Early 2027 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at relief pitcher elevates newcomers like Mason Montgomery

1 Mason Miller San Diego Padres RP Miller's 16.6 K/9 bettered every other full-time reliever (minimum 50 innings) by three. With his role being more secure than ever, there is no doubt he's the best.2 Cade Smith Cleveland Guardians RP A Guardians reliever has placed first or second for saves in four of the past five seasons, with Smith tying Bryan Baker for the major league lead in 2026. He was also one of just eight full-time relievers to register 100-plus strikeouts and has done so in three straight seasons.3 Josh Hader Houston Astros RP Fair to say Hader halted all talk of his decline by delivering a 1.01 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 in his 45 appearances back from a biceps injury. He may be among the brittlest closers, but he's also among the most dominant.4 Jhoan Duran Philadelphia Phillies RP It's a close call between Hader and Duran, who feels safer but consistently yields a higher batting average. His ratios don't exactly suffer for it, but the ones Hader delivered in 2026 were a different kind of special.5 Louie Varland Toronto Blue Jays RP Varland's 1.27 ERA led all relievers with at least 50 innings and marked his second big leap in as many years. This one yielded him a closer gig that he seems unlikely to relinquish with Jeff Hoffman no longer in the picture and four years of team control remaining.6 Mason Montgomery Pittsburgh Pirates RP The big knock on Montgomery is that no one had ever thought of him as a Fantasy asset prior to last July, which he entered with a 4.68 ERA. His 1.25 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 14.8 K/9 in 37 appearances from that point forward, though, would suggest he has as much upside as any closer shy of Mason Miller. A new sinker is to credit for the turnaround.7 Aroldis Chapman Boston Red Sox RP Chapman wasn't quite as dominant as in 2025, losing about 1.5 mph off his fastball, but he still managed to put together a 1.92 ERA while piling up 35 saves. Even at 39 next season, he seems pretty trustworthy.8 David Bednar New York Yankees RP Bednar shook off another bumpy start to give the Yankees their first 35-save guy since 2019. He's hitting the open market this offseason, and this ranking presumes he'll sign with a team that intends to use him as a closer (possibly the Yankees themselves).9 Bryan Baker Tampa Bay Rays RP Baker had one of the biggest breakouts of any reliever in 2026, tying for the MLB lead with 41 saves while registering a 1.44 ERA. But his strikeout rate collapsed in September, coinciding with a velocity dip that continued into the playoffs. He barely averaged a strikeout per inning for the season.10 Jacob Latz Texas Rangers RP Latz wasn't a big strikeout pitcher as a starter and dominated in an unconventional way after his transition to the ninth inning this year, averaging less than 95 mph on his fastball. But dominate he did -- to the tune of a 2.13 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 -- and the only reason he ranks this low is the unexpectedness of it at age 30.11 Andres Munoz Seattle Mariners RP Munoz struggled in a year when everything seemed to go wrong for the Mariners, putting together an uncharacteristic 4.24 ERA. His velocity and bat-missing actually improved, though, and the ERA estimators all suggest that his final mark should have been a run or two better. He'll be fine.12 Trevor Megill Milwaukee Brewers RP Megill eked out 30 saves for a second straight year and has been a perfectly serviceable closer. However, the postseason emergence of Aaron Ashby and the continued presence of Abner Uribe complicate the Brewers' ninth-inning picture a bit. The 2027 season is also Megill's last under Brewers control, which may compel them to make a move.13 Edwin Diaz Los Angeles Dodgers RP Diaz spent most of his first season with the Dodgers recovering from elbow surgery (loose bodies) and wasn't very good when he pitched, at least not until returning from a separate IL stint for a neck issue in September. In his final nine appearances, playoffs included, he had a 0.82 ERA, 0.36 WHIP and 11.5 K/9, which likely makes him the favorite to close again in 2027.14 Raisel Iglesias Atlanta Braves RP Iglesias' 2026 wasn't as tumultuous as his 2025, but his dominance indicators receded a little further. He'll be 37 this offseason and on the prowl for a new team, which I can't say for sure will still be motivated to use him as a closer. Probably, though.15 Emilio Pagan Cincinnati Reds RP Pagan struggled for the little time he was available in the first half of 2026, missing time with a hamstring strain, but rebounded nicely in the second half to finish the year with a 3.38 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. He's still too homer-prone to close, at least in an ideal world, but that's much less of a concern with the Tigers, who locked him up early this offseason, than it was with the Reds.16 Devin Williams New York Mets RP I'm ranking Williams with the presumption that he'll be the Mets' first choice to close in 2027, given his contract and history. Now that he's disappointed in back-to-back seasons, though, it's possible they'll instead turn the role over to Kodai Senga, who did well enough with it when Williams was injured down the stretch in 2026.17 Grant Taylor Chicago White Sox RP The White Sox have now confirmed that Taylor will be transitioning to the starting rotation in 2027, which makes him my highest-ranked RP-eligible SP. I would have preferred them to make him the closer, but a number of quality relievers have been stretched out successfully in recent years. Taylor's four-pitch arsenal and multi-inning habit make him well suited for it.18 Tanner Scott Los Angeles Dodgers RP The Dodgers only turned to Edwin Diaz last offseason because Scott flopped as their high-dollar closer the year before. Still, it was Scott who handled most of the save chances in 2026 after Diaz was thwarted by injuries and mechanical issues. Diaz seemed to have righted the ship by season's end, but the small sample leaves room for doubt, particularly with such a capable backup at the ready.19 Riley O'Brien St. Louis Cardinals RP O'Brien serves as a placeholder here as the de facto closer for the Cardinals, but I have to believe they'll bring in someone else this offseason. Though he led the NL with 38 saves in 2026, he imploded down the stretch, allowing 12 earned runs in his final 13 appearances, and wasn't exactly dominating before then.20 Ian Seymour Tampa Bay Rays RP Seymour spent about half his time in the bullpen in 2026, which is why he retains relief pitcher eligibility for 2027, but he was mostly starting by season's end. His ERA runs high because of his vulnerability to the long ball, but he's a quality bat-misser who should make a positive impact as a starter, provided the Rays stick with him in that role.