Cincinnati Reds’ Emilio Pagán Has Quietly Become One of MLB’s Best Closers Again

He's been excellent as of late.

Sep 2, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan (15) reacts after the victory over the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagan's season started out as poorly as it could start. He had an ERA over six, and it looked like his season might have ended when he fell to the ground in pain on May 5 at Wrigley Field on the first pitch of his outing. Ever since the All-Star break, he's looked like the All-Star-level closer that he did in 2025.

He's Been One Of The Best Closers In Baseball Since Returning From The IL

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Emilio Pagán (15) throws a pitch in the ninth inning of the MLB National League game between the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. The Reds won, 4-3. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Pagan has converted 15 of his last 15 save attempts, and ever since he returned from the injured list in early July, he's tied for the most saves and has a 2.53 ERA with 25 strikeouts. He's on one of the best stretches of games that he's had during his three-year Reds' career. 

“I’m generally better the more that I throw,” Pagán told Charlie Goldsmith. “My command gets better. The shape of my pitches gets better. I definitely feel locked in right now.”

Besides a few games of rest where he was dealing with hand fatigue, Pagan has been the Reds' go-to reliever when there is a save situation. He earned his 20th save of the season during Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres, his former team. This is now the third season of his career in which he has notched 20 or more saves in a season, and his second consecutive season doing so. He set a career high in saves last season with 32. 

“He’s filling up the zone,” Reds reliever Pierce Johnson said. “His heater is up to what it was last year, or better. His splitter and his cutter are great pitches. The way he attacks the zone in big situations, pounds the zone, he forces them to swing the bat.”

Pagan resigned with the Reds over the offseason for two years, $20 million. It looked early on that the Reds made a mistake in bringing him back when money could have been spent on the offense, but he's proving it was a good move to bring him back.

Juan Brito Hits First Career Home Run Wednesday

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Juan Brito (46) hits a 3-run home run in the second inning of the MLB game between the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Reds recalled Brito before Tuesday's game against the Padres, with Eugenio Suarez away from the team to earn his United States citizenship in Miami. He put together an incredible at-bat in a crucial moment of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. He saw eight pitches and hit a sacrifice to give the Reds a two-run lead. That run was pivotal because the Padres scored one in the top of the ninth on a Fernando Tatis home run.

"That was a really good at-bat," Manager Terry Francona said postgame. "He kind of came as advertised. PK (Louisville manager Pat Kelly) talked about how he just played the game right, and he kind of did that tonight.”

On Wednesday, he was a major contributor to the Reds’ win. He hit his first career home run off pitcher Casey Mize. The power hasn't really been there during his minor league career, but he did have a 21-home-run season in 2024 in Triple-A. Brito signed with the Colorado Rockies as an international free agent in 2018. He was traded to Cleveland in 2022 in the Nolan Jones trade. The Reds acquired him at the trade deadline in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for cash considerations.