Why so many good MLB teams have closer issues in 2026 - ESPN

Carlos Estevez led the majors in saves last year, earning a spot on the American League All-Star team and making him seemingly a lock to nail down games for the Kansas City Royals this season. But his velocity tanked this spring, and then he got hit by a batted ball. While working his way back last month, he got hurt again, suffering a strained rotator cuff last week.

«It's been a crazy first part of the year already, snowballing everything,» Estevez said Sunday, standing at his locker. «It sucks. I'm not going to tell you I'm not mad. But it happens.»

Estevez won't throw for three more weeks, and then he's hoping to start working his way back — and given the volatility of bullpens around the game, it's possible that he'll get another chance to close games later this year. «I have hope,» he said. «I'll be fine. I just have to keep working. I'll be back, right on time, ready for the playoff hunt.»

With Estevez out, Royals manager Matt Quatraro turned to Lucas Erceg, who has been excellent, stabilizing the Kansas City bullpen and allowing just two hits and no earned runs over his past eight outings; he has compiled 10 saves this season.

The Royals might have found a temporary fix, but the closer roller coaster has been a popular ride throughout Major League Baseball this year.

We're just a quarter into the 2026 season, and through Sunday's games, 118 relievers have registered saves. Case in point: Seven relievers have combined for the Minnesota Twins' eight saves, and three relievers have multiple saves for the Texas Rangers. And to put that overall number into context — during the entire 2009 season, 124 relievers generated saves, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.

Sure, some teams have avoided the back-of-the-bullpen