Top 10 MLB bullpens

When the starter struggles, managers turn to the pen to try and calm things down for their team. However, some are great and some are not.

Here is my list of the top 10 bullpens currently in MLB.

10. Pittsburgh Pirates, NL Central

As a Pirates fan myself, this is a top-five bullpen if they can put everything together. So far this season, that has not been the case.

Bednar has struggled, and the sixth and seventh-inning pitchers including Hernandez and Ortiz have gone into a small slump. The Bucs can climb the rankings if they turn things around.

9. Houston Astros, AL West

With the addition of All-Star reliever Josh Hader, preseason this bullpen ranked amongst the best. However, with the slow start to the season, the Astros are going to have to figure something out fast.

The best part of the bullpen Hader has started out the year 0-2 with a very bad 9.39 ERA already. The good thing for Houston is that these struggles are happening in April and not in September.

8. Cleveland Guardians, AL Central

One of the best closers in baseball, Emmanuel Clase, has picked up right where he left off last season. The Guardians are in first place in MLB, and their bullpen is a big reason why.

So far this year, the pen has only two of its 11 bullpen arms with an ERA over three runs per game.

7. Tampa Bay Rays, AL East

The Rays have always had one of the deeper bullpens in all of baseball. This year is no different for Kevin Cash’s crew.

One thing about manager Kevin Cash that seems to be his guiding principle, is the fact that the bullpen can win you games. Over the past few seasons, no coach has used the bullpen to start the game more than Cash.

6. New York Yankees, AL East

After acquiring Clay Holmes from the Pirates in 2021, the Yankees have found their closer for the future. Although their bullpen is a little injury-plagued right now, they are still performing well.

Holmes already has seven saves with less than 20 games played this season. Once Jonathan Loaisiga comes back from injury, this Yankees pen will be top-five in baseball.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers, NL West

For a team with so much superstar talent, their bullpen seems to always be overlooked. However, the star power is there, and it is there to stay.

With experienced stars such as Daniel Hudson and Ryan Yarbrough, young stars like Evan Phillips have been able to shine.

4. Milwaukee Brewers, NL Central

For a team that lost a star in Josh Hader, they should be worse, right? That could not be more incorrect.

The Brew Crew has found star power even with the absence of star closer Devin Williams. Players like Elvis Peguero and Bryan Hudson have been able to fill the hole.

3. Atlanta Braves, NL East

The Braves bullpen has been elite for many years, and it continues to be in 2024.

Raisel Iglesias has been a star at closer this year, and the rest of the staff has complimented him very well.

2. Baltimore Orioles, AL East

The O’s may be missing Felix Bautista, but the stats say they don’t miss him that much.

The duo of Craig Kimbrel and Yennier Cano has been deadly early on this season, and barring any setbacks the Orioles should be competing for the division title.

1 Philadelphia Phillies, NL East

This bullpen is easily the deepest and now most talented in the MLB early this 2024 season.

Although they do not have a bonafide star in the pen like many other teams, they can eat up tons of innings as a unit and have proved to be battle-tested early on.

Giustino Racchini is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him please email him at gar5448@psu.edu.