The very real possibility NY Mets and LA Dodgers fans don’t want to hear

Don't let Ryan Helsley's loss on Saturday to a red-hot Pittsburgh Pirates lineup distract you from the fact that Helsley has looked great to begin 2026. Helsley is 2-for-2 on his save opportunities in the early going, and he's tallied four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings of work for the Baltimore Orioles.

Helsey has entered 2026 looking like a man who has something to prove, and he actually does after a tough 2025. We're in early April, but Helsley's velo is already operating at midseason levels. His four-seamer averaged 100.1 mph (nine pitches) in his Opening Day save against the Minnesota Twins, prompting Adam Ottavino to theorize that Baltimore may have "struck gold" with their signing of Helsley to a two-year deal in November.

Could Helsley outperform his fellow closers from the most recent free-agent class, namely Devin Williams and Edwin Díaz? Both Williams and Díaz landed bigger paydays than Helsley, who's now in a position to make the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers think twice about their respective decisions.

Ryan Helsley might out-pitch Devin Williams and Edwin Díaz in 2026

Helsley has added a pitch to his arsenal (a splitter), showing that he's still evolving despite being north of 30 years old with two All-Star selections and an NL Reliever of the Year award -- a trophy case that would convince a less dynamic pitcher to just keep leaning into what's worked.

Maybe Helsley's disastrous season under the spotlight of New York was a catalyst for him to seriously look in the mirror and level up in the middle of his career. If this ends up being true, the surprisingly high number of Mets fans who called for his return will be complaining throughout 2026.

Williams, by the way, didn't exactly have a shining season in New York in 2025, either, even if it didn't approach Helsley's nightmare. What matters now is which of these two decorated closers outperforms the other in 2026, thereby making fans forget about his recent past.

Diaz, meanwhile, hasn't shown any signs of trouble out in Los Angeles (he's 3-for-3 in save opportunities so far), but he hasn't been perfect, and his own career suggests that he's not immune to injury problems and/or inconsistency.

In sum, it's not outrageous to think that Helsley could have the best season of the three, especially based on how he's looking out of the gate. The Orioles were viewed as risk-takers for signing Helsley, but if he gets back to his All-Star self, the "risk" they took will end up looking like a bargain, with Mets and Dodgers fans realizing that their clubs overpaid for a less-effective asset.