several years, and he's excelling out of the Triple-A bullpen to the tune of a 1.42 ERA, 59.1 percent groundball rate and 30.0 K-BB% in 12.2 innings. Diaz sat 98 mph with his fastball and got whiffs two-thirds of the time on his slider in his most recent appearance. Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk are preferable long-term stashes from the Arizona bullpen, but Diaz is worth monitoring in all formats if he get the call in the coming weeks.
10. Yovanny Cruz - NYY - 26 - AAA - ETA: 2026
Cruz has been settling for minor-league contracts the past few years, but he is having a breakout first season with the Yankees after spending time with the Cubs, Padres and Red Sox in past years. Cruz has a 14:2 K:BB, 52.6 percent groundball rate and 0.96 ERA in 9.1 innings, and his stuff backs up this excellent start, as he's averaging 99 mph on his fastball while generating 50 percent whiffs on his 89 mph slider. The Yankees have the most representation on this list, and Cruz cracked the top 10 since he's the one at Triple-A. Cruz might rank higher if he were in a different organization, as the Yankees don't seem likely to hand closer duties to a journeyman.
11. Chris Veach - NYY - 24 - A+ - ETA: 2027
An undrafted free agent, Veach has big stuff and an excellent feel for spin to go with a plus changeup, which puts him ahead of schedule with his secondaries. His lack of pedigree could work against him as a future closer, but he has been perfect (0.00 ERA, 12:0 K:BB, 53.8 percent groundball rate) at High-A to start the year.
12. Mason Peters - SEA - 22 - A - ETA: 2028
Peters has the hammer one associates with a future closer, and while he doesn't have an upper-90s fastball yet, he should throw hard enough by the time he's big-league ready to figure into the late-inning mix. He is working as a starter in his pro debut, but evaluators have him pegged as a future late-inning arm. Either way, if he keeps having the success he is at Single-A (36.7 K-BB%, 63.3 percent groundball rate), he will be an arm to have in deep dynasty leagues.
13. Ben Grable - NYY - 23 - A+ - ETA: 2027
A 2025 draftee, Grable is dominating in a relief role in his pro debut at High-A. He puts hitters away with a 96-97 fastball that has ridiculous late life, but it's questionable how much potential he has with his secondaries. Maybe Grable's fastball is just this good, as he boasts a 55.6 percent groundball rate and 17:2 K:BB in 7.2 innings.
14. Kyle Hurt - LAD - 27 - MLB
Hurt has only logged 13.2 innings in the majors despite his age, and he has been excellent this year with six strikeouts, zero walks and 50 percent groundballs in five innings. His fastball still sits in the upper-90s, and he relies on it more for whiffs than his stellar changeup. Edgardo Henriquez is a preferable spec in this bullpen, but at 31.2 MLB innings he's more established than any other pitcher on this list.
15. Zach Maxwell - CIN - 25 - AAA - ETA: 2025
It's another year, but the same story with Maxwell, as he's showcasing big stuff while issuing too many walks at Triple-A. He'll have stretches where he's striking out two batters per inning and putting up zeros, and then he'll have stretches where he's walking as many batters as he's getting out. His stuff is still too good to give up on, but he's no longer the top-ranked Red on the list.
16. Franco Aleman - CLE - 25 - AAA - ETA: 2026
A heavily-featured pitcher on this list for years, Aleman has a career-best 43.4 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A across 10 scoreless innings to start the year. He still touches triple digits with his fastball, which he relies on much more than his 85-mph slider.
17. Eric Reyzelman - NYY - 24 - AA - ETA: 2027
Reyzelman has been a known reliever prospect for a while, and he's having a post-hype resurgence at Double-A (15:2 K:BB, 1.04 ERA in 8.2 innings). He spent 43 innings at Triple-A last year, so I'd like to see him carry his success over at that level before giving him the benefit of the doubt as a future closer or setup man, but his stock is up.
18. Ryan Lambert - NYM - 23 - AAA - ETA: 2027
This is poor timing for Lambert, as he may have been notably higher if I wrote the article during spring training, when his 80-grade fastball was generating a lot of buzz. He's walked six batters while recording five outs over his last three appearances, so an ascent to the majors, let alone the opportunity to pitch in high-leverage situations, doesn't appear imminent.
19. Gavin Collyer - TEX - 24 - MLB
Collyer showed career-best control in a tiny Triple-A sample before joining big-league bullpen in late April. That 7.4 percent walk rate at Triple-A may have just been a small-sample fluke, as Collyer has already hit three batters and walked three in 5.1 innings. Still, his slider is a monster pitch and if he can dial in the command, the Rangers' closer role is there for the taking.
20. Alex McFarlane - PHI - 24 - AA - ETA: 2026
McFarlane moved to the bullpen at Double-A at the end of 2025. He is still walking too many batters, particularly for a flyball pitcher, but he is a strikeout monster (11 Ks in 7.1 IP) thanks to his fastball/slider combination. Already on the 40-man roster, McFarlane could debut this year, but he'll need to generate more groundballs and/or cut the walks before projecting as a future closer.
21. Brock Moore - SEA - 25 - A+ - ETA: 2027
Moore is obviously too old for High-A, as he turns 26 in May. However, he has a triple-digit fastball and has logged 20 Ks and four saves in 8.1 innings to start the year. His 3.3 percent walk rate is a massive improvement over the 26.7 percent mark he logged at High-A last year, so he'll need to keep the walks in check after what should be an imminent promotion to Double-A.
22. Eric Cerantola - KC - 25 - AAA - ETA: 2026
Cerantola has an excellent slider, but the rest of the profile fits better in the seventh or eighth inning. He gets a bump because of his team's wide-open closer situation.
23. Tyson Neighbors - BAL - 23 - AA - ETA: 2027
I honestly thought Neighbors would be an established big-league reliever by now, but it's taken him a lot longer at Double-A due to inconsistent control. He had a 12.3 percent walk rate at Double-A before the Padres traded him to Baltimore last deadline in the Ramon Laureano/Ryan O'Hearn deal, and Neighbors was surprisingly sent back to Double-A this year, where his walk rate has ballooned to 20.4 percent. He is still relatively young, as is the season, but his stock is down.
24. Javen Coleman - TOR - 24 - AA - ETA: 2027
Coleman, a lefty with an upper-90s fastball and improving control, boasts a 36.1 percent strikeout rate and 2.8 percent walk rate through 8.1 innings in six appearances. He has missed a ton of bats in the past and may get a midseason bump to Triple-A.
25. Aidan Foeller - LAD - 24 - A+ - ETA: 2028
Foeller has a big fastball and has turned in excellent results as a High-A starter (2.30 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 25.4 K-BB%), but given his age and the bullpen risk coming into the year, we should still think of him as a likely reliever due to his shaky command.
26. Will Childers - MIL - 25 - AAA - ETA: 2026
A big 6-foot-4 righty, Childers was dominating as the Brewers' Triple-A closer, sitting with four saves and a 13:3 K:BB in 10 scoreless frames to start the year before landing on the injured list with an undisclosed injury. He sits 95-96 mph, and unsurprisingly as a Brewers pitcher, he leans on his upper-80s cutter for whiffs.
27. Alex Hoppe - SEA - 27 - MLB
Hoppe just got the call after dominating out of Triple-A bullpen (12:3 K:BB, 66.7 percent groundball rate, 0.00 ERA) and he was used in mop-up duty in his big-league debut. He sits 96-97 with several fastballs while throwing his upper-80s slider over half the time.
28. Reynaldo Yean - LAD - 22 - A+ - ETA: 2028
It's a testament to Yean's ridiculous stuff that he's included here despite walking 12 batters in seven innings this season at High-A. It's worth noting that 10 of his 12 walks were isolated to three of his seven appearances, so over 50 percent of the time this year, he's had the goods.
29. Seth Johnson - PHI - 27 - AAA - ETA: 2024
Johnson, an oft-featured arm on this list, hasn't made the most of his tools against big leaguers, but he's been so dominant at Triple-A this season that he made the cut one last time. He has a 16:4 K:BB and his 52.9 percent groundball rate is his highest mark since 2023.
30. Dylan Ross - NYM - 25 - AAA - ETA: 2027
Ross had more hype a year ago, as he's off to a rough start in 2026 with injuries and poor performance. He still needs to improve his control to project as a late-inning arm in the short term.
The Best SP to RP Candidates
Carlos Lagrange - NYY - 22 - AAA - ETA: 2026
I went from being the high guy on Lagrange at the start of 2025 to being passed by everyone who got overly excited by his impressive 2026 big-league spring training. The walks are still a problem (12.6 percent walk rate) as a starter and he's clearly got the goods to help the big-league bullpen if the Yankees decide to go that route. They may just opt for patience, as Lagrange is still just 22, but as someone who is rostering him in a daily dynasty league, I wouldn't be upset if he was pushed to the bullpen.
Wellington Aracena - ARI - 21 - A+ - ETA: 2028
Whenever Arizona pulls the plug on Aracena as a starting pitcher, he could rocket to the back of the big-league bullpen. The biggest knock on him might be that he's pitched too well as a starter to be expedited to the majors as a reliever, but it's still a fine outcome if he's able to start.
Jaxon Wiggins - CHC - 24 - AAA - ETA: 2027
Injuries and command could push Wiggins to relief, where he'd be an obvious closer candidate and potentially a top-five closer at peak. He has been out since April 4 with elbow inflammation.
Ty Johnson - TB - 24 - AAA - ETA: 2027
I still think he should be developed as a starter, but there are plenty of scouts who disagree. I think he'll excel in any role, including closer, if it comes to that. The first step is overcoming his current back injury at Triple-A.
Gage Stanifer - TOR - 22 - AA - ETA: 2027
Stanifer has ridiculous stuff and gives hitters a very uncomfortable look. It's not a common delivery, which often means future reliever. He currently has a 14.7 percent walk rate at Double-A and has never had a walk rate below 11 percent, even in rookie ball.
Eriq Swan - WSH - 24 - AA - ETA: 2027
Swan has huge stuff, but he has never thrown enough strikes to start. He currently has a 20 percent walk rate and 1.20 WHIP at Double-A, which is hard to do and speaks to how unhittable he is when he is locating.
Luis Perales - WSH - 23 - AAA - ETA: 2027
The former Red Sox farmhand has a whiff of damaged goods, as the Red Sox seem to have sold high after he showed upper-90s velocity in his return from Tommy John surgery at the end of 2025. There isn't anything promising to point to in his work at Triple-A this season, and he's trending as a reliever until further notice.
Alex Clemmey - WSH - 20 - AA - ETA: 2028
Clemmey has always been really young for his levels, but has never thrown enough strikes to start. Fortunately, he's been pushed so aggressively that if the Nationals pull the plug on him as a starter, he could be up in the big-league bullpen in a matter of months. He's a lefty, which could work against him in the hunt for saves if Perales, Swan and others are also up for the challenge.
Best of the Rest: Angel Bastardo (BOS), Wilber Dotel (PIT), Andrew Walters (CLE), Josh White (MIA), Yunior Tur (ATH), Luis Gastelum (STL), Tink Hence (STL), William Kempner (MIA), Andrew Baker (PHI), Yoniel Curet (DET), Raimon Gomez (BAL), Chris Cortez (LAA), Reggie Crawford (SF), Paul Bonzagni (TEX), Owen Wild (TB), Welinton Herrera (COL), Brandyn Garcia (ARI), Douglas Orellana (NYM), Brandan Bidois (PIT), Cristian Mena (ARI), Jairo Iriarte (CHW), Gabe Craig (PHI), Alex Cook (TB), Camden Minacci (LAA), Michael Arias (NYY), Hunter Cranton (ARI), Gerelmi Maldonado (SF), Chandler Marsh (BAL), Brandon Neely (BOS), Tommy McCollum (TB), Izack Tiger (TEX), Lucas Wepf (LAD)
