List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders

The following is a list of annual leaders in saves in Major League Baseball (MLB), with separate lists for the American League and the National League. The list includes several professional leagues and associations that were never part of MLB.

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under prescribed circumstances. Most commonly a relief pitcher ("reliever") earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team is winning by three or fewer runs and finishing the game by pitching one inning without losing the lead. The statistic was created by Jerome Holtzman in 1959 to "measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers" and was adopted as an MLB official statistic in 1969. The save has been retroactively measured for pitchers before that date.

MLB recognizes the player or players in each league with the most saves each season. In retrospect, the five saves by Jack Manning meant he led the National League in its inaugural year, while Bill Hoffer was the American League's first saves champion with three. Mordecai Brown was the first pitcher to record at least 10 saves in a season. Dan Quisenberry, Bruce Sutter, Firpo Marberry, and Ed Walsh are the only pitchers to lead the league in saves five times (though Marberry and Walsh did so before 1969). Sutter is also tied with Harry Wright, Dan Quisenberry and Craig Kimbrel for the most consecutive seasons leading the league in saves with four. __TOC__

American League YearPlayerTeam(s)Saves1901Bill HofferCleveland Blues31902Jack PowellSt. Louis Browns21903Bill DinneenGeorge MullinAl OrthJack PowellCy YoungBoston AmericansDetroit TigersWashington SenatorsSt. Louis BrownsBoston Americans21904Case PattenWashington Senators31905Jim BuchananSt. Louis Browns21906Chief BenderOtto HessPhiladelphia AthleticsCleveland Naps31907Bill Dinneen (2) Tom HughesEd WalshBoston/St. LouisWashington SenatorsChicago White Sox41908Ed Walsh (2)Chicago White Sox61909Frank ArellanesBoston Red Sox81910Ed Walsh (3)Chicago White Sox51911Charley HallEddie PlankEd Walsh (4)Boston Red SoxPhiladelphia AthleticsChicago White Sox41912Ed Walsh (5)Chicago White Sox101913Chief BenderPhiladelphia Athletics131914Jack BentleyHooks DaussRed FaberRoy MitchellJim ShawWashington SenatorsDetroit TigersChicago White SoxSt. Louis BrownsWashington Senators41915Carl MaysBoston Red Sox71916Bob ShawkeyNew York Yankees81917Dave DanforthChicago White Sox91918George MogridgeNew York Yankees71919Allen RussellJim Shaw (2) Bob Shawkey (2)New York/BostonWashington SenatorsNew York Yankees51920Dickey KerrUrban ShockerChicago White SoxSt. Louis Browns51921Carl Mays (2) Jim MiddletonNew York YankeesDetroit Tigers71922Sam JonesNew York Yankees81923Allen Russell (2)Washington Senators91924Firpo MarberryWashington Senators151925Firpo Marberry (2)Washington Senators151926Firpo Marberry (3)Washington Senators221927Garland BraxtonWilcy MooreWashington SenatorsNew York Yankees131928Waite HoytNew York Yankees81929Firpo Marberry (4)Washington Senators111930Lefty GrovePhiladelphia Athletics91931Wilcy MooreBoston Red Sox101932Firpo Marberry (5)Washington Senators131933Jack RussellWashington Senators131934Jack Russell (2)Washington Senators71935Jack KnottSt. Louis Browns71936Pat MaloneNew York Yankees91937Clint BrownChicago White Sox181938Johnny MurphyNew York Yankees111939Johnny Murphy (2)New York Yankees191940Al BentonDetroit Tigers171941Johnny Murphy (3)New York Yankees151942Johnny Murphy (4)New York Yankees111943Gordon MaltzbergerChicago White Sox141944Joe BerryGeorge CasterGordon Maltzberger (2)Philadelphia AthleticsSt. Louis BrownsChicago White Sox121945Jim TurnerNew York Yankees101946Bob KlingerBoston Red Sox91947Ed KliemanJoe PageCleveland IndiansNew York Yankees171948Russ ChristopherCleveland Indians171949Joe Page (2)New York Yankees271950Mickey HarrisWashington Senators151951Ellis KinderBoston Red Sox141952Harry DorishChicago White Sox111953Ellis Kinder (2)Boston Red Sox271954Johnny SainNew York Yankees221955Ray NarleskiCleveland Indians191956George ZuverinkBaltimore Orioles161957Bob GrimNew York Yankees191958Ryne DurenNew York Yankees201959Turk LownChicago White Sox151960Mike FornielesJohnny KlippsteinBoston Red SoxCleveland Indians141961Luis ArroyoNew York Yankees291962Dick RadatzBoston Red Sox241963Stu MillerBaltimore Orioles271964Dick Radatz (2)Boston Red Sox291965Ron KlineWashington Senators291966Jack AkerKansas City Athletics321967Minnie RojasCalifornia Angels271968Al WorthingtonMinnesota Twins181969Ron PerranoskiMinnesota Twins311970Ron Perranoski (2)Minnesota Twins341971Ken SandersMilwaukee Brewers311972Sparky LyleNew York Yankees351973John HillerDetroit Tigers381974Terry ForsterChicago White Sox241975Goose GossageChicago White Sox261976Sparky Lyle (2)New York Yankees231977Bill CampbellBoston Red Sox311978Goose Gossage (2)New York Yankees271979Mike MarshallMinnesota Twins321980Goose Gossage (3) Dan QuisenberryNew York YankeesKansas City Royals331981Rollie FingersMilwaukee Brewers281982Dan Quisenberry (2)Kansas City Royals351983Dan Quisenberry (3)Kansas City Royals451984Dan Quisenberry (4)Kansas City Royals441985Dan Quisenberry (5)Kansas City Royals371986Dave RighettiNew York Yankees461987Tom HenkeToronto Blue Jays341988Dennis EckersleyOakland Athletics451989Jeff RussellTexas Rangers381990Bobby ThigpenChicago White Sox571991Bryan HarveyCalifornia Angels461992Dennis Eckersley (2)Oakland Athletics511993Jeff MontgomeryDuane WardKansas City RoyalsToronto Blue Jays451994Lee SmithBaltimore Orioles331995José MesaCleveland Indians461996John WettelandNew York Yankees431997Randy MyersBaltimore Orioles451998Tom GordonBoston Red Sox461999Mariano RiveraNew York Yankees452000Todd JonesDerek LoweDetroit TigersBoston Red Sox422001Mariano Rivera (2)New York Yankees502002Eddie GuardadoMinnesota Twins452003Keith FoulkeOakland Athletics432004Mariano Rivera (3)New York Yankees532005Francisco RodríguezBob WickmanLos Angeles AngelsCleveland Indians452006Francisco Rodríguez (2)Los Angeles Angels472007Joe BorowskiCleveland Indians452008Francisco Rodríguez (3)Los Angeles Angels622009Brian FuentesLos Angeles Angels482010Rafael SorianoTampa Bay Rays452011José ValverdeDetroit Tigers492012Jim JohnsonBaltimore Orioles512013Jim Johnson (2)Baltimore Orioles502014Fernando RodneySeattle Mariners482015Brad BoxbergerTampa Bay Rays412016Zack BrittonBaltimore Orioles472017Álex ColoméTampa Bay Rays472018Edwin DíazSeattle Mariners572019Roberto OsunaHouston Astros382020Brad HandCleveland Indians162021Liam HendriksChicago White Sox382022Emmanuel ClaseCleveland Guardians422023Emmanuel Clase (2)Cleveland Guardians442024Emmanuel Clase (3)Cleveland Guardians472025Carlos EstévezKansas City Royals422026Bryan BakerCade SmithTampa Bay RaysCleveland Guardians41

National League