A shocking number of teams are seemingly punting on having a respectable choice to close out games this season
Feb 27, 2026 at 9:59 am ET • 1 min read
You're in the thick of the draft and can't decide between two players. The logical choice is to target the one whose position is nearest to dropping off. But where are the drop-offs? That's what these tiers denote. Players whose impact is essentially the same are bundled together, revealing at a glance how many alike choices remain. With these tiers in hand, you'll have all you need to determine in real time which position is most appropriate to draft next.
- Position Tiers (v. 2.0): C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP
- Position Strategies: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP
Below are the relief pitcher tiers for 2026, which show a starker contrast than usual between the haves and have-nots as far as saves are concerned. The true standouts are plentiful in number, beginning with an elite tier that runs six deep, but The Last Resorts reveal the shocking number of teams that still have yet to choose between their (mostly bad) options.
The Elite: Mason Miller, Edwin Diaz, Andres Munoz, Cade Smith, Aroldis Chapman, Jhoan DuranThe Near-Elite: David Bednar, Devin Williams, Raisel Iglesias, Josh HaderThe Next-Best Things: Jeff Hoffman, Ryan Helsley, Emilio Pagan, Daniel PalenciaThe Fallback Options: Carlos Estevez, Trevor Megill, Kenley Jansen, Pete Fairbanks, Dennis Santana, Seranthony DominguezThe Last Resorts: Ryan Walker, Griffin Jax, Alexis Diaz, Riley O'Brien, Kirby Yates, Taylor Rogers, Justin Sterner, Kevin Ginkel, Seth Halvorsen, Clayton BeeterThe Next-in-Line: Abner Uribe, Bryan Abreu, Robert Suarez, JoJo Romero, Edwin Uceta, Robert Garcia, Garrett Cleavinger, Paul Sewald, Cole Sands, Elvis Alvarado, Victor Vodnik
- Relief Pitcher Tiers 2.0 Scott White 1 min read
- Frank's Busts 2.0 Frank Stampfl 6 min read
- 2026 outfield preview Chris Towers 3 min read
- Shortstop Tiers 2.0 Scott White 1 min read
- Outfield Tiers 2.0 Scott White 1 min read
