Saves : 2008 National League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"What people don't understand is, one day off for Cal Ripken would not recharge his batteries. One day would not do it. He's not playing 2,130 games in a row. Cal is ONLY playing 162 games a year." - Frank Robinson in The Sporting News (September 11, 1995)
 

2008 Saves Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Jose Valverde 44 Houston Astros 1
Brad Lidge 41 Philadelphia Phillies 2
Brian Wilson 41 San Francisco Giants  
Francisco Cordero 34 Cincinnati Reds 4
Kerry Wood 34 Chicago Cubs  
Brian Fuentes 30 Colorado Rockies 6
Trevor Hoffman 30 San Diego Padres  
Kevin Gregg 29 Florida Marlins 8
Salomon Torres 28 Milwaukee Brewers 9
Billy Wagner 27 New York Mets 10
Brandon Lyon 26 Arizona Diamondbacks 11
Matt Capps 21 Pittsburgh Pirates 12
Jon Rauch 18 Washington Nationals 13
Arizona Diamondbacks  
Takashi Saito 18 Los Angeles Dodgers  
Ryan Franklin 17 St. Louis Cardinals 15
Jonathan Broxton 14 Los Angeles Dodgers 16
Mike Gonzalez 14 Atlanta Braves  
Jason Isringhausen 12 St. Louis Cardinals 18
Eric Gagne 10 Milwaukee Brewers 19
Luis Ayala 9 Washington Nationals 20
New York Mets  
Joel Hanrahan 9 Washington Nationals  
Chad Qualls 9 Arizona Diamondbacks  
Carlos Marmol 7 Chicago Cubs 23
Chris Perez 7 St. Louis Cardinals  
Matt Lindstrom 5 Florida Marlins 25



Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).

Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros had his number twenty-five retired on October 3, 1992, and became the first Major League player with that particular retired number.

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?