Bryan Baker, a key figure in the Tampa Bay Rays’ strong 2026 campaign, has emerged as one of Major League Baseball’s most effective closers this season. With 28 saves and a 1.56 ERA, Baker earned his first All-Star selection at age 31, exemplifying the traditional end-of-game specialist role. However, his success highlights a shift in how MLB teams utilize relief pitchers, signaling the possible decline of the classic closer.

Historically, closers held a prestigious and well-compensated position. Players like Mariano Rivera, Billy Wagner, and Trevor Hoffman were celebrated for their ability to secure victories by pitching the ninth inning, often with distinctive entrances and ritualistic fanfare. Rivera’s entrance to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” at Yankee Stadium symbolized this role’s importance in the 2000s. Closers rarely threw more than 20 pitches per outing, yet their role was centralized and stable.

Today, front offices are increasingly moving away from relying on a set closer, instead adopting data-driven approaches that emphasize matchup-based pitching assignments throughout late innings. This strategic evolution has led to 211 different pitchers recording at least one save so far this season—approximately 60 more than the total number of pitchers with saves a decade ago. The trend has intensified, with 2026 on track to break the record of 223 saves recorded in 2024.

“There are really not as many dominant ‘closer closers’ around anymore,” said Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. While dominant closers like Jhoan Duran, Aroldis Chapman, and Mason Miller still exist, they represent a shrinking elite group. Miller himself described the role as “a luxury” rather than a necessity for team success.

This outlook is evident in recent league trends. The Los Angeles Dodgers claimed the World Series last year despite bullpen struggles, and despite a high-profile $69 million signing of Edwin Díaz, they have maintained their position atop the league standings without his full-season contribution due to injury.

Small-market teams, constrained by budget considerations, have particularly embraced this flexible relief approach, preferring to allocate payroll resources more broadly rather than committing large sums to a closer expected to pitch about 65 innings per season.

For pitchers, this evolution presents challenges, especially in salary arbitration where save totals remain a significant metric for valuation. Ironically, while fewer pitchers today fit the mold of the dominant lockdown closer, there are more pitchers capable of throwing “closer stuff” — typically fastballs in the upper 90s—increasing the pool of viable late-inning arms.

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold noted the expanded availability of high-velocity arms has encouraged teams to deploy relievers in varied innings depending on matchups. This departure from fixed ninth-inning assignments illustrates how strategy has evolved. “In the past, you wouldn’t even think about bringing in your closer in that situation,” Dombrowski said.

Still, some pitchers maintain that the closer role demands a unique temperament and skill set. Kyle Finnegan of the Detroit Tigers, one of seven team pitchers with saves this season, said the ninth inning “seems to be different,” emphasizing the mental challenge of securing those final outs.

As baseball continues to adopt analytic-driven bullpen management, the traditional closer role has become more fluid, less defined, and arguably less central to the game than in previous decades. Yet the art of closing remains a specialized task that only a select few relievers are suited to handle.