MLB Single-Season Saves Record Progression

Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.

The MLB single-season saves record is 62, set by Francisco Rodriguez in 2008. It has stood for 17 years. The mark has been raised 16 times since 1871.

ERA W SO SV WHIP IP K/9 BB/9 K/BB SHO CG GS G L BB W-L%

Record Holders

17 marks since 1871

Year	Player	SV	Stood for
2008	Francisco Rodriguez	62	still standing
1990	Bobby Thigpen	57	18 years
1986	Dave Righetti	46	4 years
1983	Dan Quisenberry	45	3 years
1973	John Hiller	38	10 years
1972	Clay Carroll	37	1 year
1970	Wayne Granger	35	2 years
1966	Jack Aker	32	4 years
1965	Ted Abernathy	31	1 year
1961	Luis Arroyo	29	4 years
1949	Joe Page	27	12 years
1926	Firpo Marberry	22	23 years
1924	Firpo Marberry	15	2 years
1911	Mordecai Brown	13	13 years
1875	Al Spalding	9	36 years
1872	Harry Wright	4	3 years
1871	Harry Wright	3	1 year

The earliest marks here are records only in the sense that nobody had done better yet. Season length, schedule and the rules themselves have all changed, so a figure from the 1870s is not comparable with a modern one and is not offered as though it were.

Every Season

191 seasons

Year	Leader	SV
2025	Carlos Estevez	42
2024	Ryan Helsley	49
2023	Emmanuel Clase	44
2022	Emmanuel Clase	42
2021	Mark Melancon	39
2020	Brad Hand	16
2019	Kirby Yates	41
2018	Edwin Diaz	57
2017	Alex Colome	47
2016	Jeurys Familia	51
2015	Mark Melancon	51
2014	Fernando Rodney	48
2013	Jim Johnson	50
2013	Craig Kimbrel	50
2012	Jim Johnson	51
2011	Jose Valverde	49
2010	Brian Wilson	48
2009	Brian Fuentes	48
2008	Francisco Rodriguez	62	new record
2007	Jose Valverde	47
2006	Francisco Rodriguez	47
2005	Chad Cordero	47
2004	Mariano Rivera	53
2003	Eric Gagne	55
2002	John Smoltz	55
2001	Mariano Rivera	50
2000	Antonio Alfonseca	45
1999	Mariano Rivera	45
1998	Trevor Hoffman	53
1997	Randy Myers	45
1996	Todd Worrell	44
1996	Jeff Brantley	44
1995	Jose Mesa	46
1994	Lee Smith	33
1993	Randy Myers	53
1992	Dennis Eckersley	51
1991	Lee Smith	47
1990	Bobby Thigpen	57	new record
1989	Mark Davis	44
1988	Dennis Eckersley	45
1987	Steve Bedrosian	40
1986	Dave Righetti	46	new record
1985	Jeff Reardon	41
1984	Bruce Sutter	45
1983	Dan Quisenberry	45	new record
1982	Bruce Sutter	36
1981	Rollie Fingers	28
1980	Rich Gossage	33
1980	Dan Quisenberry	33
1979	Bruce Sutter	37
1978	Rollie Fingers	37
1977	Rollie Fingers	35
1976	Rawly Eastwick	26
1975	Rich Gossage	26
1974	Terry Forster	24
1973	John Hiller	38	new record
1972	Clay Carroll	37	new record
1971	Ken Sanders	31
1970	Wayne Granger	35	new record
1969	Ron Perranoski	31
1968	Phil Regan	25
1967	Ted Abernathy	28
1966	Jack Aker	32	new record
1965	Ted Abernathy	31	new record
1964	Dick Radatz	29
1963	Stu Miller	27
1962	Roy Face	28
1961	Luis Arroyo	29	new record
1960	Lindy McDaniel	26
1959	Turk Lown	15
1959	Lindy McDaniel	15
1959	Don McMahon	15
1958	Ryne Duren	20
1958	Roy Face	20
1957	Bob Grim	19
1956	Clem Labine	19
1955	Ray Narleski	19
1954	Jim Hughes	24
1953	Ellis Kinder	27
1952	Al Brazle	16
1951	Ellis Kinder	14
1950	Jim Konstanty	22
1949	Joe Page	27	new record
1948	Russ Christopher	17
1948	Harry Gumbert	17
1947	Hugh Casey	18
1946	Bob Klinger	9
1945	Andy Karl	15
1945	Ace Adams	15
1944	Ace Adams	13
1943	Gordon Maltzberger	14
1942	Hugh Casey	13
1941	Johnny Murphy	15
1940	Al Benton	17
1939	Johnny Murphy	19
1938	Dick Coffman	12
1937	Clint Brown	18
1936	Dizzy Dean	11
1935	Dutch Leonard	8
1934	Carl Hubbell	8
1933	Jack Russell	13
1932	Firpo Marberry	13
1931	Jack Quinn	15
1930	Lefty Grove	9
1929	Firpo Marberry	11
1928	Waite Hoyt	8
1927	Wilcy Moore	13
1927	Garland Braxton	13
1926	Firpo Marberry	22	new record
1925	Firpo Marberry	15
1924	Firpo Marberry	15	new record
1923	Allen Russell	9
1922	Sad Sam Jones	8
1921	Lou North	7
1921	Jim Middleton	7
1921	Carl Mays	7
1920	Bill Sherdel	6
1919	Jim Shaw	5
1919	Bob Shawkey	5
1919	Allen Russell	5
1918	George Mogridge	7
1917	Dave Danforth	9
1916	Red Ames	8
1916	Bob Shawkey	8
1915	Hugh Bedient	10
1914	Slim Sallee	6
1914	Russ Ford	6
1914	Red Ames	6
1914	Dave Davenport	6
1913	Charles Bender	13
1912	Ed Walsh	10
1911	Mordecai Brown	13	new record
1910	Mordecai Brown	7
1910	Harry Gaspar	7
1909	Frank Arellanes	8
1908	Ed Walsh	6
1907	Tom Hughes	4
1907	Joe McGinnity	4
1907	Ed Walsh	4
1907	Bill Dinneen	4
1906	Cecil Ferguson	7
1905	Claude Elliott	6
1904	Joe McGinnity	5
1903	Roscoe Miller	3
1903	Carl Lundgren	3
1902	Vic Willis	3
1901	Jack Powell	3
1901	Bill Hoffer	3
1901	Bill Donovan	3
1900	Frank Kitson	4
1899	Sam Leever	3
1898	Kid Nichols	4
1897	Win Mercer	3
1897	Kid Nichols	3
1896	Cy Young	3
1895	Tom Parrott	3
1895	Ernie Beam	3
1894	Tony Mullane	4
1893	Tony Mullane	2
1893	Tom Colcolough	2
1893	Mark Baldwin	2
1893	Frank Dwyer	2
1893	Frank Donnelly	2
1893	Cy Young	2
1892	Gus Weyhing	3
1891	Kid Nichols	3
1891	John Clarkson	3
1891	Joe Neale	3
1890	Herb Goodall	4
1889	Tony Mullane	5
1888	George Wood	2
1887	Adonis Terry	3
1886	Charlie Ferguson	2
1885	Thomas Burns	3
1884	Billy Taylor	4
1883	Jim Whitney	2
1883	George Weidman	2
1882	John Ward	1
1882	Eddie Fusselback	1
1881	Bobby Mathews	2
1880	Lee Richmond	3
1879	John Ward	1
1879	Bobby Mathews	1
1878	Tom Healey	1
1877	Cal McVey	2
1876	Jack Manning	5
1875	Al Spalding	9	new record
1874	Harry Wright	3
1873	Harry Wright	4
1872	Harry Wright	4	new record
1871	Harry Wright	3	new record