Which reliever will have the best MLB season in 2026?

Trying to forecast relievers is a nightmare. That’s not stopping MLB teams from once again giving them substantial outlays of moolah so far this offseason. So, who’s going to be the pinnacle of that particular craft in 2026?

Historically, Cade Smith has taken the fWAR-for-relievers crown in each of the last two seasons, by a nose. Before that, you have a procession of Tanner Scott, Edwin Diaz, Liam Hendriks (three seasons in a row), Blake Treinen, and Kenley Jansen (twice in a row).

Projections-wise, Steamer has Mason Miller as the preseason/on-paper champ in this regard right now, but if he ends up starting, Jhoan Duran is up next, with a bunch of guys like Smith, Aroldis Chapman, Griffin Jax, Josh Hader, and Grant Taylor (who?) also in the mix. If you try to remove leverage-based choice from the equation, there are also guys like Edwin Diaz, Jeremiah Estrada, and Bryan Abreu in the mix.

Who ya got?