3 Starting Pitchers Who Could Be Weapons Out of the Bullpen in the Playoffs

There's slightly more than a month left in the 2026 MLB regular season. That means certain teams may soon start thinking about their initial plans for their pitching staffs heading into the postseason.

Generally, playoff teams use three starting pitchers in best-of-three or best-of-five series, with a fourth starter sometimes entering the equation for the best-of-seven matchups. So, some hurlers who spent the entire regular season in the rotation often shift to the bullpen.

Here are a few starters who could be effective relievers in the 2026 playoffs.

Garrett Crochet

Boston Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet has been on the injured list since late April with left shoulder inflammation. After finishing as the runner-up for the 2025 American League Cy Young Award, the 27-year-old has only made six starts this year.

The good news for Red Sox fans is that Crochet has "advanced to throwing at 90 feet with intensity," according to The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey. The southpaw also recently told MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo that he'll most likely only have time to build up to a maximum of two innings per outing this year, setting him up to return as a relief pitcher.

Crochet began his career in the big leagues as a reliever for the Chicago White Sox, so pitching out of the bullpen wouldn't be totally foreign to him. If the 6-foot-6 lefty can work his way back from injury this year, he could be a valuable addition to Boston's bullpen down the stretch.

Shohei Ohtani

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hasn't pitched in a game since July 3. It's unclear if the four-time MVP will return to the mound this season. But if he does, it would make sense if the Dodgers elected to use him as a reliever rather than a starter.

Unlike Crochet, Ohtani has no MLB experience as a reliever. He's pitched in 114 games in the majors, and all of those appearances have been starts. However, the right-hander did famously close out Japan's World Baseball Classic championship in 2023 by striking out Mike Trout.

If Ohtani is going to pitch again in 2026, he's likely running out of time to build back up to a starter's workload. Either way, many baseball fans will be curious to see whether or not the Dodgers superstar is back on the mound this year.

Ryan Weathers

Starting pitching has been one of the New York Yankees' biggest strengths this season. But even after left-hander Max Fried recently went back on the injured list, the general assumption has been that the Yankees will eventually shift a couple of starters to the bullpen in the postseason.

New York's playoff rotation would most likely feature Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Fried (if he's healthy). That'd set up Ryan Weathers and Will Warren as potential relief options. Weathers has been incredibly sharp of late, though, posting a 1.98 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break. But the left-hander has also thrown nearly 40 more innings than he has in any other season in the big leagues.

If the Yankees decide to use Weathers as a reliever in October, the 26-year-old has the pitch arsenal to be a valuable arm in New York's bullpen.

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