Hey, it's Zack.
Let's talk numbers. How about this one.
135
That is how many different relievers have already recorded a save through the first six weeks of the 2026 season. When I moved to the bullpen in 2014 a team's closer was their closer. You knew who was getting the ball in the ninth. That started changing during my career and what you are seeing in 2026 is the result of that shift.
It is a mess out there. Trust me. I know what it looks like from inside that bullpen.
THE ENTRANCE
Here is a quick look at what has been happening.
Edwin Diaz signed a three year $69 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason. He posted a 10.50 ERA in six innings before being shut down due to injury.
Josh Hader has not pitched in a big league game this year due to injury.
Andres Munoz was an All-Star closer for the Mariners last season. He has a 6.00 ERA in 2026.
Devin Williams signed with the Mets in the offseason. He has a 5.68 ERA and has surrendered 15 hits and six walks in just 12 and two thirds innings.
Jordan Romano got a chance to close for the Angels early this season. He was released with a 10.13 ERA.
Carlos Estevez led all of baseball with 42 saves in 2025. He has been sidelined due to injury and has not been able to recapture his form.
Seven different relievers have recorded saves for the Cubs this season. The Twins have used seven different relievers for just eight saves.
One executive told ESPN simply. It is a mess out there. He is right.
THE DELIVERY
Let me give you some perspective on this as someone who spent a career in the back end of bullpens.
First. What you are seeing is not entirely surprising.
The analytics era pushed a lot of teams away from the traditional closer role. The thinking was simple. Use your best reliever in the highest leverage moment regardless of what inning it is. Why save your best arm for the ninth when the game might be decided in the seventh? On paper that makes complete sense. But what it did to bullpen routines is something the numbers do not capture. The teams that have the most stable bullpens in 2026 are the teams with defined roles. That is not a coincidence.
Teams have spent enormous money on closers in recent years. Diaz at $69 million. Williams changing teams after some dominant years. Munoz earning All-Star recognition. These are not cheap investments. But what teams have consistently failed to do is build the pipeline behind those closers. Who is your eighth inning guy? Who is your bridge from the fifth to the eighth? Those arms matter just as much and they are consistently undervalued.
Second. The injury problem is real and it is getting worse.
The numbers back this up. The percentage of pitchers who have had Tommy John surgery has gone from 29.8 percent in 2019 to 34.2 percent by 2024. That number keeps going up because pitcher injuries keep going up. The chase for velocity is a primary driver. The harder you throw the more stress you put on the elbow and shoulder. Relievers are especially vulnerable because they throw at maximum effort on every single pitch. Every appearance. Every outing. There is no pacing yourself in the bullpen.
But here is something the data does not fully capture. Routine matters. Role certainty matters. I know this firsthand.
When you have a defined role you know when you are pitching. You know how to prepare. You know when to get loose. You build a routine around that knowledge and that routine protects your arm as much as anything else. When you do not have a defined role you are guessing. You might pitch the sixth inning tonight and the ninth inning tomorrow. You warm up and sit down. You warm up again and sit down again. Every unnecessary warm up is stress on the arm that nobody tracks. Nobody counts those pitches. But your arm does.
Third. The teams that are surviving this chaos have one thing in common.
They planned for it.
Mason Miller is having a historic season for the Padres. But San Diego also has depth behind him. The Red Sox have Aroldis Chapman locked in as closer and one of the better bullpens in baseball around him.
Those organizations did not just sign one good reliever and hope for the best. They built systems. They identified multiple options. They planned for the inevitable moment when the closer goes down.
That is the difference between organizations that survive bullpen chaos and ones that get buried by it.
THE SAVE
Here is what I want you to take away from all of this.
The closer is the most visible and most romanticized position in the bullpen. Walk up music. Stadium energy. The moment when the game is on the line. I know that feeling.
But the closer is only as good as the eight innings that come before him. You can sign the best closer in baseball and it means nothing if your bullpen cannot get the game to him. That is the part teams consistently undervalue.
And when you do get him to the ninth inning you have to let him do what he has always done. The moment you start asking a closer to do things outside of what made him successful you are taking a risk. Different innings. Different situations. Different roles. Closers are built for one thing. When you change that you are changing the formula that worked.
When a reliever does not know when he is pitching or what inning he will be asked to get big outs his preparation changes. His routine breaks down. Pitchers are creatures of habit. I know this firsthand. When you know your role you can prepare for it. When you do not know your role you are always guessing. And guessing in the ninth inning with the season on the line is not a recipe for success.
Build your bullpen like it is going to break. Because it will.
Talk soon, Z
The Save is a personal newsletter based on my own experiences, opinions, and recollections. The opinions expressed here are mine alone and do not represent any team, organization, union or employer past or present. When discussing players, contracts or organizational decisions I am sharing my perspective as a former player — not making legal or financial claims. When I share stories involving others I am telling them from my point of view. When I share tips or lessons I am sharing what worked for me. Always do your own research and consult professionals when making important decisions.