MLB Players To Grab Before the Offseason for Dynasty/Keeper: Relief Pitcher

As we hit the final weeks of the fantasy baseball season and many turn their minds to fantasy football, there is an opportunity for you to take advantage. It is easy to see and jump on players who break out early in the season, but many miss those who perform well late.

This week, I will walk position by position and look at some players who may have more value than you think and could not only help your team down the stretch but in 2027 as well.

Today, we look at three MLB relief pitchers who look the part and have provided value, but are still underrostered. Looking for a relief pitcher for 2027 or to help down the stretch? This article should help you out.

MLB Relief Pitchers to Grab Before the 2026 Season Ends

Mason Montgomery, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

You would have to go back to July 26 to find the last time Montgomery allowed a run. It has been an unreal run for him since taking over the closer role in Pittsburgh. Funny enough, July 26 was the day he really took the role over, despite allowing two earned runs.

Since the start of August, Montgomery has nailed down 11 saves and has struck out 26 batters while walking just two in 17.2 innings of work. The 111 Stuff+ stands out in a huge way over that span, but the 127 Pitching+ ranks fifth among pitchers over that span.

Montgomery has a silly fastball that sits at 99 mph with seven feet of extension. He mixes a four-seam that gets 18 inches of ride in a near cut-ride shape. The sinker has less IVB and over 11 inches of run.

The curveball is a hammer of a pitch, generating a 40 percent chase rate and a 32 percent whiff rate. It sits in the 86-87 mph range and plays with a 90 mph slider that has a gyro-shape.

At just 26 years old, Montgomery has established himself as one of the best RPs in baseball really quickly. The crazy thing is, he is still widely available in a ton of fantasy baseball leagues.

Kodai Senga, RHP, New York Mets

Senga’s career arc has been quite interesting. His rookie season in 2023 saw him dominate across his 166 innings with a 2.98 ERA and a 29 percent strikeout rate. A right shoulder capsule strain in 2024 caused him to miss nearly the entire season and clearly affected him in 2025. As a starter this year, Senga had a 9.66 ERA across 31.2 innings and even spent time in the Minors. But since returning as a reliever, Senga has been different.

Since taking over the closer role in early August, Senga has nailed down seven saves in 14.1 innings and has a 2.51 ERA. He has a strong 34 percent strikeout rate and an 8.5 percent walk rate. While the stuff is not off the charts like we saw with Mason Montgomery, pitching out of the bullpen has allowed Senga to sequence differently, and it has paid off.

Using the forkball more often, Senga is dominating. It probably does not get graded fairly on Stuff+ models, but it does not matter, as the pitch has generated a whiff rate north of 65 percent between August and September.

While Senga is not missing bats with his fastball, he is keeping batters off base when he does throw it, and ultimately the velocity is up due to pitching in shorter stints.

Senga will be back with the Mets next season, and he seems to have his role locked in as a closer.

Juan Morillo, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks have not had many save chances recently, so it is hard to decipher exactly who their closer is, and it might be a committee. But digging in, Morillo looks like he could be a very solid closer moving forward. Tossing 60.1 innings this year, Morillo has a 2.24 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP. He has struck out 28.5 percent of batters and walked 8.9 percent.

Prior to September 8, Morillo was working on a 19-game scoreless streak. He allowed a two-run home run that day, but that has been the only time he has allowed a run since July 19. Over that span, he has struck out 24 batters in 22 innings and has a 0.82 ERA.

The 110 Stuff+ has really stood out and Morillo has a 120 Pitching+ over that span. The fastball is electric, sitting 99 mph with an impressive 31 percent whiff rate. He plays off of it with a 92.5 mph changeup with 16 inches of run and good depth. Hitters are chasing it out of the zone at a 40 percent clip, and it has a 31 percent whiff rate.

The sinker is the pitch that plays best with the changeup as it sits 99 with 14 inches of run, but it has more carry while the changeup falls off late. Morillo really dials it back with his mid-80s slider that has negative seven inches of IVB and nearly ten inches of sweep. It is his best swing-and-miss pitch and one he should probably lean into a little more often.

So, Morillo may not own the closer role at the moment, but he has really come into his own, and as a 27-year-old with just 94 MLB innings under his belt, it seems like he could evolve into a solid closer option for the Diamondbacks in 2027.