Top 5 Most Dangerous Bullpen Trios in MLB for 2026

One year, a relief corps dominates the league; the next, it can crumble under the weight of regression, injuries, higher-leverage roles, or simply the variance that comes with the territory when players are depended on to throw roughly one inning per appearance.

This unpredictable, volatile nature is why projecting bullpen success is so tricky, and why teams that can rely on multiple high-leverage arms possess such a massive advantage.

Looking at 2025 bullpen performance, the San Diego Padres led MLB in bullpen ERA, while the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, and Seattle Mariners all finished in the top 10. The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, meanwhile, were the outlier, finishing just 21st.

But past performance is only part of the equation. For this exercise, what each bullpen can be in 2026 matters more than what it was last year. When a team rolls out multiple elite arms capable of missing bats and limiting hard contact, games effectively become six or seven-inning affairs.

Here are the five most dangerous bullpen trios in Major League Baseball entering the 2026 season.

Note: The numbers listed next to the names in this article reference where they were ranked on Just Baseball’s Top 15 Relief Pitchers for 2026 list that was published last week.

5. Houston Astros: Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert

Despite continued roster turnover and diminishing optimism for team success heading into 2026, I certainly would not want to be trailing Houston in the late innings of a ball game this spring.

The bullpen is anchored by Josh Hader, who remains one of baseball’s most dominant closers when healthy. Now 31 years old, and even after an injury-shortened 2025 campaign, Hader landed at No. 7 on Just Baseball’s aforementioned reliever rankings for 2026. Hader still managed a 2.05 ERA with a 12.99 K/9 and a microscopic 0.85 WHIP.

His ability to generate swings and misses with his sinker-slider mix remains top-shelf stuff, and his 36.9% strikeout rate before the injury indicates his party trick hasn’t faded.

Setting him up is Bryan Abreu, one of the most underrated relievers in baseball, who landed No.9 in his own right on our list. Abreu logged 71 innings with a 2.28 ERA and 13.31 K/9 in 2025, marking his third consecutive 100-strikeout season out of the bullpen. Few relievers combine durability and swing-and-miss stuff the way Abreu does, making him invaluable in both single-inning and multi-inning leverage spots.

The third piece is veteran lefty Steven Okert, who delivered the best season of his career in 2025. Across 71.2 innings, Okert posted a 3.01 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 30.4% strikeout rate, 0.89 WHIP, 10 holds, and a save. His simplified arsenal and rising slider generated consistent whiffs and limited damage.

This trio blends three strikeout artists, one flamethrower righty and two lefties, who can each neutralize tough matchups late in games.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers: Edwin Díaz, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia

The Dodgers’ bullpen was the weak link in 2025, and it almost cost them a second consecutive World Series, as they were bailed out by their embarrassment of riches and unmatched depth, utilizing key starters to close games in October.

After finishing bottom 10 in bullpen ERA last year and mixing and matching, trying to find the right formula through what felt like the entire 162-game season, Los Angeles once again agitated baseball fans everywhere by going out and signing Edwin Díaz, one of the most dominant closers of the modern era, to a record deal. Díaz came in as Just Baseball’s No. 2 reliever heading into 2026.

Díaz was brilliant in 2025, posting a 1.63 ERA, 2.28 FIP, 0.87 WHIP, and 13.3 K/9 while holding hitters to a .502 OPS. His fastball-slider combination remains among the most devastating pitch pairings in baseball.

Behind him, the Dodgers have several bounce-back candidates, beginning with Tanner Scott. 

Describing Scott’s first season in Los Angeles as “rough” would be an understatement. A 4.74 ERA in 57 innings and 10 blown saves was not exactly what the Dodgers envisioned in year one after inking the All-Star closer to a four-year, $72M contract heading into 2025.

But his underlying pitch metrics remained strong. His fastball still possesses elite ride and velocity, and with less pressure to be the guy anchoring the bullpen of baseball’s big-bad bully, he is a prime rebound candidate in 2026.

Then there’s Alex Vesia, arguably the steadiest piece of the Dodgers’ bullpen last year. The left-hander posted a 3.02 ERA with a 33.8% strikeout rate and 1.0 WAR in 59.2 innings. Vesia’s high-spin fastball generates over 20 inches of induced vertical break, creating one of the flattest and most deceptive fastballs among left-handed relievers. 

Tragedy struck Vesia’s family heading into the World Series this past October, and it kept him away from the team as they closed out their run. In 2026, Vesia is pitching for so much more than himself. As a fiery, emotional guy, it may be hard at first to pitch with a clear head, but once he settles in, watch out. 

What really makes the Dodgers’ bullpen so dangerous is the sheer number of arms that could step up and create a top-five trio. With Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, Edgardo Henriquez, Jack Dreyer, Ben Casparius, Will Klein, and more still in the mix, the number of dominant combinations feels endless. 

With Díaz stabilizing the ninth inning and multiple high-strikeout arms around him, the Dodgers have the ingredients for a massive bullpen rebound.

3. Milwaukee Brewers: Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby

It’s true, few teams develop bullpen arms like Milwaukee. The Brewers also have a number of guys who could step up and become part of their top three, but heading into the season, it feels defined to me.

This trio blends overwhelming velocity with elite ground-ball rates to put the finishing touches on games, which is a recipe that helped them post a 3.63 bullpen ERA in 2025, sixth best in MLB.

Abner Uribe (No. 10) headlines the group after a dominant bounce-back campaign in the 2025 campaign. The hard-throwing righty logged 75.1 innings with a 1.67 ERA and 2.75 FIP, allowing just four home runs all season. His 99-mph sinker saws off bats while his slider (.134 opponent average) misses bats when needed. Uribe can be effectively wild at times, and that sometimes means he can’t escape a walk-heavy outing. 

Trevor Megill (No. 12) brings pure power from a mountain of an angle. Standing 6-foot-8, Megill releases the ball from a steep plane while throwing 100-101 mph, drastically shortening hitter reaction time. His 2.49 ERA and 2.50 FIP in 2025 show just how sustainable his dominance can be, and his 30 saves and 2.25 postseason ERA breathe immense confidence going into 2026.

Rounding out the trio is Aaron Ashby, a former starting pitching prospect who has thrived in relief. And no, repeatedly running him out to open games this past postseason did not work out. However, in the 2025 regular season, he threw 66.2 innings with a 2.16 ERA, 2.70 FIP, and 28.1% strikeout rate. His ability to generate ground balls and weak contact makes him the perfect complement to Milwaukee’s flamethrowers.

2. Seattle Mariners: Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, José A. Ferrer

Seattle’s bullpen ranked ninth in MLB with a 3.72 ERA last season, and the additions and internal growth heading into 2026 suggest it could be even better.

The anchor is Andrés Muñoz (No. 5), who might have the nastiest slider in baseball. The pitch held hitters to a .109 average with a 50%+ whiff rate, helping Muñoz post a 1.73 ERA with 38 saves in 2025. He also limited opponents to just two home runs all year.

Before hitters even reach Muñoz, they must deal with Matt Brash (No. 14), whose high-spin slider remains one of the most uncomfortable pitches in the sport. Returning from Tommy John surgery, Brash posted a 2.47 ERA with 11.03 K/9 while allowing hard contact only 30.6% of the time.

The offseason addition of José A. Ferrer adds a fascinating element. Though he posted a 4.48 ERA with Washington, his 3.03 FIP and 3.09 xFIP suggest better days are coming. Ferrer’s 64.3% ground-ball rate ranked in the 99th percentile, and with Seattle’s superior infield defense behind him, his run prevention should improve dramatically.

Picking up 11 saves always helps the high-leverage confidence, too, and at 26 years old, joining a deep pitching staff, Ferrer should enjoy the comforts of minimized pressure.

Between Muñoz’s closing ability, Brash’s swing-and-miss stuff, and Ferrer’s ground-ball dominance, Seattle may have one of baseball’s deepest late-inning groups.

1. San Diego Padres: Mason Miller, Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon

No Robert Suarez, no problem. San Diego’s closer of the past two years left for Atlanta in free agency, and yet no bullpen trio in baseball can match the raw dominance this team brings into 2026.

The Padres already led MLB with a 3.06 bullpen ERA in 2025, and there is really nothing to suggest anything different in 2026, once again leading that category by a landslide.

It starts with Mason Miller (No. 1), the most overpowering reliever in the sport. Nicknamed “The Reaper,” Miller regularly throws 103-104 mph, and his numbers reflect the intimidation factor. In 2025, he posted a 2.63 ERA with a 2.23 FIP and 15.18 K/9, and after being traded to San Diego, he allowed just two runs in 23⅓ innings.

The top 25 hitters in MLB by OPS since 2024 are just 2-for-42 with 24 strikeouts against Miller.

Before the ninth inning arrives, opponents must survive Jeremiah Estrada (No. 11), whose unique “chitter” (a splitter-changeup hybrid) produced a 48% whiff rate while hitters went just 9-for-71 against it in 2025. Combined with a 98-100 mph fastball, Estrada generated 13.32 strikeouts per nine innings across 73 frames.

Then there’s Adrian Morejon, who is among the most underrated relievers in the sport. Having just turned 27 years old in late February, Morejon comes off a season in which he posted a 2.08 ERA, 2.28 FIP, 0.90 WHIP, and 2.4 WAR in 68 innings, relying on a sinker-heavy approach to induce weak contact and keep hitters off balance.

Three vastly different looks from three disgusting arms equals one nightmare for opposing offenses.

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