New Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz was included on the list of MLB Top-10 Relief Pitchers Right Now heading into the 2026 season.
The right-hander was ranked as the third-best relief pitcher for this year by MLB Network’s The Shredder. It is his first time on the list since 2024, when he placed sixth for relievers.
MLB Network host Brian Kenny also included Díaz in his personal rankings (fifth), and analyst Mike Petriello has him as the No. 4 relief pitcher.
Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman was ranked as the No. 1 relief pitcher going into the 2026 season. He’s followed by Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres, Díaz, the Cleveland Guardians’ Cade Smith, Andrés Muñoz of the Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox’s Garrett Whitlock, Matt Strahm of the Kansas City Royals, the Padres’ Adrian Morejon, Josh Hader of the Houston Astros and the Padres’ Jason Adam.
Key factors that The Shredder takes into account when compiling its positional rankings include past performance, advanced stats and traditional numbers, as well as analysis by the MLB Network research team.
The Dodgers last had a representative in The Shredder’s top-10 rankings for relief pitchers in 2024, when Evan Phillips placed fourth. Tanner Scott (No. 7) and Kirby Yates (No. 8) were included in last year’s rankings before they signed with the Dodgers, and Blake Treinen was fell in the just missed category.
The Dodgers signed Díaz to a three-year, $69 million contract that includes more than $13 million in deferrals and a $9 million signing bonus. His average annual value of $23 million is the highest for a relief pitcher in MLB history.
Díaz is coming off a dominant 2025 season with the New York Mets that saw him collect 28 saves to go along with a 1.63 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. He earned a third career All-Star Game selection and was voted the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year for a second time.
Díaz is now set to become the Dodgers’ first dedicated closer since Kenley Jansen in 2021, and it’s a role that he takes very seriously.
“Pitching in the ninth is a big responsibility because the ball is in your hand for the last three outs of the game,” Díaz said during his introductory press conference with the Dodgers.
“I think they are the toughest three outs of a game. Personally, I take it nice and easy. As the last guy, I always go batter-by-batter, pitch-by-pitch. I don’t think much about completing the inning, because a lot of things can happen in one inning.
“So personally, I like to take it easy and make pitches. At the end of the day, if I get my job done, the team will be in a good position. If I don’t get my job done, we are in trouble. So every time I have the chance to pitch, I always think I will win. That’s how I take it.
“If I don’t have a good result that night, I flush it right away and the next day I come ready to go again. That’s how I think I’ve been able to perform. Whatever happens on the mound that day, even if it’s good, or if it’s bad, I just flush it right away and come the next day ready to go again.”
MLB Top-10 Relief Pitchers Right Now for 2026
| Rank | The Shredder | Mike Petriello |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aroldis Chapman (Red Sox) | Mason Miller (Padres) |
| 2 | Mason Miller (Padres) | Jhoan Duran (Phillies) |
| 3 | Edwin Díaz (Dodgers) | Cade Smith (Guardians) |
| 4 | Cade Smith (Guardians) | Edwin Díaz (Dodgers) |
| 5 | Andrés Muñoz (Mariners) | Josh Hader (Astros) |
| 6 | Garrett Whitlock (Red Sox) | Aroldis Chapman (Red Sox) |
| 7 | Matt Strahm (Royals) | Andrés Muñoz (Mariners) |
| 8 | Adrian Morejon (Padres) | Griffin Jax (Rays) |
| 9 | Josh Hader (Astros) | Devin Williams (Mets) |
| 10 | Jason Adam (Padres) | Grant Taylor (White Sox) |
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