David Bednar

2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Bednar’s 2025 season was a tale of two halves. After a rocky start in Pittsburgh that included a brief demotion to Triple-A to reset his mechanics, he returned to form and was acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline to stabilize a shaky bullpen. The move to the Bronx rejuvenated him; he posted a stellar 2.19 ERA and struck out 35 batters in 24.2 innings as a Yankee, seizing the closer role down the stretch and into the postseason. His fastball velocity ticked back up to 97-98 mph, and his splitter returned to being one of the most unhittable pitches in the game. 

2026 Outlook: Entering his final year of arbitration (signed for $9 million), Bednar is the unquestioned closer for the Yankees entering 2026.  Bednar offers top-5 save potential in this lineup. If he maintains the control he displayed in the second half (0.93 WHIP with NYY), he will be an elite fantasy asset, though his early-season volatility in 2025 serves as a reminder that he can be streaky.