Top Five Bullpens Ready-Made for the Playoffs

With the MLB All-Star break and the trade deadline behind us, it’s the time when the focus of Major League Baseball turns toward the postseason race.

Every team has set its direction for the rest of the season: The sellers have received their returns for the future by dealing their valuable names, and the contenders have made their improvements to their roster and acquired said valuable names in hopes of securing a postseason berth.

Now all that’s left is to play the games.

One of the most impactful areas of a roster come postseason time is the bullpen. In recent years, managers have looked to their relievers more and more to ensure all crucial postseason innings are covered.

Some of the top World Series teams in recent memory have leaned especially heavily on their bullpen, such as the 2015 Kansas City Royals, with Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson and Wade Davis, and the 2021 Atlanta Braves, with A.J. Minter, Tyler Matzek and Will Smith.

So, as we head into the final months of the season, here are the top teams whose bullpens are ready-made for the postseason.

All statistics in this article were taken prior to games on August 8.

Honorable Mention: New York Yankees

The New York Yankees’ bullpen doesn’t necessarily jump off the page name-wise.

Michael Tonkin bounced between three teams in 2024 before finding his footing in the Bronx. Luke Weaver was a starter for three teams last season and posted a 6.40 ERA before becoming the Yankees’ most versatile (and arguably reliable) reliever this season. Tommy Kahnle ended last season on the IL and didn’t make his season debut this year until May 22.

Yet, the Yankees seem to have found a way to be one of the league’s better bullpens in 2024 despite their lack of name recognition. As a unit, they rank fourth in ERA and eighth in K/9, according to FanGraphs.

And with the recent addition of Mark Leiter Jr. to the back end of a bullpen headlined by Weaver and 2024 All-Star closer Clay Holmes, the Yankees have only improved since the trade deadline.

That said, there are a few things that hold the Yankees back from the teams ranked fourth and fifth on this list, and keep them out of the top five.

New York’s relievers aren’t the most convincing group when it comes to preventing baserunners, as they rank 12th in WHIP, and 22nd in BB/9.

The advanced metrics also haven’t been as big of a fan of the Yankees compared to other top teams. They collectively rank 18th in fWAR and 20th in FIP this season.

And certain questions need to be asked: Despite the solid numbers, do you trust Holmes in a postseason setting over other closers on top-five teams like Devin Williams or Carlos Estévez? Do you trust Leiter and Weaver over names like Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm or José Alvarado? I don’t think you can.

The Yankees certainly have top-notch relief performers in 2024, but their collective lack of track record just edges them out of the official list here.

5. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies bullpen is stacked on paper, especially after the trade deadline.

They already had three relievers within the top 25 in fWAR: Jeff Hoffman (third at 1.8), Matt Strahm (ninth at 1.4) and Orion Kerkering (T-17th at 1.1). Then, they went and added one of the league’s better closers, acquiring Carlos Estévez T-17th at 1.1) from the Los Angeles Angels at the deadline.

As a collective unit, Phillies relievers sit third in fWAR, sixth in FIP, and second in K/9.

They also boast an abundance of closing experience in 2024, with Estévez, Hoffman and José Alvarado, all having saved at least nine games.

When it comes to October baseball, having multiple guys who you can trust to shut the door in the ninth will make the big innings under the bright postseason lights a lot more manageable.

What holds the Phillies back from taking their star-studded bullpen further up this list is their mediocre standing in some key metrics. They rank 13th in ERA, 16th in WHIP and 17th in AVG against.

But again, the fact that they sport so many recognizable names with a high degree of experience in high-leverage situations makes it hard to keep them off of this list, despite some of their statistical shortcomings.

4. Milwaukee Brewers

With all the credit that the Tampa Bay Rays get for turning seemingly unknown names into reliable relief arms, the Milwaukee Brewers don’t get enough credit for doing something very similar.

Over the past few seasons, the Brewers have made reclamation projects out of a number of arms and have reaped the benefits.

In 2024, the Brewers bullpen ranks third in ERA, second in WHIP, and is also among the top 10 bullpens in AVG against and BB/9.

But what really solidifies Milwaukee on this list is the phenomenal depth they sport beyond their top five arms at the back end of the ‘pen. Depth has been instrumental in helping the Brewers deal with the recent injuries to key relievers like Bryan Hudson and Trevor Megill.

Joel Payamps was a huge part of their 2023 bullpen and has followed that up with a solid 3.98 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a .209 AVG against in 2024. Elvis Peguero was in the same boat as Payamps and has pitched to the tune of a 3.15 ERA this year. And Hoby Milner is sporting a 0.7 fWAR and 3.23 FIP so far.

Since the deadline, the Brewers have only improved their bullpen. They acquired a “data-darling” in Nick Mears, who was seemingly held down by pitching in the unfriendly confines of Coors Field. He holds a fastball with 90th-percentile velocity. He also has a hard-hit rate in the 95th percentile and ranks above the 80th percentile in xERA, xBA and K-rate.

And we can’t forget the return of one of the league’s most prolific closers: Devin Williams is back from the IL.

The Brewers bullpen has only improved as the season has progressed, and when Megill returns from injury to his usual high-leverage role, the bullpen will only look deeper come postseason time.

With a starting rotation that ranks tied for 26th in the league in fWAR, having so much relief depth will make Pat Murphy’s job far easier in the playoffs; he knows he won’t have to rely on his starters so heavily when the stakes are higher than ever.

3. San Diego Padres

This is where the separation really takes place, as the top three bullpens on this list have little to no flaws.

The San Diego Padres have a “formidable five” in the back end, spearheaded by closer Robert Suarez and newcomers Tanner Scott and Jason Adam.

As a team, the Padres rank amongst the top 10 bullpens in fWAR, FIP, K/9 and BB/9.

They also made sure to make deals at the deadline to address particular areas in which they have struggled, such as AVG, where they rank 20th; ERA, where they rank 15th; and WHIP, where they rank 14th.

Adam’s 2.34 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and .168 AVG against and Scott’s 1.49 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and .128 AVG against will certainly give the bullpen the boost it needed in those metrics down the stretch and come postseason time.

Moreover, the Padres go deeper than just their best five names. Guys like Yuki Matsui and his 3.42 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, .198 AVG against and 0.7 WHIP mean Mike Shildt has a plethora of riches to utilize when the gravity of each at-bat gets more intense in October.

2. Atlanta Braves

It seems like every year the success of the Braves bullpen is a major talking point this late in the season, and this year has been no different.

The Braves bullpen has been excellent in 2024. They rank fifth in fWAR, second in ERA, second in FIP, third in WHIP, seventh in K/9 and 2nd in BB/9.

Their bullpen prominently features three pitchers at the back end who have been key pieces for Atlanta in the past in big-game settings: Raisel Iglesias, Joe Jiménez and A.J. Minter.

They also feature a collection of arms like Aaron Bummer and Pierce Johnson, who have been solid performers for the Braves in 2024 and offer some relief outside of the final few innings, should their starters only manage to go four or five innings come postseason time.

And we can’t forget the minor improvement Atlanta made to their bullpen depth at the deadline, bringing back some winning pedigree from their 2021 World Series roster in Luke Jackson.

Despite his rough go of it in San Francisco so far this season, posting a 5.40 ERA across 35.0 innings, Jackson pitched well the last time he was in Atlanta, sporting a 1.98 ERA with the team in 2021.

Brian Snitker now has another arm within an already world-class bullpen to utilize should the need arise come postseason time.

1. Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians are a no-brainer at number one on this list, as there are few, if any, arguments to be made for any other team having the best bullpen in baseball.

Cleveland leads the league in bullpen fWAR, ERA, WHIP, AVG and FIP. They’re also within the top 10 in K/9 and BB/9.

And leading the way for them in the ‘pen is arguably the best back three MLB has this season: Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, and All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, who all rank within the top 10 in reliever fWAR in 2024.

They also boast a very intriguing option for the sixth inning in Tim Herrin, who adds another sub-2.00 ERA, sub-1.00 WHIP and sub-.200 AVG to the fold.

And then there’s Scott Barlow. His numbers may not rank amongst Clase, Gaddis, Smith or Herrin, but he brings an excellent K-rate of 31.0% to the mix, which places him in the 92nd percentile among MLB pitchers. He also brings closing experience from his time with Kansas City in 2022 and 2023.

Beyond those five listed names, there are certainly other reliable arms who can, and have, done a good job for Cleveland, like Nick Sandlin and his 11.07 K/9 this season and Eli Morgan and his 1.56 ERA in 2024.

The Guardians bullpen is heavy at the top but also has a robust level of depth to really alleviate a lot of the pressure of having the American League’s worst rotation, in terms of fWAR, this season.