Bryan Baker Fantasy Stats

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Bryan Baker picked up his ninth save of the season on May 4 against the Toronto Blue Jays, recording the final out of the inning. Baker now has nine saves on the season in 11 opportunities, and currently has the sixth most saves in MLB thus far through the 2026 season. Under the hood, Baker has also looked great, holding hitters to a .169 xBA, striking out 28.6 percent of hitters, and walking only 5.4 percent. All of those metrics rank in the 85th percentile or better in all of baseball. Baker has never been a true closer before, with seven career saves in his previous five seasons, but appears to be the clubhouse leader for the Rays and the preferred option in the highest leverage moments. In a season where saves have been scarce, Baker has worked himself into a top-10 option at the position, making him a must-roster and must-start player in all formats that prioritize saves.

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Bryan Baker picked up his seventh save of the season in his team's 3-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday. Baker pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing two hits and recording two strikeouts. Across 11 1/3 innings so far in 2026, Baker has pitched to a 3.18 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 13 strikeouts. He's recorded saves in seven of his last nine outings and has emerged as the clear go-to ninth-inning option for the Rays. With Tampa Bay right-hander Edwin Uceta (shoulder) recently being transferred to the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury, Baker should have an extended runway as the Rays' closer, provided he continues to produce. At this point, Baker has reached must-start closer territory across most fantasy formats.

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Bryan Baker pitched a scoreless ninth inning en route to earning the save during Friday's win over the Minnesota Twins. Trevor Martin had allowed a home run, single, and double to open the ninth, creating a situation where the tying run was on deck for the Twins. That's why they turned to Baker, and he effectively slammed the door by getting three straight outs without allowing a run to score. This isn't exactly uncharted territory for the veteran righty, who is now up to five saves across seven situations in 2026. In fact, each of his last seven outings has been a save opportunity. He currently owns an impressive 2.43 xERA with 9.64 K/9, 2.89 BB/9, and a 48% ground ball rate across 9.1 innings of work. He has also gotten his fastball up to a career-high average velocity of 97 mph. All signs point to Baker being the Rays' go-to closer moving forward. As a result, he's an intriguing fantasy baseball waiver wire target, given his potential to accrue saves.

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Bryan Baker appears to be the preferred bullpen option for saves right now. The 6-foot-6 hurler was charged with a blown save his last time out, but he had come on to face the meat of the Pirates' order in the eighth in an attempt to preserve a win, so it shows the confidence the team has in him. Before that, the right-hander had converted four save chances, and for the season, he owns a 4.32 ERA (2.70 xERA), 1.20 WHIP, and a 9:3 K:BB in 8 1/3 innings pitched. Griffin Jax (8.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP) lost the closer role in the early going and has yielded runs in two of his last three appearances, so the struggles continue for him, and Garrett Cleavinger (calf) is on the injured list with a calf issue. Edwin Uceta (shoulder) has encountered setbacks in his recovery from a shoulder injury and won't be back any time soon, so Baker's job looks to be secure for the time being. The 31-year-old is still available in 70 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays closer Bryan Baker has already doubled his career total in saves with the four games he has locked down this year. Baker came into the season with one save from the 2022 season and three from last season, split between two teams. He has four this year, putting him two behind the league lead and making him the only Tampa Bay reliever with more than two. While Griffin Jax has been better of late, his rough start to the season took him out of the closer conversation and opened the door for Baker to take over. Edwin Uceta (shoulder) is working his way back from an injury and may be competition for Baker, but it seems more likely that he will slide into a setup role, keeping Baker in the ninth inning. Baker is currently rostered in just 22% of Yahoo leagues and should be immediately added in most formats. He's posted a 3.68 ERA (2.65 xERA) with seven strikeouts and two walks in 7 1/3 innings.

Tampa Bay Rays' right-hander Bryan Baker picked up his fourth save of the season on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, allowing no hits, one walk, and one inning pitched. The four saves for Baker are a career high, and through eight appearances on the season, he owns a solid 3.68 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and seven strikeouts in seven innings pitched. Baker does not have a ton of experience closing out games, with his previous career high being three saves in 2025, but so far this season, he has five save opportunities compared to Griffin Jax's two. Kevin Kelly also has two save chances, and Mason Englert has one. While Baker may not be deployed as the Rays' full-time closer, he appears to be the most likely reliever to pitch the ninth inning for the foreseeable future, making him a strong add off the waiver wire heading into Week 5 for fantasy managers looking to bolster their saves category.

Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Bryan Baker picked up his second save of the season in his team's 5-3 win over the New York Yankees on Friday, recording a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout. Baker has now earned saves in each of his last two appearances and could be emerging as the Rays' preferred ninth-inning option. While Baker has just six total saves across 212 2/3 career MLB innings, he posted an excellent 24.1% K-BB rate in 2025 and has yet to walk a batter over his five innings of work in 2026. Tampa Bay will be getting back hard-throwing right-hander Edwin Uceta (shoulder) from a shoulder injury at some point in the near future, which could give Baker some competition for the closer role. Still, Baker is worth targeting on the waiver wire for fantasy managers in need of saves.

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Bryan Baker has emerged as a reliable and effective option out of the bullpen in his first full year with the club. Baker has already recorded a save and a win, posting a 2.25 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in four innings of work. He has struggled to find consistency throughout his career, but is off to a dominant start to the 2026 season and is earning more trust from manager Kevin Cash. The 31-year-old has relied heavily on his changeup this year, throwing it 35 percent of the time with a run value in the 94th percentile. As Baker continues to see success, fantasy managers should consider adding him while he remains available.

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Bryan Baker picked up his first save of 2026 on Monday, allowing a solo home run but striking out two in the ninth inning of his team's 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old has been sharp to open the year, recording six strikeouts while allowing just one hit and zero walks across his first four innings pitched. With Rays reliever Edwin Uceta (shoulder) on the injured list, Tampa Bay right-hander Griffin Jax got the first crack at the team's closer role. However, Jax has struggled mightily so far in 2026, opening the door for Baker to get an opportunity. Across 211 2/3 career MLB innings, Baker owns just five total saves. However, he has struck out nearly 28% of the batters he's faced in the big leagues and recorded a stellar 24.1% K-BB rate in 2025. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Baker could be a player for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

Per MLB Insider Robert Murray, the Baltimore Orioles are trading right-handed reliever Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays. The complete trade details have not been disclosed yet. Baker has been solid for Baltimore in 2025, pitching to the tune of a 3.52 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 49:9 K:BB ratio over 42 appearances (38 1/3 innings). He projects to provide the Rays with another middle-relief arm out of the bullpen, and could be used in high-leverage situations if necessary, as he'd earned ten holds with the Orioles. The Florida native can be avoided for fantasy purposes.