Closers in 2025 remained the most volatile fantasy category, with half of the top 20 ADP options failing to hit draft value. Emmanuel Clase led the way in durability but was limited by a late-season suspension. A mix of elite performers (Muñoz, Díaz, Duran) and value pickups (Chapman, Pagán) underscored the strategy: grab saves early or hunt for late-round opportunities in the right spots.

The 2026 landscape centers on big-name free agents and uncertain roles, headlined by Devin Williams and a group of veterans and under-the-radar relievers who already showed upside. Rising arms like Braydon Fisher and Ronny Henriquez offer path-to-closer potential, while teams with blank closers loom as clear targets for speculative adds in drafts and on waivers.

For fantasy managers, the piece maps stable closers (Muñoz, Díaz, Hader, Jansen), potential job switches (Bednar to Yankees), and the year-to-year volatility that can yield value in late rounds. The key is identifying the right situations early and monitoring winter moves that could shuffle saves into or out of DJ-friendly bullpens.

Milwaukee clinched the NLDS at home, 3-1 over Chicago, earning a date with the Dodgers in the NLCS.

Rookies Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick took over in relief after Trevor Megill opened, with Misiorowski tossing four innings of one-run ball and Patrick logging 1.2 scoreless frames with three strikeouts.

Misiorowski, 23, a 2022 second-round pick, trusted his stuff, located better after trimming velocity, and anchored the bullpen in a must-win moment. Patrick added important length and swing-and-mmiss as Milwaukee leaned on youth to push toward a first World Series since 1982.

Milwaukee turned NLDS drama into a celebration, riding a bullpen masterclass to eliminate the Cubs. Trevor Megill, a former Cub who re-established himself with the Brewers, opened the decisive game with a clean first inning and anchored a bullpen that yielded only four hits. Jake Bauers sparked the moment by passing a fan-supplied L flag to a teammate, a scene Megill seized for the photo. The win vaults Milwaukee into the NLCS, underscoring depth, late-game resolve, and a season-defining rebound.

Milwaukee used a bullpen-forged wall to stifle Chicago in Game 5, edging the Cubs 3-1 as starter-mix and relievers shut down the Cubs’ power-first attack. Trevor Megill opened and was backed by a parade of Brewers relievers who allowed a total of four hits and one walk. Seiya Suzuki answered early with a second-inning homer to briefly tie it, but the Brewers bullpen locked it down the rest of the way, and Andrew Vaughn’s solo shot proved decisive in a game Cubs couldn’t rally from their slow-starting, homer-reliant offense.

Over the series, Chicago leaned on home runs and fast starts, but Milwaukee’s pitching staff—Misiorowski, Ashby, Patrick, Uribe, and Megill—restricted the Cubs’ baserunners and held them without scoring after the third inning. The Cubs’ 92-70 surprise season ends on a sour note after a stretch where a large share of their postseason runs came from the long ball, and Milwaukee moves on with a dominant bullpen performance and timely hitting.

With a win in the decisive game, Milwaukee made a statement about its depth and postseason versatility, while Chicago exits a year of breakout strides with questions about next-season offense and approach. Counsell’s crew capped a series that underscored the power of elite pitching and situational execution in the NLDS.

Milwaukee defeated Chicago 3-1 in Game 5 to advance to the NLCS, riding three homers—William Contreras in the first, Andrew Vaughn in the fourth, and Brice Turang in the seventh—plus a four-inning gem from rookie Jacob Misiorowski as the bullpen locked down the Cubs on a four-hitter. The win ends Milwaukee’s playoff rut since 2018 and sets up a clash with the Dodgers in the NLCS, with Game 1 looming in Milwaukee.

The Brewers used an all-hands-on-deck pitching plan—Megill, Misiorowski, Ashby, Chad Patrick and Abner Uribe—while Cubs manager Craig Counsell, once a Brewers pillar, was booed by a crowd that still remembers his Brewers tenure. Chicago’s only offense came on Seiya Suzuki’s homer off Misiorowski; otherwise Milwaukee’s bullpen closed the door after a tense, strategic finale.

As Milwaukee moves on, the Dodgers await in a rematch of 2020’s rivalries, with the NLCS kickoff set for Monday. The Cubs forced the decisive fifth by winning at Wrigley, but could not complete the comeback from 0-2. The series highlighted Milwaukee’s postseason grit and the shifting allegiances in a heated Cubs–Brewers rivalry.