MLB: Top 20 closers in Major League Baseball history
Entering the game in the ninth inning to pick up a save is a pressure-packed situation. Who did it best? We rank the top 20 closers in Major League Baseball history.
It’s the scenario we all played in our heads in the backyard growing up: Game 7. Bases loaded. Two outs. Bottom of the ninth. Tying run on first.
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Most of us pretended to dig in into the box for a chance to hit the game-winning homer, but if we were facing Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, or one of the other top 20 closers in Major League Baseball history, the odds wouldn’t be very good – even in our dreams (unless you were Kirk Gibson).
What 20 relievers were best at crushing those ninth inning dreams at the Major League level? And how should we rank them?
As for the criteria in this list, saves are valued as most important but they aren’t the bottom line. Because the role of a closer has changed over the decades, and really only came into vogue in the 1980s, it’s difficult rely on saves alone – especially in today’s era of specialization with 100-mph flamethrowers risking Tommy John surgery with every pitch. Therefore longevity is a key factor, as well as overall production, including metrics like ERA, ERA+, FIP, WHIP and strikeout rate.
Having a great mustache certainly helps, as well.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 20 closers in baseball history.
*Note: Statistics gathered from Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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