When a closer is on, there’s nothing more electric. But when they’re off? Buckle up, because no lead is safe and every ninth inning becomes a white-knuckle nightmare.
Some of these guys were once lights-out, automatic, game-over types—until suddenly they weren’t. Whether they lost the velocity, the confidence, or just plain forgot where the strike zone was, these closers became unreliable in a hurry.
16. Alex Colomé
Colomé once racked up saves like it was his part-time job, but things unraveled fast. Walks piled up, velocity dipped, and the ninth inning stopped being his safe space.
15. Jonathan Papelbon
Papelbon had the intensity of a bulldog, but eventually, that fire turned into meltdowns. His performance—and reputation—took a nosedive late in his career.
14. Brad Lidge
There was a time when Lidge was untouchable, but then came the home run heard ‘round the world. After that, his confidence never quite recovered until a late-career resurgence.
13. Wade Davis
Davis had a run where he looked unbeatable, then he just… wasn’t. The ERA ballooned, and those clean innings became rare events.
12. Jeanmar Gómez
He went from steady to shaky in record time. Batters started teeing off like they had the scouting report of the century.
11. Brandon League
League had the stuff but not the consistency. It felt like every outing was a coin flip, and that’s not great when the game’s on the line.
10. Jim Johnson
Johnson led the league in saves, and then the wheels came off. Suddenly, every ninth inning felt like a fire drill.
9. Matt Capps
Capps had a closer’s job locked down until hitters figured him out. After that, he was handing out runs like coupons.
8. Trevor Rosenthal
Rosenthal could bring the heat, but his control went on vacation. When the walks started stacking, so did the blown saves.
7. Tom Gordon
“Flash” Gordon had electric stuff early on, but late-career struggles closed the book on his closer days. He simply couldn’t put hitters away like he used to.
6. Chris Ray
Ray had a brief run as Baltimore’s go-to guy, but it didn’t last. The command issues and injury troubles piled up quickly.
5. Brian Fuentes
Fuentes had a funky delivery that worked until it didn’t. Once hitters adjusted, the ninth inning became a gamble.
4. Fernando Rodney
Rodney’s hat tilt was iconic, but his performances were anything but predictable. He could strike out the side—or give up three runs—on any given night.
Read More: The 15 Best MLB Closers of All Time
3. Jason Isringhausen
Izzy reinvented himself as a closer, but the back end of his career was a rollercoaster. Injuries and command issues caught up with him in a big way.
Read More: 15 MLB Closers Who Deserve Way More Respect
2. Eric Gagné
Gagné was unbeatable during his Cy Young stretch—then the fall was brutal. The velocity dropped, the PED cloud loomed, and he was never the same again.
Read More: Ranking the 16 Most Unshakable Closers in MLB History
1. Craig Kimbrel
Kimbrel looked like a Hall of Famer in the making, but his late-career outings have been hit-or-miss, mostly miss. When he’s off, the closer role feels like chaos in a bottle.
