Every MLB pitcher with 300 or more saves

Two pitchers are on exactly 300 saves, and we’ll start with the one who was a solid closer for a long time, which is what much of this list consists of. Isringhausen is also emblematic of so many pitchers who rack up a ton of saves in another way. He began his career as a starter, a decent one at that, but then he got injured, the Mets gave up on him, and in 2000 he emerged with the Athletics as a relief pitcher. In his 16-year career, Isringhausen led the National League in saves once with 47 as a Cardinal, and he made two All-Star appearances.

Sutter has 300 saves and is also, notably, in the Hall of Fame. That’s while only pitching in the majors as a reliever. He pitched from 1976 until 1988, and closers were used differently then. Case in point, in 12 seasons Sutter pitched 35 more innings than Isringhausen did in 16, and bear in mind Isringhausen spent three seasons as a starter. Additionally, Sutter was seen as dominant. He led the majors in saves four times and even won a Cy Young. Now, he probably shouldn’t have won the Cy Young, but that’s a story for another day.

If you don’t remember Jones, that’s okay. Though he made five All-Star Games, he never led either league in saves. He was oddly involved in a lot of game results, posting a 69-79 record while only ever starting four MLB games. Jones was unremarkable, but he pitched for 16 seasons, into his forties, and ended up with 303 saves.

Montgomery is a modern closer. He pitched 868 innings over 13 seasons, almost entirely with the Royals. Once, in 1993, he did lead the AL in saves. By the end of his career, though, his pitching numbers were pretty poor. Montgomery had an ERA over 4.00 in four of his last six seasons, but the Royals mostly stuck with him in the closing role, allowing him to tally 304 saves. Remember when we said saves aren’t always the best measure of pitching skill?

Nobody will question the pitching skill of Rich “Goose” Gossage, even if it took him 22 seasons to rack up 310 saves. He began pitching in MLB in 1972, though. The first time he led MLB in saves, it was with 26 of them, but he also pitched 141.2 innings over 62 games that year. Imagine a modern closer averaging over two innings per outing! Gossage made nine All-Star Games and finished in the top five in Cy Young voting four times. He’s one of those relief pitchers in the Hall that gets less grief than others.

Henke was the closer for the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays, who won the World Series, but the next year he was pitching for the Rangers, which speaks to the fungible nature of relief pitchers to some teams. There were a lot of 30-save seasons for Henke in MLB, mostly with Toronto. His 311 saves and career 2.67 ERA over 14 seasons are good, but Henke only made two All-Star Games, even though he was a high-level strikeout pitcher.  

Nen might be the first guy on this list that makes you think, “Now there was a closer!” Although, that’s probably mostly for the Gen Xers and Millennial fans out there. Nen was known for his formidable, intimidating presence on the mound for the Marlins and, especially, the turn-of-the-millennium Giants. He had seven seasons in a row with at least 35 saves and retired with an even 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings. Unfortunately, during the 2002 season, Nen suffered a torn rotator cuff that required three surgeries. He would never pitch again and officially retired in 2005 with 314 saves. Without that injury, Nen would likely be easily in the top 10 in career saves, and possibly a Hall of Famer.

Aguilera started his career as a, well, starter for the Mets, but an end-of-the-rotation type. A “pitching out of the bullpen during the 1986 World Series run” type. He then became a closer for the Twins, making three All-Star Games in a row. Interestingly, in 1996 the Twins tried Aguilera out as a starter once again. He made 19 starts, but posted a 5.42 ERA. Thus, back to the bullpen he went, more saves were accrued, and he retired with 318 of them.

Jones is possibly a familiar face. He pitched for 16 seasons and eight teams, which helps. Plus, he had that handlebar mustache, a classic closer style of facial hair. Jones is best known for his time with the Tigers, and he did lead the AL with 42 saves in the Motor City in 2000, the only time he was an all-star. He wasn’t a big strikeout guy, and he retired with a 3.97 ERA. Jones was, first and foremost, an accruer of saves, and that’s because teams, mostly the Tigers, gave him the chance to tally 319 of them.

Mesa was a mediocre innings eater for the Orioles, and then was in the same role for Cleveland in 1993. He pitched 208 innings that year, and would never sniff 90 again afterward. Cleveland made him a reliever in 1994, and the closer in 1995. That season, he led the majors with 46 saves while posting a sterling 1.13 ERA. This led Mesa to finish second in the Cy Young voting and, inexplicably, fourth in the MVP voting. He would have 40-save seasons with Philly and Pittsburgh, and after 19 seasons in MLB, retired with 319 saves.

Chapman is both our first active pitcher and our first lefty. While issues in his personal life have, fairly, sullied his reputation, Chapman lived up to the hype he generated as a Cuban defector. He’s been an elite relief closer, even if he is very much a product of the one-inning-only generation. Chapman has made seven All-Star Games and finished with an ERA below two three times (and exactly 2.00 once). Also, the strikeouts. His career 14.9 K/9 rate is remarkable, but he has mostly served as a setup man in recent years, so Chapman may not add much to his 321 saves before he retires.

Street was drafted to make the majors quickly and to serve as a relief pitcher. Indeed, the Athletics drafted him 40th in 2004, and by 2005 he debuted, pitched 78.1 innings, racked up 23 saves, posted an 1.72 ERA, and won AL Rookie of the Year. The rare closer who got by on deception and pitch command, Street had a few really good seasons before injuries caught up. He retired in 2017 with 324 saves, a quintessential closer, if only a pretty good pitcher. His 680 career innings are the fewest on this list.

Hernandez pitched over 1,000 innings in his career, something that is not the norm higher on this list, as the closer became more of an established role, and more of a one-inning role as well. He didn’t debut until he was 26, and after three bad starts he was moved into a reliever position. At first, he excelled in that role, even when he had seasons where his innings pitched number was fewer than his games played number. Eventually, with teams like Tampa and Kansas City, Hernandez would pick up saves while posting ERAs over 4.00. He may have debuted in MLB late, but he pitched in the majors until he was 42, which helped him notch 326 saves.

Rodney was on his third team, and in his age-35 season, when he made his first All-Star Game. He also finished a justified fifth in the Cy Young voting for Tampa Bay that season. Rodney had 48 saves, which is remarkable, but also had a 0.60 ERA across 74.2 innings (admittedly in 76 appearances). Two seasons later, with Seattle, he’d lead the majors with 48 saves once more. That’s 96 saves right there! Rodney made up for the slow start to his career by pitching into his forties, even notching 25 saves in his age-41 season. Rodney had 327 saves when all was said and done.

In 2002, the Rangers gave Cordero a taste of closing. He picked up 10 saves in 39 appearances with an 1.79 ERA. That was encouraging, but Cordero wouldn’t become the Rangers’ full-time closer until 2004, when he had 49 saves. He’d also pick up at least 40 saves in a season with the Brewers and Reds, but this again speaks to how seemingly interchangeable even good closers were by the 2000s in MLB. Cordero, who retired with 329 saves, pitched for seven teams across 14 seasons.

From 1992 through 1998, Wetteland was as good as any closer in MLB. He never had an ERA higher than 2.93 in that time, and he had at least 30 saves in every season save 1994, the strike campaign. Of course, 1996 was his best year. Not only did he lead the American League with 43 saves, he was the World Series MVP for the Yankees. He picked up a save in all four wins of that series for New York. In the regular season, he retired with 330 saves, and in only 12 seasons. The only pitcher on this list to pitch in fewer than 12 seasons is Nen, and only one 12-season pitcher is higher than him.

Fingers, a Hall of Famer, was one of the first elite relief pitchers. He also did things way differently than modern times. In 1977 and 1978, pitching for the Padres, Fingers led MLB with 35 and 37 saves. He also pitched over 100 innings in both of those seasons. In 1981, Fingers won a Cy Young and MVP with the Brewers. He pitched in 47 games, but pitched 78 innings with 28 saves and an 1.04 ERA. Now, he was an absurd choice for MVP, but he was a worthy winner of the Cy. Fingers only made 37 MLB starts but pitched a whopping 1701.1 innings in his career en route to 341 saves.

One of the “Nasty Boys” for the Reds, Myers was the best of that cult trio, posting a 2.08 ERA with a 10.2 K/9 rate while racking up 31 saves in 86.2 innings. The Reds tried to make him a starter the next season, but his mediocre performance moved the southpaw back to the bullpen for the long haul. His 53 saves in 1993 with the Cubs certainly stand out, but he would lead the NL again in saves in 1995 and the AL in 1997 with Baltimore. That all led him to 347 saves, thanks in part to his notably nasty stuff.

We cross the 350-save threshold with a poster-boy closer. Percival pitched 14 seasons and picked up 358 saves, but he totaled 708.2 innings in 703 appearances. His career 3.17 ERA is good, but in truth, had he retired after his decade with the Angels, he would have still made this list with 316 saves and may be remembered more positively. With the Angels, Percival had a 2.99 ERA and 10.4 K/9 rate with four All-Star appearances.

Among the pitchers in the top 20, Reardon is the name we greeted with a, “Wait, really?” Indeed! Reardon picked up 367 saves in a 16-season career. Also, since we’ve made a point of it, Reardon pitched 1,132.1 innings over 880 career games, so he was no one-inning closer. Reardon led MLB with 41 saves in 1985 with the Montreal Expos, and he picked up a save in 1987 as the Twins won the World Series. Maybe the lesson here is that Reardon deserves more love for his career.

Papelbon is the aforementioned 12-season pitcher. He managed to notch 368 saves in 689 games played. While his personality rubbed some the wrong way, including teammates at multiple stops, there was obviously a ton of success as well. Papelbon made six All-Star Games, including in each of his first four seasons, and retired with a career 2.44 ERA and 10.0 K/9 rate. There was a nine-year stretch where he had at least 29 saves every season. Also, multiple teammates and coworkers made a point of calling him dumb, so it’s a mixed legacy.

In the proverbial Hall of Very Good, Nathan is one of the closers in the mix. If you began watching baseball before the start of the new millennium, you remember Nathan. He never led either league in saves, but recorded at least 35 of them nine times. Nathan had five seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA and two with a K/9 rate over 12. That helped him make six All-Star Games, and helped cement him as a Twins legend, if nothing else.

Nobody on this list had a career like Eckersley. One, the Hall of Famer pitched in 24 seasons. Two, he pitched almost 3,300 innings. That’s because Eck spent years as a starter. A good one! Eckersley spent 12 seasons as a starter, making two All-Star Games, before he headed to Oakland prior to the 1987 season and became a reliever. By 1988 he was leading the majors with 45 saves while posting a 2.35 ERA. Eckersley won the Cy Young and the MVP in 1992. He pitched 80 innings over 69 appearances with 51 saves, an 1.91 ERA, and a 10.5 strikeout rate. We’d point to Rogers Clemens’ 1992 campaign as an argument against either win, but that season helped cement Eck’s legend as an all-time great reliever. He retired with 390 saves.

We start the 400-save club with an active player, and unless things go wrong for Kimbrel, he’ll be in the top five by the end of the season. Like many a closer, even ones in the 300-save club, he’s been a journeyman, a hired gun. In 2024 he kicks off his first run with the Orioles, his eighth team. That being said, few closers have come out of the gate pitching as well as Kimbrel. In his first four full seasons he led the NL in saves with ERA at 2.10 or below with ridiculous strikeout rates. He won Rookie of the Year while making his first of nine All-Star appearances. Kimbrel isn’t that level of pitcher any longer, but he’s still around to rack up saves, starting the 2024 season with 417 of them.

The only reason Kimbrel may be in the top five, but not the top four, after the 2024 season is that Jansen is also still around. He didn’t have the peak of his counterpart, but Jansen has been consistent. Not only has he appeared in more games than any active pitcher, he’s had over 35 saves seven times, and led the NL twice with 41 saves. Nobody thinks of Jansen as a Hall of Famer, save for some diehard Dodger fans, but with 420 saves to start 2024, the Red Sox reliever has a chance to get to 500, and that might be the kind of round number that entices voters.

Among relievers not in the Hall, Wagner is the cause célèbre for many voters. If you only believe the best few relievers should be in, Wagner doesn’t make your cut. If you believe the position of closer should be proportionately represented, he’s a shoo-in. The lefty is considered one of the first peak examples of the one-inning closer, but he pitched 903 innings over 16 seasons in tallying 422 saves. Wagner made seven All-Star Games and retired with a 2.31 ERA and 11.9 K/9 rate. In the 2024 Hall of Fame voting, Wagner had 73.8 percent of the vote. You have to hit 75 percent to get in. Wagner is on the ballot for one more year. We shall see.

Franco got to 424 saves with sheer tonnage. There were very good seasons in the mix! He also pitched for 21 seasons, picking up his last two saves in 2003, his age-42 season. Oh, he’d pitch two more years, though. Franco began in the majors at a time when closers were expected to pitch multiple innings and ended as a one-inning guy. There was definitely a lot of guile in his game, though. Franco’s 7.0 K/9 rate is notably low for this list.

There was a time when Rodriguez, aka “K-Rod,” was possibly en route to the Hall. He finished in the top four in the Cy voting three times with the Angels, including in 2008, when he set an MLB record with 62 saves while posting a 2.24 ERA. Then, there were some injuries, and some odd struggles. Notably, in 2016, Rodriguez had 44 saves with the Tigers, but with a 3.24 ERA, and for the first time in his career he didn’t strike out a batter per inning pitched. The next season, the wheels came off. Rodriguez posted a 7.82 ERA in 25.1 innings and was released midseason. He spent his last seasons in the minors, in independent ball, and in the Mexican League. Rodriguez has 437 career saves, and zero shot at the Hall.

Smith, with all due respect, is in the Hall of Fame due to timing. He was the first pitcher in the 400-save club, and after retiring in 1997, he was the career leader in saves for years. The thing is, even then, the BBWAA did not see Smith as a Hall of Famer. He was only notable because he was the saves leader. A career 3.03 ERA and 8.7 K/9 rate were not remarkable. The guy was very good, with similarity scores on Baseball Reference in line with Reardon and Franco; two pitchers, notably, not in the Hall. In 2019, though, the Veterans’ Committee, aka “The group most likely to revere saves as a stat,” voted Smith in. We’re not knocking the guy. He was quite good. He had 478 saves. That’s a lot. It’s just that the guys in the Hall from this list are old-school relievers like Eckersley and Fingers, and then these next two guys.

We aren’t going to claim there is a 500-save club. That’s because the only two theoretical members are also in the 600-save club, and that’s way cooler. Hoffman admittedly gutted it out to get there, getting a boost from a Brewers team that probably wanted to be part of a milestone. In his age-42 season, Hoffman pitched 47.1 innings in 50 games with a 5.89 ERA and 5.7 strikeout rate. That’s bad, but his 10 saves got him to 601. However, let’s not let that overshadow his nine 40-save seasons, or his career 2.87 ERA. Hoffman is the face of the modern closer…in the National League. In the American League, though…

It all started with a 5.51 ERA in 1995, when the Yankees tried out Rivera as a starter. In 1996, he served as Wetteland’s setup man. By 1997, the Yankees saw what they had and made Rivera their closer. He is the greatest closer of all-time, and there is no argument otherwise. There’s the 13 All-Star Games. Also, the 2.21 ERA over 1,283.2 innings. Rivera led the AL in saves three times. He had an ERA over 3.00 out of the bullpen once. His 652 saves is a likely untouchable record. Oh, and he has five rings and was a World Series MVP. Nobody else would make sense atop this list.