Relief Pitching Records

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book full of baseball milestones for relief pitching — including career marks, single season plateaus and game related records.

"(Thurman) Munson's not moody, he's just mean. When you're moody, you're nice sometimes." - Relief Pitcher Sparky Lyle
Relief Pitching Records

Career Records

Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Most Consecutive
Appearances As A Relief Pitcher

AL

Mariano Rivera

New York

904

904

NL

John Franco

Cincinnati

393

1,119

New York

695

Houston

31

ML

Jesse Orosco

New York [NL]

319

1,199

Los Angeles

146

Cleveland

171

Milwaukee

156

Baltimore

336

St. Louis

6

Minnesota

8

New York [AL]

15

San Diego

42

Most Games
As A Relief Pitcher

Bold=League Leader

AL

Mariano Rivera

New York

907

907

Mike Timlin

Toronto

302

891

Seattle

96

Baltimore

99

Boston

394

NL

John Franco

Cincinnati

393

1,119

New York

695

Houston

31

ML

Jesse Orosco

New York [NL]

368

1,248

Los Angeles

146

Cleveland

171

Milwaukee

156

Baltimore

336

St. Louis

6

Minnesota

8

New York [AL]

15

San Diego

42

Relief Pitching Records

Single Season Records

Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Most Consecutive
Games As A Relief Pitcher

AL

Dale Mohorcic

Texas

13

08-06-1986
08-20-1986
NL

Mike Marshall

Los Angeles

13

06-18-1974
07-03-1974

Most Games
As A Relief Pitcher

AL

Mark Eichhorn

Toronto

89

1987

Mike Marshall

Minnesota

1979
NL

Mike Marshall

Los Angeles

106

1974
Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Relief Pitching Records



Do you believe relief pitchers are given the credit they deserve? Is this "position" the next to start receiving the big bullpen checks? Tell us on Baseball Fever.

A newly developed stat aimed directly at relief pitchers was recently coined and Baseball almanac was pleased to be the first online or in print to create a Holds Records section dedicated to this new pitching stat.

Did you know that there are only a handful of relief pitchers in the Hall of Fame and they are: Dennis Eckersley (½ starter / ½ closer), Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter and Hoyt Wilhelm?