Best closing pitchers of all time

Closers shut the door. The ninth inning is their battleground and they normally come out on top.

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. His tenure as the Rockies closer was brief, and the trend in Colorado is not limited to Holland. With so many candidates and no Mariano Rivera, how do we determine the greatest Rockies closer of all time? While the Yankees have Rivera on their list for 15 consecutive years , the list for Colorado takes a much different look:.

Best closing pitchers of all time

In Major League Baseball MLB , the save club is the group of pitchers who have recorded or more regular-season saves in their careers. The final pitcher of a game can earn a save by getting at least one batter out to end the game with the winning run on base , at bat , or on deck , or by pitching the last three innings without relinquishing the lead, regardless of score. Hoyt Wilhelm retired in and recorded just 31 saves from onwards, for example, but holds total career saves. Mariano Rivera holds the MLB save record with Only Rivera and Trevor Hoffman have exceeded or saves, and Hoffman was the first to achieve either. Rollie Fingers was the first player to record saves, reaching the mark on August 21, Aroldis Chapman is the most recent, achieving his th on August 26, In total, 31 players have recorded or more saves in their career. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version.

In those four yearshe recorded saves and a 3.

There might not be a more pressure-packed position in all of Major League Baseball than the closer. His time on the diamond is rather brief, but highly crucial. Not anybody can do it, and even fewer have enjoyed sustained success. In 14 seasons, Percival totaled saves, which rank among the all-time top 20 in Major League Baseball history. In his second season , while pitching for the then-California Angels, Percival recorded 36 saves in 39 attempts and strikeouts. As of , he's one of six pitchers in Angels history to tally at least strikeouts without starting a game.

Once considered an afterthought on MLB rosters, relief pitchers have emerged as some of the most important pieces when constructing a World Series contender. Of these relief pitchers, the closer is the most unique member of an MLB roster. These pitchers are true specialists, only appearing in the most specific of game situations. Still, the best closers of all time have had an enormous impact on their individual teams. In this list, we check out the 30 best closers in MLB history. Many of these names have provided a profound impact on team success, helping propel a franchise to the championship promised land. Closers are after one thing and one thing only.

Best closing pitchers of all time

Mariano Rivera's legendary career as a closer for the New York Yankees indisputably marked him as one of the greatest baseball catchers in history. The Panamanian-born pitcher mastered the art of the cut fastball, a pitch that baffled hitters across the league, resulting in an incredible number of saves and a reputation for being almost unhittable in high-pressure situations. Rivera's impact on the sport cannot be overstated, with his consistent dominance on the mound, his five World Series championships and his ability to elevate the Yankees closer role to new heights.

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Archived from the original on July 14, He is the only closer to make this list that threw a devastating knuckleball, which gave him the longevity to pitch until he was almost Baseball statistics types of records. The Diamondbacks have 15 different names listed over their 23 year history, which is just one fewer arm than the Rockies in six fewer seasons. From and armed with a submarine-pitching style, Quisenberry was among the best major leaguers around. The master of the split-finger fastball, Sutter earned his place in the Hall of Fame as one of the game's elite closers during the late s and into the 80s. Player is active [note 1]. New York Daily News. During Games 4 and 6 of the NLCS , each a late-inning situation with the score tied, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel did not call upon closer Brad Lidge and both times the selected relief pitcher surrendered the game-winning run. Boston Herald. With saves accumulated during his stellar year career, Wagner is obviously in elite company. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. He also sits third with save opportunities.

There might not be a more pressure-packed position in all of Major League Baseball than the closer. His time on the diamond is rather brief, but highly crucial. Not anybody can do it, and even fewer have enjoyed sustained success.

Article Talk. When it comes to sustainable success and dependability in the closer role, Nathan is among the elite in that aspect. Categories : Baseball pitching Baseball strategy Baseball terminology. New York Giants. The ninth inning is their battleground and they normally come out on top. That lasted all of three games. His 2. Archived from the original on 29 June Wagner also wore the number La Russa says it is important that relievers know their roles and the situations which they will be called into a game. La Russa noted that losing clubs risk their closer being under-worked, if they stick to the strategy of saving them for ninth inning situations where the team is ahead. Baseball Digest. By the next season, Papelbon recorded 35 saves and earned the first of his six All-Star nods. Kimbrel entered the season with Philadelphia — his 14th in the majors — as another active reliever on the doorstep of saves.