Brad Lord and Orlando Ribalta were the Washington Nationals steadiest relievers in 2026

Federal Baseball's Sam Sallick argues that Brad Lord and Orlando Ribalta were the Washington Nationals' most reliable bullpen arms during a challenging 2026 season. Despite the team setting a franchise record for blown saves, both right-handed relievers recorded sub-4.00 ERAs across at least 40 appearances each. Sallick emphasizes that while neither projects as an elite star closer, both provide steady value in complementary relief roles.

Ribalta served primarily as a high-leverage arm, finishing with a 3.77 ERA and 42 strikeouts over 43 innings. Meanwhile, Lord filled a multi-inning role, logging 83.1 innings across 40 games and bouncing back from midseason struggles to post a 3.55 ERA after August 1. Sallick concludes that Washington must acquire elite back-end bullpen talent to optimize both pitchers' effectiveness moving forward.