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Virtually perfect since May, Baker's 2026 journey with Rays a meteoric rise
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays weren’t supposed to have a closer this year.
They wound up with the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year.
While Louis Varland became the first-ever recipient of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s AL Reliever of the Year Award on Wednesday night, Rays closer Bryan Baker earned Major League Baseball’s highest honor for a relief pitcher during the MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards in Las Vegas.
“We played eight-inning baseball games any time we had the lead, essentially,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. “Start to finish, just locked down the ninth all year long.”
2026 MLB Awards