Single Season Leaders for Saves

The pressure is intense as you step onto the mound — knowing you only have to pitch an inning or two at most. However, you also know that the entire game is riding on your skill as a pitcher who should be able to "mow" down the opposing batters and save the game for a team victory.

Each of the following ice men have saved more games in a single season than any other pitcher in history and belong on Baseball Almanac's chart of the top one-hundred (100) single season save leaders! Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"I found a delivery in my flaw." - Dan Quisenberry (Tied for the #23 Ranked Single Season Saves Leader)
Games Saved
Single Season Leaders

'Top 100'
Francisco Rodriguez 62 2008 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim AL 1
Bobby Thigpen 57 1990 Chicago White Sox AL 2
Eric Gagne 55 2003 Los Angeles Dodgers NL 3
John Smoltz 55 2002 Atlanta Braves NL  
Trevor Hoffman 53 1998 San Diego Padres NL 5
Randy Myers 53 1993 Chicago Cubs NL  
Mariano Rivera 53 2004 New York Yankees AL  
Eric Gagne 52 2002 Los Angeles Dodgers NL 8
Rod Beck 51 1998 Chicago Cubs NL 9
Dennis Eckersley 51 1992 Oakland Athletics AL  
Mariano Rivera 50 2001 New York Yankees AL 11
Francisco Cordero 49 2004 Texas Rangers AL 12
Rod Beck 48 1993 San Francisco Giants NL 13
Dennis Eckersley 48 1990 Oakland Athletics AL  
Brian Fuentes 48 2009 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim AL  
Jeff Shaw 48 1998 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Los Angeles Dodgers NL
Armando Benitez 47 2004 Florida Marlins NL 17
Chad Cordero 47 2005 Washington Nationals NL  
Jason Isringhausen 47 2004 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Joe Nathan 47 2009 Minnesota Twins AL  
Francisco Rodriguez 47 2006 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim AL  
Lee Smith 47 1991 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Jose Valverde 47 2007 Arizona Diamondbacks NL  
Tom Gordon 46 1998 Boston Red Sox AL 24
Bryan Harvey 46 1991 California Angels AL  
Trevor Hoffman 46 2006 San Diego Padres NL  
Jose Mesa 46 1995 Cleveland Indians AL  
Dave Righetti 46 1986 New York Yankees AL  
Lee Smith 46 1993 New York Yankees AL  
St. Louis Cardinals NL
Mike Williams 46 2002 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Antonio Alfonseca 45 2000 Florida Marlins NL 31
Joe Borowski 45 2007 Cleveland Indians AL  
Dennis Eckersley 45 1988 Oakland Athletics AL  
Eric Gagne 45 2004 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Eddie Guardado 45 2002 Minnesota Twins AL  
Bryan Harvey 45 1993 Florida Marlins NL  
Jose Mesa 45 2002 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Jeff Montgomery 45 1993 Kansas City Royals AL  
Randy Myers 45 1997 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Robb Nen 45 2001 San Francisco Giants NL  
Dan Quisenberry 45 1983 Kansas City Royals AL  
Mariano Rivera 45 1999 New York Yankees AL  
Francisco Rodriguez 45 2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim AL  
Kazuhiro Sasaki 45 2001 Seattle Mariners AL  
John Smoltz 45 2003 Atlanta Braves NL  
Bruce Sutter 45 1984 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Duane Ward 45 1993 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Bob Wickman 45 2005 Cleveland Indians AL  
Jeff Brantley 44 1996 Cincinnati Reds NL 49
Francisco Cordero 44 2007 Milwaukee Brewers NL  
Mark Davis 44 1989 San Diego Padres NL  
Billy Koch 44 2002 Oakland Athletics AL  
Joe Nathan 44 2004 Minnesota Twins AL  
Dan Quisenberry 44 1984 Kansas City Royals AL  
Mariano Rivera 44 2009 New York Yankees AL  
John Smoltz 44 2004 Atlanta Braves NL  
Jose Valverde 44 2008 Houston Astros NL  
Billy Wagner 44 2003 Houston Astros NL  
Todd Worrell 44 1996 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Armando Benitez 43 2001 New York Mets NL 60
Dennis Eckersley 43 1991 Oakland Athletics AL  
Keith Foulke 43 2003 Oakland Athletics AL  
Roberto Hernandez 43 1999 Tampa Bay Devil Rays AL  
Trevor Hoffman 43 2000 San Diego Padres NL  
Trevor Hoffman 43 2001 San Diego Padres NL  
Trevor Hoffman 43 2005 San Diego Padres NL  
Doug Jones 43 1990 Cleveland Indians AL  
Jose Mesa 43 2004 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Joe Nathan 43 2005 Minnesota Twins AL  
Robb Nen 43 2002 San Francisco Giants NL  
Mariano Rivera 43 2005 New York Yankees AL  
Mariano Rivera 43 1997 New York Yankees AL  
Jeff Shaw 43 2001 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Lee Smith 43 1992 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
John Wetteland 43 1996 New York Yankees AL  
John Wetteland 43 1999 Texas Rangers AL  
John Wetteland 43 1993 Montreal Expos NL  
Mitch Williams 43 1993 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Rick Aguilera 42 1991 Minnesota Twins AL 79
Heath Bell 42 2009 San Diego Padres NL  
Keith Foulke 42 2001 Chicago White Sox AL  
Trevor Hoffman 42 2007 San Diego Padres NL  
Trevor Hoffman 42 1996 San Diego Padres NL  
Todd Jones 42 2000 Detroit Tigers AL  
Brad Lidge 42 2005 Houston Astros NL  
Derek Lowe 42 2000 Boston Red Sox AL  
Jose Mesa 42 2001 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Troy Percival 42 1998 Anaheim Angels AL  
Jeff Reardon 42 1988 Minnesota Twins AL  
Jeff Shaw 42 1997 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Joakim Soria 42 2008 Kansas City Royals AL  
John Wetteland 42 1998 Texas Rangers AL  
Rick Aguilera 41 1992 Minnesota Twins AL 93
Danys Baez 41 2005 Tampa Bay Devil Rays AL  
Armando Benitez 41 2000 New York Mets NL  
Danny Graves 41 2004 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Eddie Guardado 41 2003 Minnesota Twins AL  
Trevor Hoffman 41 2004 San Diego Padres NL  
Bobby Jenks 41 2006 Chicago White Sox AL  
Jose Jimenez 41 2002 Colorado Rockies NL 100
Brad Lidge 41 2008 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Robb Nen 41 2000 San Francisco Giants NL  
Jonathan Papelbon 41 2008 Boston Red Sox AL  
Jeff Reardon 41 1985 Montreal Expos NL  
Ugueth Urbina 41 1999 Montreal Expos NL  
Brian Wilson 41 2008 San Francisco Giants NL  
Current Through 2009 Season


Did you know that Steve Bedrosian (#89 on the chart and during the 1987 season) and Dennis Eckersley (tied for #8 on the chart during the 1992 season) both won a Cy Young Award during their chart making saves season?

Lee Smith appears three (3) times in the top fifty (50). Does he hold the Major League record for all time saves? How far will the "modern closer" make his numbers fall each & every season? In 2003 fourteen (14) closers with thirty-seven (37) single season saves were bumped off the list due to the constantly evolving save plateau. In 2005 thirteen (13) closers with thirty-eight (38) single season saves were bumped from the single saeson leaders for saves.

Will the National Baseball Hall of Fame / Baseball Writers Association of America recognize the closers of today as they did with Bruce Sutter in 2005, or will new standards need to be set? Share your opinion on Baseball Fever.
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