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Rays Closer Bryan Baker Named American League Reliever of the Year Finalist
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- Rays Closer Bryan Baker Named American League Reliever of the Year Finalist
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Tampa Bay Rays have another player receiving some well-deserved recognition following their impressive 2026 season.
Closer Bryan Baker has officially been named one of three finalists for the American League Reliever of the Year Award, joining Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith and Toronto Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland.
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And while Baker faces some impressive competition, it's difficult to argue against what he accomplished throughout the regular season.
Especially considering how important he became to Tampa Bay's bullpen.
Baker finished the 2026 season with 41 saves, a 1.44 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts across 62 1/3 innings. His 41 saves tied Smith for the Major League lead, and his ERA ranked second among pitchers who threw at least 60 innings.
However, perhaps the most impressive part of Baker's season was his consistency.
After blowing a save on May 13, Baker didn't allow another save opportunity to slip away throughout the remainder of the regular season.
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The veteran converted his final 30 save opportunities, establishing himself as one of baseball's most reliable closers.
And considering Tampa Bay's previous approach to managing its bullpen, Baker's emergence was particularly important.
For several seasons, Rays manager Kevin Cash has utilized different relief pitchers in high-leverage situations rather than consistently relying on one traditional closer.
However, that approach changed in 2026, mainly because of Baker's emergence.
Cash established Baker as his primary ninth-inning option, providing Tampa Bay with some much-needed consistency at the back of its bullpen.
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The decision certainly paid off.
Baker earned his first career All-Star selection while helping the Rays finish with a 98-64 record, capturing the American League East title and securing the league's top postseason seed.
And while Baker's numbers were impressive, his emergence was also another example of Tampa Bay getting significant production from a player acquired from another organization.
The Rays acquired Baker from the Baltimore Orioles during the 2025 season, eventually developing him into one of the American League's best relief pitchers.
However, winning the award won't necessarily be easy.
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Smith finished the regular season with 41 saves, a 1.95 ERA and 107 strikeouts across 74 innings.
Meanwhile, Varland recorded 35 saves, a 1.27 ERA and 97 strikeouts across 78 innings.
Both pitchers have legitimate arguments considering their individual performances throughout the season.
However, Baker's combination of run prevention, saves, and consistency certainly makes him a deserving finalist.
And while postseason performances won't factor into the voting, Baker continued delivering when Tampa Bay needed him most.
The veteran didn't allow an earned run across 10 postseason innings, recording five additional saves while helping the Rays reach their third World Series in franchise history.
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Those performances further demonstrated just how important he became to the organization.
The winner will officially be announced November 11.
This also represents the first season the Baseball Writers' Association of America will present its own Reliever of the Year Award, giving Baker an opportunity to become the inaugural American League winner.
