Which team has the best bullpen in each division?

Throughout the offseason, MLB.com has been rolling out weekly division-by-division breakdowns of each position group -- and that series concludes this week with a look at the league’s best bullpens.

Below is a compilation of the teams deemed by MLB.com beat reporters to have the top bullpens on paper, along with a link to the full team-by-team analysis for each division.

AL East: Yankees

This one was a tight battle between the Yankees and Rays, but with Tampa Bay recently trading away a key piece in Emilio Pagán, the nod goes to the Yanks. New York's entire relief core can pitch at least one inning without any problems -- an important factor given the new rule in 2020 that requires relievers to face a minimum of three batters or pitch to the end of a half-inning. The Yankees' bullpen is anchored by closer Aroldis Chapman, who converted 37 of 42 save opportunities while posting a 2.21 ERA in 2019. Though his fastball velocity dipped slightly, Chapman’s biting slider continued to serve as a dominant out pitch, as his 13.42 strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio ranked fourth among AL relievers.

As for the rest of the bullpen, New York figures to align Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle and Chad Green as the main contributors feeding the ball to Chapman. Britton regained his extreme sinkerball tendencies in 2019, inducing a Major League-best 78.5 percent ground-ball rate, while Kahnle enjoyed 42 hitless and scoreless appearances. Green showed his versatility by serving as an opener in 15 contests (plus one in the postseason), and Ottavino posted a 1.41 ERA through Aug. 6 before enduring a late-season fade. More »

AL Central: Twins

The Twins spent much of the first half in 2019 searching for consistency in their bullpen outside closer Taylor Rogers, but by the end of the regular season, several homegrown pitchers took a collective leap forward to help form one of the most effective relief corps in baseball. Rogers (2.61 ERA, 32.4 K%) was elite all season long, but Trevor May (2.94 ERA) ramped his fastball up to 99 mph and Tyler Duffey (2.50 ERA, 34.5 K%) completed a transformation from inconsistent depth starter to one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. Together, they formed one of the game's most reliable late-inning groups, especially with help from midseason acquisition Sergio Romo, as well as surprising contributions from rookies Zack Littell (2.68 ERA) and Cody Stashak (3.24 ERA). They're all back in '20, with veteran Tyler Clippard also in the mix to pitch in with his 13 seasons of Major League experience. More »

AL West: Astros

Despite losing Will Harris -- perhaps Houston's best reliever in 2019 -- to the Nationals, the Astros still boast the top bullpen in the AL West. Houston's bullpen ranked third in the Majors last year in both ERA (3.75) and batting average against (.226), and even with Harris switching leagues, closer Roberto Osuna and All-Star setup man Ryan Pressly are returning and should help stabilize the back end of the bullpen. Beyond that duo, the Astros have right-hander Josh James, who has been inconsistent at times but is a force when he’s throwing strikes, and former All-Star Chris Devenski. Toss in Joe Biagini and a group of young arms that includes prospect Bryan Abreu, and the Houston relievers might be as good or better than they were in '19. More »

NL East: Braves

The Braves will designate Mark Melancon the closer, but Will Smith will draw plenty of save opportunities for a club that has significantly upgraded its bullpen since last year’s Trade Deadline. Like Melancon, Shane Greene and Chris Martin made immediate impacts after coming to Atlanta. Smith could also be an instant difference-maker. Along with those top late-inning options, Atlanta has plenty of depth in veteran Darren O'Day and Luke Jackson, who will more fittingly be used in middle-relief situations in 2020 after being forced into the closer’s role last year. The Braves could also opt to once again use Sean Newcomb as a reliever after giving him a chance to start during Spring Training. More »

NL Central: Brewers

Each bullpen in the NL Central comes with question marks, and there will be plenty of jobs up for grabs this spring, but the Brewers get the nod here thanks largely to arguably the top reliever in the Majors in Josh Hader. The left-hander has posted the fourth- and fifth-highest strikeout rates in MLB history (minimum 35 innings) in the past two seasons, while taking home the NL Reliever of the Year Award both times. That said, the Brewers have found that Hader is most effective pitching multiple innings with sufficient rest days built in, so it’s especially important to surround him with other options capable of closing games.

The leading candidate for that co-closer role this season seems to be Corey Knebel, a 2018 All-Star who missed all of '19 following Tommy John surgery. The Brewers are hoping he’s ready by May. Aside from Knebel, Milwaukee's options include another veteran of Tommy John surgery in David Phelps and left-hander Brent Suter, who was sensational last September in a multi-inning role following his own Tommy John comeback. Alex Claudio will also be back after leading the Majors with 83 appearances last season. More »

NL West: Padres

The Padres had already built a lockdown bullpen even before acquiring reliever Emilio Pagán from the Rays on Saturday night. Suddenly, San Diego is a serious contender for the best bullpen in baseball, let alone the NL West. Closer Kirby Yates is coming off a season in which he posted a microscopic 1.19 ERA while racking up an absolutely ridiculous 15 strikeouts per nine innings. The Padres added an excellent right/left complement of setup men in front of Yates, too, in Pagán and Drew Pomeranz, who signed a four-year deal this winter. The true strength of the San Diego 'pen, however, is its depth. José Castillo, Andres Munoz, Craig Stammen and Matt Strahm could all fill important roles, plus a deep group of big-time arms in the Minors should provide some insurance for injuries and the usual bullpen volatility. More »