With roughly one week until the midpoint of the regular season (81 games), the avalanche of relievers recording at least a save has not waned. Through games played on June 17, this chart illustrates the rise in the number of pitchers with a save in 2026, as well as that fewer are recording at least 5, 10 and 15 saves at this point of the year:
Saves comparison through June 17, since 2024 YearGamesSavesSave% of WinsRPs w/save5+ Saves10+ Saves15+ Saves20+ Saves2026221455950.51692916612025218455851.113536221012024216855351134362393
Hope for more continuity could be on the horizon. Houston’s Josh Hader has converted all four save chances since his return and even worked on consecutive days for the first time this week. Baltimore activated Ryan Helsley, stabilizing its bullpen roles. Emilio Pagán will throw a simulated game in New York on Friday (June 19) and could begin a rehab assignment in the minors, expediting his return to Cincinnati.Unfortunately, there is also bad news. Daniel Palencia (elbow inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list, and there may not be a proven link between his injury issues this year and his participation in the World Baseball Classic, but The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney thinks it’s worth considering. After not recording a save since May 14, the day after Palencia landed on the injured list, a save opportunity finally appeared for the Cubs, secured by Jacob Webb. There will be more on this later in our National League “Stock up” report.Palencia has only recorded three saves this season, and the Cubs are one of four teams without a reliever with at least five saves entering game play on June 18, joining Colorado, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Angels.Amid the volume of relievers recording saves, situations remain unsettled for many teams. There are multiple teams without a “closer,” necessitating updated pathways with some caveats. I try to provide accurate team approaches for procuring saves despite the multitude of confusing usage patterns throughout the league. Each team will receive one of the following labels:
