MLB Single Season Saves Leaders


All Time Records
Single Season Records
MLB Milesontes
Career BA Leaders Highest BA in a Season No Hitters and Perfect Games
Career Hits Leaders Most Hits in a Season 300 Wins Club
Career HR Leaders Most HRs in a Season 3000 Strikeouts Club
Career RBI Leaders Most RBIs in a Season 500 Home Run Club
Career Runs Leaders Most Runs in a Season 3000 Hits Club
Career SB Leaders Most SBs in a Season Triple Crown Winners
Career Wins Leaders Most Saves in a Season  
Career Saves Leaders Most K's in a Season  
Career K Leaders Lowest ERA in a Season  
Career ERA Leaders    

In 2008, Los Angeles Angels Closer Francisco Rodriguez set the MLB record for most saves in a single season with 62. K Rod beat Bobby Thigpen's 18 year old by 5 saves and became the only MLB Closer to records over 60 saves in a season.

When Thigpen set the record in 1990, he was the only MLB pitcher to record over 50 saves. There have now been 11 seasons in which a pitcher has recorded 50 or more saves. Eric Gagne and Mariano Rivera have each record 50+ save seasons twice.

Most Saves in a Single MLB Season
Rank Player Team
Saves
Year
1Francisco Rodriguez  Los Angeles Angels
62
2008
2Bobby Thigpen  Chicago White Sox
57
1990
T3Eric Gagne  Los Angeles Dodgers
55
2003
T3John Smoltz  John Smoltz
55
2002
T5Trevor Hoffman  San Diego Padres
53
1998
T5Randy Myers Chicago Cubs
53
1993
T5Mariano Rivera  New York Yankees
53
2004
8Eric Gagne Los Angeles Dodgers
52
2002
T9Rod Beck  Chicago Cubs
51
1998
T9Dennis Eckersley Oakland Athletics
51
1992
11Mariano Rivera New York Yankees
50
2001
12Francisco Cordero  Texas Rangers
49
2004
T13Rod Beck  San Francisco Giants
48
1993
 Dennis EckersleyOakland Athletics
48
1990
 Jeff Shaw  Cincinnati Reds
Los Angeles Dodgers
48
1998
  Brian Fuentes Los Angeles Angels
48
2009
  Brian Wilson San Francisco Giants
48
2010
T18Armando Benitez  Florida Marlins
47
2004
 Chad Cordero  Washington Nationals
47
2005
 Jason Isringhausen  St. Louis Cardinals
47
2004
 Francisco Rodriguez  Los Angeles Angels
47
2006
 Lee Smith  St. Louis Cardinals
47
1991
 Jose Valverde  Arizona Diamondbacks
47
2007
  Joe Nathan Minnesota Twins
47
2009
  Heath Bell San Diego Padres
47
2010
T26Tom Gordon  Boston Red Sox
46
1998
 Bryan Harvey  California Angels
46
1991
 Trevor Hoffman San Diego Padres
46
2006
 Jose Mesa  Cleveland Indians
46
1995
 Dave Righetti New York Yankees
46
1986
 Lee Smith St. Louis Cardinals
New York Yankees
46
1993
 Mike Williams  Pittsburgh Pirates
46
2002
T33Antonio Alfonseca  Florida Marlins
45
2000
 Joe Borowski  Cleveland Indians
45
2007
 Dennis EckersleyOakland Athletics
45
1988
 Eric Gagne  Los Angeles Dodgers
45
2004
 Eddie Guardado Minnesota Twins
45
2002
 Bryan Harvey  Florida Marlins
45
1993
 Jose Mesa  Philadelphia Phillies
45
2002
 Jeff Montgomery  Kansas City Royals
45
1993
 Randy Myers Baltimore Orioles
45
1997
 Robb Nen  San Francisco Giants
45
2001
 Dan Quisenberry  Kansas City Royals
45
1983
 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees
45
1999
 Francisco Rodriguez  Los Angeles Angels
45
2005
 Kazuhiro Sasaki  Seattle Mariners
45
2001
 John Smoltz  Atlanta Braves
45
2003
 Bruce Sutter St. Louis Cardinals
45
1984
 Duane Ward  Toronto Blue Jays
45
1993
 Bob Wickman  Cleveland Indians
45
2005
  Rafael Soriano Tampa Bay Rays
45
2010
T52Jeff Brantley  Cincinnati Reds
44
1996
 Francisco Cordero  Milwaukee Brewers
44
2007
 Mark Davis San Diego Padres
44
1989
 Billy Koch  Oakland Athletics
44
2002
 Joe Nathan  Minnesota Twins
44
2004
 Dan Quisenberry  Kansas City Royals
44
1984
  Mariano Rivera New York Yankees
44
2009
  Mariano Rivera New York Yankees
44
2010
 John Smoltz  Atlanta Braves
44
2004
 Jose Valverde  Houston Astros
44
2008
 Billy Wagner Houston Astros
44
2003
 Todd Worrell  Los Angeles Dodgers
44
1996

Updated: Mar. 25th 2011

Sources:
baseball-reference.com
baseball-almanac.com
wikipedia.org
thebaseballcube.com